Active directory domain services unavailable windows 10

Troubleshooting Active Directory Domain Services Unavailability on Windows 10: A Step-by-Step Guide

Active directory is a critical component in modern windows networks for authentication and authorization purposes. When you encounter an error message stating 'The Active Directory Domain Services (ADDS) is currently unavailable,' it can be quite frustrating, especially when trying to perform routine tasks such as printing documents.

In this article, we will walk through the troubleshooting process step-by-step to resolve the issue of ADDS being unavailable on Windows 10. We'll cover possible causes and solutions for common scenarios where you might encounter similar problems.

Scenario 1: 'The Active Directory Domain Services is currently unavailable' Error

Symptoms:

* You receive an error message stating that ADDS is currently unavailable when trying to perform tasks such as printing documents from Microsoft Office applications.

* The printer driver is already installed on your computer, and it's a USB-connected printer.

Possible Cause:

The most common cause of this issue is that the Active Directory Domain Services (ADDS) service has stopped running or isn't configured correctly. When you try to print using an ADDS domain-joined machine, Windows attempts to contact the AD DC for Kerberos authentication before allowing access to local printers and other resources.

Solution:

1. Press Win + R keys simultaneously on your keyboard.

2. Type 'services.msc' in the Run dialog box and press Enter.

3. In Services Manager:

a) Look for 'Active Directory Domain Service' or simply type it into the search bar at top right corner of the window.

b) Right-click on 'Active Directory Domain Service'.

c) Select “Start” from context menu if its status is set to 'Stopped' or ‘Disabled'.

Scenario 2: Active Directory Domain Services Not Listed in Services

Symptoms:

* After following Scenario 1 above and you still cannot find the ADDS service listed under services.msc, then this section will guide you through additional troubleshooting steps.

Possible Cause:

There could be several reasons why the Active Directory Domain Service (AD DS) or its related components are not visible within Services Manager. Some possible causes include:

* The AD DC is offline/turned off.

* There might have been a recent Group Policy Object (GPO) applied that has disabled access to certain services for your user account.

Solution:

1. Ensure the Domain Controller (DC) is online and functioning properly by checking Event Viewer logs or using tools like `netdom` command-line utility from elevated PowerShell prompt:

```cmd

netdom query fsmo

```

2. If the above step doesn't resolve the issue, try restarting your computer in Safe Mode with Networking option enabled (press F8 during boot process). Once logged into safe mode:

a) Open Services Manager again by pressing Win + R and typing 'services.msc'.

b) Look for 'Active Directory Domain Service' or type it in search bar.

c) Right-click on the service if found, then select “Start”.

Scenario 3: Windows Server 2012 AD DS Virtualization Features

With the release of Windows Server 2012 (also known as Windows Server '8'), Microsoft introduced several new features aimed at alleviating some of the legitimate concerns that administrators have about virtualizing Active Directory Domain Services. These include:

* Hyper-V replication for Availability Sets

* Live migration support between Hyper-V host machines running different versions of operating system

In conclusion, by following these steps and troubleshooting scenarios above should help resolve common issues related to ADDS being unavailable on Windows 10 computers connected via a domain-joined network. Remember that sometimes simple actions like restarting services or resetting local machine settings can often resolve complex problems!

Active directory domain services unavailable windows 10