Important: This article is only applicable if SYSVOL data is being replicated using the File Replication Service (FRS). FRS has been deprecated but may still be in use in Active Directory domains that were created with functional levels earlier than Windows Server 2008. To determine whether FRS is in use, run the
dfsrmig /getmigrationstate command at an elevated command prompt on a domain controller (DC). If the migration state is "Eliminated," FRS is not in use, and this article is
not applicable.
The SYSVOL folder hierarchy, present on all DCs, is used to store two important sets of data:
- Group Policy template files. These are stored in separate folders beneath:
\\SYSVOL\<domain>\Policies
- Logon, logoff, startup, and shutdown scripts used by machines in the domain. These are stored in:
\\SYSVOL\<domain>\scripts
The scripts folder itself is shared as NETLOGON.
This data is replicated among DCs, but SYSVOL replication takes place separately from Active Directory replication. It is possible for one to fail while the other is fully functional. In some situations, SYSVOL replication may fail and be unable to resume without manual intervention. The following steps perform a
non-authoritative sync of SYSVOL. In a non-authoritative sync, an affected DC copies all the SYSVOL data from another DC in the environment.
Important: If there is only one DC in the domain, a non-authoritative sync fails, since there is no other DC from which to copy SYSVOL data. In that situation, an authoritative sync should be performed instead. Instructions for performing an authoritative sync can be found in
How to Perform an Authoritative Sync of SYSVOL Data Using the File Replication Service (FRS).
Before beginning this procedure, ensure that another DC exists in the environment and that its copy of the SYSVOL data is up to date. This requires browsing the SYSVOL folder hierarchy located by default at:
%systemroot%\SYSVOL
to check the modified dates of Group Policy template files and script files.
To perform the non-authoritative sync of SYSVOL, follow these steps on the affected domain controller (that is, the DC with outdated or nonexistent SYSVOL data):
- Stop the File Replication Service.
- Launch Registry Editor.
- Browse to:
HKLM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NtFrs\Parameters\Backup/Restore\Process at Startup
- Double-click the BurFlags entry and set it to a hexadecimal value of D2.
- Start the File Replication Service.
- Launch Event Viewer and check the File Replication Service event log (located in Applications and Services Logs) for informational event 13516. It may take a few minutes for this event to appear.
- Once event 13516 has appeared, run the
net share command and confirm the presence of the SYSVOL and NETLOGON shares in the output.
- You may also want to compare the data in the SYSVOL folder hierarchy of the affected DC to the corresponding data on a known good DC. They should now match.
The following video demonstrates the above procedure:
Non-Authoritative Sync of SYSVOL Data Using FRS
Duration: 07:51