Since Microsoft is no longer making Small Business Server (SBS) as the complete package for the SMB client, it is time to migrate email to Office365 and put in a Windows Standard Server in its place. This will explain the details of how to demote Windows Small Business Server from the domain after email has been migrated, the new server should already be in place and it should be running the appropriate server service and Flexible Single Master Operation (FSMO) roles would already be migrated.

One Last Check

• Open a Command Prompt
• Type in – netdom query fsmo
• Make sure that all roles are pointing to the new Domain Controller

Uninstall Exchange

• Open Control Panel
• Double Click on “Programs and Features” icon
• Search the list and find the entry named something like “Microsoft Exchange Server…” right click on it and choose “Uninstall”
• Click “Next >” button then uncheck all possible boxes then click “Next >” button
• Once the prerequisites have cleared successfully, click “Uninstall” button
• Finally click “Finish” button

Remove AD Certificate Services

• Click Start button, click Administrative Tools, and then click Server Manager.
• Click on Roles, then in the Roles Summary section, click Remove Roles.
• In the Remove Roles Wizard, click “Next >” button
• Clear the “Active Directory Certificate Services” check box, and then click “Next >” button
• On the Confirm Removal Options page, review the information, and then click “Remove >” button

Demote Windows Small Business Server and Remove from Active Directory

• On the Source Server, click Start button, click Run, type dcpromo, and then click “OK” button
• Click “Next >” button twice. (WARNING: Do not select “Delete the domain because this server is the last domain controller in the domain.”)
• In the Summary dialog box, you are told that Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) will be removed from the computer and that the server will become a member of the domain. Click “Next >” button
• Click “Finish” button and the Server will restart
• After the Server restarts, it can then be removed from the domain into a workgroup and disconnected from the network.

To remove the Source Server from Active Directory Domain Services

• On the new Domain Controller Server click Start button, click Administrative Tools, and then select Active Directory Users and Computers.
• In the Active Directory Users and Computers navigation pane, expand the domain name, expand MyBusiness, expand Computers, and then expand SBSComputers.
• Right-click the old Server name if it still exists in the list of servers, click Delete, and then click Yes.
• Verify that the Source Server is not listed, and then close Active Directory Users and Computers.

To update the Software Updates Group Policy Object

• On the Management Server, click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Group Policy Management.
• On the User Account Control dialog box, click Continue.
• In the Group Policy Management console, in the navigation pane, expand Forest:DomainName, expand Domains, expand DomainName, and then expand Group Policy Objects (GPO).
• Click Update Services Server Computers Policy.
• In the results pane, click the Scope tab.
• In the Security Filtering section, click the object that begins with “S-1-5…” This is the old Server Security Identifier (SID).
• Click Remove, and then click “OK” button

If your company is migrating to Office 365 and needs help to demote Windows Small Business Server, then contact us for assistance.