# server 2012 r2 essentials can not change server name



## CAHOP240

you can always use powershell or the "netdom renamecomputer" command line tool. Whenever a windows system acts bratty it's always a good idea to drop down to command line to do what you need.


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## unfbilly11

Are you logged on as Administrator?


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## Shub

Make sure you're logged in as an admin. If you aren't, well... you'll need to be.
If for whatever reason you are logging in as a non-admin user but have access to admin credentials, try the following command in PowerShell:

Code:



Code:


Rename-Computer -NewName NEWSERVERNAMEHERE -LocalCredential currentservername\adminuser -Force -PassThru -Restart


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## chrismallia

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *unfbilly11*
> 
> Are you logged on as Administrator?


IN CONTROL PANEL USERS Under my account user name I have DOMAIN


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## chrismallia

this is what I am getting

Rename-Computer : Fail to rename computer 'WIN-OUNDHRS2Q21' to 'SERVER' due to the following exception: Access
denied.
At line:1 char:1
+ Rename-Computer -NewName SERVER -LocalCredential currentservername\adminuser -Fo ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : OperationStopped: (WIN-OUNDHRS2Q21:String) [Rename-Computer], InvalidOperationEx
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : FailToRenameComputer,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.RenameComputerCommand

HasSucceeded OldComputerName NewComputerName

False WIN-OUNDHRS2Q21 SERVER


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## CAHOP240

If you're logged on as a domain user you won't be able to rename the computer. That error message you're getting points to you not being logged in as an administrator


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## Bearybear

If you've added any roles you will likely need to properly configure them and reboot before you can change the computer name.


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## chrismallia

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *CAHOP240*
> 
> If you're logged on as a domain user you won't be able to rename the computer. That error message you're getting points to you not being logged in as an administrator


Hi thanks for all your help the problem I am having is I cant seam to find administrator account to log on with it only gives me the domain user .


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## tycoonbob

It's best to use netdom.exe to rename a domain controller. Assuming this Essentials box is your only server, then you only have one domain controller and it's recommended to add a second DC before doing this.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc816601(v=ws.10).aspx


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## tompsonn

Ouch, renaming a DC.


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## DzillaXx

The Administrator account should have been made when you installed Windows Server. I know mine did. Was the First and Primary account.


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## chrismallia

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *tycoonbob*
> 
> It's best to use netdom.exe to rename a domain controller. Assuming this Essentials box is your only server, then you only have one domain controller and it's recommended to add a second DC before doing this.
> 
> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc816601(v=ws.10).aspx


THNAKS It worked great the server name is changed successfully


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## tycoonbob

To those talking about the local administrator account...let's remember that Essentials (once configured) is running Active Directory Domain Services, effectively making it a Domain Controller. Microsoft Domain Controllers do NOT have a normal local administrator account, but instead use a "local domain" account, found in the Builtin OU in your domain. The account is still called "Administrator" though.


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## CJston15

edit: never mind he figured it out.


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