Can't leave a domain on Windows 11

Question

hello,

Following a failure of a computer integration in a domain. The computer still shows me in a domain. I deleted my test domain, but I could not leave the domain to return to the Workgroup.

action perform above to exit, and with PowerShell Remove-Computer -UnjoinDomaincredential user/workgroup -PassThru -Verbose -Restart

Remove-Computer: Failed to unjoin computer "ALDRIC02" from domain "challefamily.local" with the following error message: The specified domain does not exist or could not be contacted.

Answer 1

Hello aldric challe,

Thank you for posting in our Q&A forum.

Please troubleshoot the issue based on the points below:

1.Please check if the preferred DNS and Alternative DNS on this Windows 11
is the IP address of DNS server (if your DC is also a DNS server, it should be the IP of DC server).

2.On the Windows 11 machine, you can try to ping domain name and check the result.

3.On the Windows 11 machine, you can try to ping FQDN of the DC (such as DC.domain.com) and check the result.

4.On the Windows 11 machine, check if all the ports below are open.
For example:

53/TCP/UDP          DNS

389/TCP/UDP       LDAP

135/TCP            RPC Endpoint Mapper

49152-65535/TCP   RPC for LSA, SAM, Netlogon

88/TCP/UDP       Kerberos

445/TCP           SMB

5.If the issue occurs on other clients or workstations, we may also check ports on DCs.

Active Directory and Active Directory Domain Services Port Requirements

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2008-R2-and-2008/dd772723(v=ws.10)?redirectedfrom=MSDN

Active Directory Replication over Firewalls

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-2000-server/bb727063(v=technet.10)?redirectedfrom=MSDN

6.Check the netsetup.log (C:\Windows\Debug\netsetup.log) on this Windows 11.

Other reference:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/identity/active-directory-domain-join-troubleshooting-guidance

Hope the information above is helpful. If you have any question or concern, please feel free to let us know.

Best Regards,
Daisy Zhou

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Answer 2

Hello there,

If you're having trouble leaving a domain on Windows 11, it could be due to various reasons including permissions, network connectivity, or other issues. Here are steps you can take to troubleshoot and resolve the problem:

Check Domain Administrator Privileges:

Ensure that you're using an account with sufficient privileges to remove a computer from the domain. You need domain administrator credentials to perform this action.

Network Connectivity:

Make sure the computer is connected to the domain network. If the network connection is unstable or if there are network issues, it might affect the domain leaving process.

Firewall and Network Security:

Temporarily disable any third-party firewalls or security software that might be blocking the domain communication.

Credential and Authentication:

Double-check the username and password you're using to remove the computer from the domain. Sometimes, typos or incorrect credentials can cause issues.

Restart Computer:

Try restarting the computer and then attempt to leave the domain again. Sometimes, a restart can clear temporary glitches.

Network Configuration:

Ensure that your computer's IP settings are configured to obtain IP addresses and DNS settings automatically. Network misconfiguration can affect domain interactions.

Disconnect Network Drives:

If your computer has network drives mapped to resources on the domain, disconnect them before attempting to leave the domain. Network drive connections might interfere with the process.

Cached Credentials:

Windows caches credentials for logged-in users. If you recently changed your password or there were any account changes, these cached credentials could cause issues. Consider logging out and logging back in with updated credentials.

I used AI provided by ChatGPT to formulate part of this response. I have verified that the information is accurate before sharing it with you.

Hope this resolves your Query !!

--If the reply is helpful, please Upvote and Accept it as an answer–