I've installed Windows Server 2012, and now I'm trying to make it a domain controller. I followed the tutorial here (http://sharepointgeorge.com/2012/configuring-active-directory-ad-ds-in-windows-server-2012/) and I was able to successfully add the AD server role, create the tree for the FOO domain, and promote the server to domain controller.
After the server rebooted, I logged in as administrator in my domain (FOO\administrator).
However, when I go to the Active Directory Administrative Center, it gives me the error, "Cannot connect to any domain. Refresh or try again when connection is available." When I go to Active Directory Users and computers, it says "Naming information cannot be located because: The specified domin either does not exist or could not be contacted…"
I've checked and the Active Directory Domain Services and Active Directory Web Services are both running.
Any ideas?
Edited in from comments (posted by OP):
DNS is refusing to start. It said "DNS server is waiting for Active
Directory Domain Services (AD DS) to signal that the initial
synchronization of the directory has been completed." It looks like AD
refuses to work because DNS isn't working, and DNS can't start because
AD isn't working.
Best Answer
Ensure the server's network adapter(s) are set to use the loopback address (127.0.0.1) as their only DNS server (assuming there's no other domain controllers running AD-integrated DNS).
Then, once DNS is running on the server, setup a Forwarder in DNS to forward unknown DNS requests (i.e.: requests for hosts not in your domain) to the public DNS (your ISP's, or OpenDNS, Google's, etc.).