Active Directory DNS Server Access Denied

Symptoms

You may encounter a situation where one of the DNS server's in the environment starts showing an issue where the zones are not loaded on the DNS console and you see Event ID 4000 and 4007 logged in the DNS event logs:

Event ID 4000:

The DNS server was unable to open Active Directory. This DNS server is configured to obtain and use information from the directory for this zone and is unable to load the zone without it. Check that the Active Directory is functioning properly and reload the zone. The event data is the error code.

Event ID 4007:

The DNS server was unable to open zone <zone> in the Active Directory from the application directory partition <partition name>. This DNS server is configured to obtain and use information from the directory for this zone and is unable to load the zone without it. Check that the Active Directory is functioning properly and reload the zone. The event data is the error code.

Also when you try to open the DNS console you get a pop-up giving Access Denied.

You notice that the DNS Server service is up and running.

When you try to perform any operation on the AD-integrated zones using DNSCMD, you receive the Access Denied error message.

Rebooting the server causes it to take a long time (up to 30 minutes or more) configuring the environment.

Cause

This happens when that particular DC/DNS server has lost its Secure channel with itself or PDC.

This can also happen in a single DC environment where that DC/DNS server holds all the FSMO roles and is pointing to itself as Primary DNS server.

Resolution

1. Run the following command with elevated rights:

   net stop kdc
   klist purge
   netdom resetpwd /server:127.0.0.1 /userd:domain.com\administrator /passwordd:*
   net start kdc

   It will prompt for the password of the Domain Admin account that you used, enter that.

2. Once the command executes, restart the Active Directory Services service.

DNS zones should load now.

Now reboot the server