I am a small business owner. It currently has a Windows domain server, I want to decommission that and run existing client as non-domain standalone workstation.
The domain controller runs SBS 2008. In a few weeks' time it will be decommissioned. No domain will be put in its place.
I have a client workstation. It is joined to the SBS domain. I (normally) log on as a domain (admin) user. It runs Windows Server 2008 R2. However it acts purely as a client, like any other (non-server) OS client would. It is only a server because it is/was used for development.
It is vital I retain this client machine, for legacy support etc. I wish now to have it as a standalone PC like any other, not joined to any domain.
I have done a fair bit of browsing articles about leaving a domain. There are various suggested approaches, both for SBS or more generally Windows Server domain. But I am very hesitant before doing anything, because it would be disastrous if I made a false step, such as locking myself out or being unable to access files, etc. For example, I would not be able to insert a password recovery or reinstall the current OS or anything it might need. It would also be very difficult to physically reconnect it to the SBS server which is shortly to be decommissioned. (I can connect to it over VPN, just not directly, if that makes any difference.) So I really need to proceed carefully and safely!
I have ensured that I have a local administrative user on the client with which I can log on. Which is presumably the most important thing.
I feel my first step would be as per Removing a computer from the domain. There from Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings I would change from belonging to the domain over to plain Workgroup. I am hoping that if there is a problem I could then revert to the original domain. Though I am not sure I would be able to revert without being physically locally connected to the SBS domain controller, which would be problematic?
If that goes well I would then think I should go to Programs and Features and run Windows Small Business Server 2008 ClientAgent to uninstall it, to remove any vestiges of the client trying to connect to the domain?
One issue I see is that I have been working, and saving files, as DOMAIN\user. Once the domain is gone I will be logging on as LOCALMACHINE\user. As I said, that is a local Admin user. Nonetheless I worry about accessing existing files. However, I have had a look and files (those I have looked at) seemed to have permissions and be owned by LOCALMACHINE\Administrators Group rather than DOMAIN\user User.
I can manually resurrect/copy my Desktop from domain to local user. There will be some software which is perhaps installed only for current user, and goodness knows what entries in registry under the domain user's HKEY_USERS\S-.... I don't know if there is anything easy I can do about this?
[The other alternative would be to do nothing at all? Leave computer on domain, continue to log on locally as that domain user. However, I am very concerned that at some point in the future my locally cached password might expire, or some action might require connecting to the domain, at which point I would be stuck. So I think I am right that I would indeed be best removing this client from the domain?]
Thank for reading. Sorry if this is long, I wanted to be clear.
Any and all advice gratefully received. Can I start by changing the workstation over from Domain to Workgroup membership, safe in the knowledge that I can revert to domain if I need to, or not?
