Step by Step guide to lower Active Directory Functional Level

In Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2012, you can lower the Forest and Domain functional level from 2012 to 2008 R2, or from 2008 R2 to 2008. But you cannot lower it beyond 2008. Also, this is not possible by GUI, you have to use PowerShell for doing this. Let’s see how you can do it in the following steps:

 

1. Import the AD module

Import-Module -Name ActiveDirectory

 

2. Check the Forest Functional level of your Active Directory

Get-ADForest | Format-Table Name , ForestMode

 

You can also check it by going to AD Domain and services.

 

3. Lower the Forest Functional Level and then the Domain Functional Level

Set-ADForestMode –Identity “woodgrovebank.com” –ForestMode Windows2008Forest

Set-ADDomainMode –Identity “woodgrovebank.com” –DomainMode Windows2008Domain

 

 

4. To Confirm your Forest Functional level of your Active Directory

Get-ADForest | Format-Table Name , ForestMode

 

The only thing that you want to keep in mind is your recycle bin functionality which should not be enabled. (Its disabled by default).

Hope this helps. Happy reading!

Comments

• Anonymous
  December 28, 2012
  Very interesting. Thanks!

• Anonymous
  January 04, 2013
  Gr8 Info.....Aman. Thanks!!

• Anonymous
  August 21, 2013
  Well written and to the point... keep it up

• Anonymous
  October 13, 2013
  great...

• Anonymous
  January 14, 2014
  This does not work.

• Anonymous
  February 08, 2014
  It worked for me but I had to remove quotation marks from the domain name. I downgraded the Forest and then the Domain from 2012 R2 to 2012, successfully. Thank you.

• Anonymous
  February 14, 2014
  This process worked for me. Follow the steps explicitly.

• Anonymous
  August 06, 2014
  Thanks for this.

• Anonymous
  September 26, 2014
  It worked for me. Thank you.

• Anonymous
  December 11, 2014
  Is this a support function from Microsoft?
  
  The following article says:
  "You can change the domain mode to a mode with higher functionality only."
  
  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee617230.aspx

• Anonymous
  December 29, 2014
  This worked great for me. Used it to step a server 2012 domain and forest back to server 2008 in order to promote an existing Server 2008 machine to a secondary domain controller. Thanks a ton!

• Anonymous
  January 10, 2015
  Perfect

• Anonymous
  March 30, 2015
  I was easily able to downgrade a Windows 2012 forest and domain to Windows2008R2 in order to promote a slightly older server to DC.

• Anonymous
  July 31, 2015
  Awesome....

• Anonymous
  August 18, 2015
  Excellent instructions and easy to follow

• Anonymous
  September 26, 2015
  This didn't work for me. However, it is a good tutorial.
  

• Anonymous
  October 01, 2015
  Thnx dude. Great article.

• Anonymous
  October 15, 2015
  YAY heart attack averted and several days of work saved !!! good solid instructions.

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  October 15, 2015
  
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• Anonymous
  October 21, 2015
  This worked for me. Succesfully downgrade Windows 2012R2 forest and domain to Windows 2008R2. Thank you very much!

• Anonymous
  October 30, 2015
  Thanks!

• Anonymous
  December 22, 2015
  Works very well! Really appreciate buddy!

• Anonymous
  February 02, 2016
  Thanks Aman! Works like charm!

• Anonymous
  February 03, 2016
  Thank you so much for this contribution

• Anonymous
  February 29, 2016
  This article is awesome. Simple and straight to the point...
  Thanks

• Anonymous
  March 05, 2016
  The comment has been removed