How to Fix C00002E2 Directory Services could not start error – jet engine error

 

Running a Active Directory on Windows Server 2012 Core in a VM on a Hyper-V host.  The host lost power and corrupted the AD instance running on the VM.

 

Server 2012 would enter into the Repair mode and I caught the error 0x0c00002e2 as the resultant issue and discovered that AD was indeed corrupted.  This is the only domain controller for the domain and has accounts on it, so a backup was not an option.  (I know.... Murphy was in rare form today).

 

I found two helpful links:

 

How to recover Hyper-V Guest Domain Controller from Stop Error 0xc00002e2
(Michael Pollards answer was helpful, but I ran into a deeper problem because the ntds.dit database was corrupt).

• Open a Command Prompt (Win-R, CMD, Enter). Type NTDSUTIL and press Enter.
• Type activate instance ntds and press Enter.
• Type Files and press Enter.
• Type Info and press Enter. Verify the folder is actually C:\Windows\NTDS.
• Type Compact to and press Enter. I created C:\Windows\NTDS\Temp and used that.
• Copy the new file Ntds.dit in the temp folder over top of the old one in NTDS, and delete all the *.log files.

However, when trying to compact the database, I received basically the error:
                        could not initialize the jet engine error 501

 

How to Fix C00002E2 Directory Services Could Not Start – Blue Screen
Very helpful, and I was able to boot the domain controller.

 

Basic steps were:

 

Boot into Directory Services Restore Mode. When the server powers on, press F8 before the OS begins to load.  I used the recovery mode| change startup button, to bring up the boot options.

 

I was running Server Core, so from the prompt, cd \windows\ntds
Created a 'temp' folder in the c:\windows\ntds folder.
Copied the ntds.dit file to that temp folder.
Ran the commands below:

 

• Type: esentutl /g c:\windows\ntds\ntds.dit
• This will perform an integrity check, (the results indicate that the jet database is corrupt - ok)
• Type: esentutl /p   c:\windows\ntds\ntds.dit
• Agree with the prompt

I had to run the last command twice for it to return success.
Rebooted and system was up an running.