AD domain controller upgrade requirements

Timelines and exceptions · All guidance changes

Active Directory · Official Microsoft guidance

No content change seen yet. Watched since 5 Oct 17:50 UTC, last read today 05:02 UTC, next check today 11:02 UTC. Microsoft's own edits are listed below.

Read the Microsoft source · Link to this observation · My radar

Timeline

From the capture of 5 Oct 17:50 UTC · an earlier observation

Legacy capture: table structure or oversized sections are unavailable for extraction

54 recorded changes

Microsoft's revision log on this page · 11 entries

Dates from the page's own change log or history section. They describe earlier edits, not upcoming policy.

Upgrade domain controllers to a newer version of Windows ServerScope
PrerequisitesScopeRecommendation
PrerequisitesRequirementExceptionScope3 conditions
Get-ADDomainGet-ADForestDomainNamingMaster
Installation actions and required administrative levelsRequirement
Installation actions and required administrative levelsRequirement
Installation actions and required administrative levelsRequirementScope
Supported in-place upgrade pathsException1 condition
Adprep - forestprep and domainprepRequirementExceptionScope1 condition
Functional-level features and requirementsRequirement3 conditions
Functional-level features and requirementsRecommendation
Add a new domain controller with a newer version of Windows ServerScope

Extracted automatically from Microsoft's wording. Confirm dates, conditions and whether they apply to you in the source before acting; a month or quarter is a window, not a day.

How this timeline changed

Changes between ChangeIntel's readings of the page, between commits of its source file where Microsoft publishes it, in Internet Archive copies of pages that keep no other history, and entries from Microsoft's own change log (dated as Microsoft dates them). Edits between readings that neither records are unknown.

16 Sep 2026
No longer on the page Prerequisites Microsoft's source, commit b551232
16 Sep 2026
Scope added Prerequisites Microsoft's source, commit b551232
27 Apr 2026
Scope added Prerequisites Microsoft's source, commit 7a4f369
27 Apr 2026
No longer on the page Prerequisites Microsoft's source, commit 7a4f369
11 Dec 2024
Scope added Add a new domain controller with a newer version of Windows Server Microsoft's source, commit b5f5504
11 Dec 2024
No longer on the page Add a new domain controller with a newer version of Windows Server Microsoft's source, commit b5f5504
5 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Add a new domain controller with a newer version of Windows Server Microsoft's source, commit b4c2652
5 Jan 2022
Scope added Add a new domain controller with a newer version of Windows Server Microsoft's source, commit b4c2652
3 Jan 2022
Requirement added Functional-level features and requirements Microsoft's source, commit d1f9ff7
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Functional-level features and requirements Microsoft's source, commit d1f9ff7
3 Jan 2022
Requirement added Install another DC in an existing domainin Installation actions and required administrative levelsMicrosoft's source, commit d1f9ff7
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Install an additional DC in an existing domainin Installation actions and required administrative levelsMicrosoft's source, commit d1f9ff7

42 earlier changes

3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Adprep - forestprep and domainprep Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
Requirement added Adprep - forestprep and domainprep Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Prerequisites Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Prerequisites Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
Exception added Prerequisites Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
Exception added Prerequisites Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Supported in-place upgrade paths Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
Exception added Supported in-place upgrade paths Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Functional level features and requirements Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
Recommendation added Functional-level features and requirements Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
Scope added Prerequisites Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Prerequisites Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Active Directory Domain Services interoperability with other server roles and Windows operating systems Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
Requirement added Functional-level features and requirements Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Functional level features and requirements Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Install an additional DC in an existing domainin Installation actions and required administrative levelsMicrosoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
Requirement added Run adprep /forestprepin Installation actions and required administrative levelsMicrosoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
Requirement added Run adprep /domainprepin Installation actions and required administrative levelsMicrosoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Run adprep /domainprepin Installation actions and required administrative levelsMicrosoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
Requirement added Install a new forestin Installation actions and required administrative levelsMicrosoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Install a new domain in an existing forestin Installation actions and required administrative levelsMicrosoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
Requirement added Run adprep /rodcprepin Installation actions and required administrative levelsMicrosoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Run adprep /domainprep /gpprepin Installation actions and required administrative levelsMicrosoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
Requirement added Run adprep /domainprep /gpprepin Installation actions and required administrative levelsMicrosoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Run adprep /rodcprepin Installation actions and required administrative levelsMicrosoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Run adprep /forestprepin Installation actions and required administrative levelsMicrosoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
Requirement added Install an additional DC in an existing domainin Installation actions and required administrative levelsMicrosoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Install a new forestin Installation actions and required administrative levelsMicrosoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
Requirement added Install a new domain in an existing forestin Installation actions and required administrative levelsMicrosoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Prerequisites Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
Requirement added Prerequisites Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Prerequisites Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
Requirement added Prerequisites Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Rolling back functional levels Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Rolling back functional levels Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
Scope added Add a new domain controller with a newer version of Windows Server Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Prerequisites Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Prerequisites Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
Scope added Prerequisites Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
Scope added Prerequisites Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
3 Jan 2022
No longer on the page Step-by-Step for adding a new domain controller with a newer version of Windows Server Microsoft's source, commit 62c6c45
17 Dec 2021
Recommendation added Functional level features and requirements Microsoft's source, commit d249e3a

Observed history and review priority

Captured 5 Oct 17:50 UTC; extracted 22 Oct 18:57 UTC. Extractor: microsoft-1/9/d9863eb412f92fa5ec3a8ca32e2dd7cfe8095530f456ecb1866608d1166a435d/legacy.

Earlier unavailable versions and edits between checks are unknown. A missing statement requires review; it does not mean the policy was cancelled. Recovered historical statements are not original revision snapshots.

Retained observations · 17

Compact evidence remains available after full document bodies expire. Earlier extractions can have different vocabulary or capture limitations.

23 Oct 09:55 UTC · 26 candidates
12 Oct 19:50 UTC · 26 candidates
6 Oct 17:57 UTC · 17 candidates
5 Oct 17:50 UTC · 17 candidates
16 Sep 09:54 UTC · 26 candidates
27 Apr 09:37 UTC · 26 candidates
28 May 2025 19:52 UTC · 26 candidates
6 Jan 2025 16:31 UTC · 26 candidates
11 Dec 2024 16:59 UTC · 26 candidates
22 Oct 2024 16:23 UTC · 26 candidates
5 Jan 2022 19:46 UTC · 26 candidates
3 Jan 2022 23:21 UTC · 26 candidates
3 Jan 2022 23:10 UTC · 26 candidates
17 Dec 2021 17:05 UTC · 28 candidates
17 Dec 2021 15:57 UTC · 28 candidates
17 Dec 2021 15:45 UTC · 27 candidates
17 Dec 2021 15:37 UTC · 27 candidates

Microsoft's edits

History on GitHub

Commits to the page's source in MicrosoftDocs/windowsserverdocs, with Microsoft's own messages. Commit dates can be hours or days before Learn publishes the change. ChangeIntel keeps a copy of each diff, so an edit stays readable here if GitHub stops serving it. Read today 00:34 UTC.

16 Sep 09:54 UTC Clarify AD DS upgrade wording Served on LearnView diff
27 Apr 09:37 UTC Clarify AD DS in-place upgrade not recommended; use clean OS install View diff
28 May 2025 19:52 UTC Updated pic to reflect outlined steps View diff
6 Jan 2025 16:31 UTC Removing special character View diff
11 Dec 2024 16:59 UTC Merge branch 'main' into patch-2 View diff
22 Oct 2024 16:23 UTC Removing local applies to for AD DS View diff
5 Jan 2022 19:46 UTC Updating image View diff
3 Jan 2022 23:21 UTC edit pass: upgrade-domain-controllers View diff
3 Jan 2022 23:10 UTC edit pass: upgrade-domain-controllers View diff
17 Dec 2021 17:05 UTC Fixed spelling error for "version" View diff
17 Dec 2021 15:57 UTC Added a note View diff
17 Dec 2021 15:45 UTC Corrected links View diff
17 Dec 2021 15:37 UTC Updated some of the steps View diff

7 metadata-only edits · author, dates or topic labels, no article text

22 Aug 2025 23:23 UTC Remove manager metadata from identity directory files (batch 1: 201 files total) Metadata onlyView diff
31 Jul 2025 11:08 UTC Add SFI ms.custom values Metadata onlyView diff
12 May 2025 19:31 UTC [BULK METADATA UPDATE] Updates author/ms.author. Metadata onlyView diff
1 May 2025 12:53 UTC [Scoped] Bulk update author metadata Metadata onlyView diff
7 Apr 2025 07:00 UTC Bulk update ms.topic, author: robinharwood Metadata onlyView diff
9 May 2024 08:58 UTC Bulk update to authors Metadata onlyView diff
9 May 2024 02:50 UTC replaced daveba as ms.author Metadata onlyView diff

Retained observations

23 Oct 09:55 UTC
Source metadata changed; retained article content is unchanged.
12 Oct 19:50 UTC
1 removed passage (18 words). The changed wording mentions dates and deadlines. Review the source to confirm the effect.
6 Oct 17:57 UTC
Source metadata changed; retained article content is unchanged.
5 Oct 17:50 UTC · shown above

What changed

First observed 18 Oct 2026

No field changes are shown for this selection.

Cite this recorded revision to keep the same title, summary, facts and links when the page changes.

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