SOLVED: DFS State Query & Codes Explained

If you have worked with Active Directory on Windows Servers, you may have run into problems with things like GPO’s and Scripts not syncing between Domain Controllers and wondered how to troubleshoot it.

In addition to the obvious, like:

• Confirming the DFS Service is running
• Installing DFS REPLICATION CONSOLE (from SERVER MANAGER > ADD FEATURES)
  • Not required to have DFS functional, but handy to see if there are oddities
• Running DFSRDiag in a command prompt

there is also a very handy command Microsoft Tech Support gave me (when working on a DFS problem for more than a week!):

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Run this on a DC (or run on each of your DC’s if you have problems), in an CMD PROMPT AS AN ADMIN:

For /f %i IN ('dsquery server -o rdn') do @echo %i && @wmic /node:"%i" /namespace:\\root\microsoftdfs path dfsrreplicatedfolderinfo WHERE replicatedfoldername='SYSVOL share' get replicationgroupname,replicatedfoldername,state

This command will list the DFS status for each of your Domain Controllers. The states codes translate to:

• 1 – Uninitialized: The replication process has not started yet
• 2 – Initialized: The replication process has been initialized but is not yet active
• 3 – Replicating: Files are actively being replicated between servers
• 4 – Stalled: Replication is temporarily paused or delayed
• 5 – Completed: The replication process has finished successfully

As shown in the screenshot above you want to see DFS STATE CODE = 4

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