Step by Step How to Rename Domain Name in Windows Server 2016 You can use the domain rename process to change the names of your domains, and you can also use it to change the structure of the domain trees in your forest. This process involves updating the Domain Name System (DNS) and trust infrastructures as well as Group Policy and service principal names (SPNs). The ability to rename domains provides you with the flexibility to make important name changes and forest structural changes as the needs of your organization change. Using domain rename, you cannot only change the name of a domain, but you can change the structure of the domain hierarchy and change the parent of a domain or move a domain residing in one domain tree to another domain tree. The domain rename process can accommodate scenarios involving acquisitions, mergers, or name changes in your organization, but it is not designed to accommodate forest mergers or the movement of domains between forests. Note: Domain rename is intended to be a supported method for renaming domains when domain renames are necessary; it is not intended to make domain rename a routine operation.The domain rename process is complex, and it requires a great deal of care in planning and execution. In addition, the time that is required for a complete domain rename operation is directly proportional to the size of an Active Directory forest in terms of its number of domains, domain controllers, and member computers. Therefore, although domain rename is possible, it should not be undertaken lightly.The domain rename operation is not supported in  Microsoft Exchange Server 2007  or  Exchange Server 2010 . DNS domain rename is supported in  Exchange Server 2003 . However, renaming of the NetBIOS domain name is not supported in any version of Exchange Server. Other non-Microsoft applications might also not support domain rename. For this time easy Guide, I will show you all how to rename domain name in Windows Server 2016, the process is straightforward. but as usual. backup any necessary information and Server before you proceed & I always advice, please do this exercises in LAB Environment (Hyper-V). Don’t simply take any risk by doing this is production environment unless you have to. 😦 The existing domain is  Windows.ae  and I will rename it to  Sifad.local So, let get started. 1 – Open your  System Properties  and check your  existing domain name , if you see from my Windows Server 2016  system properties , my existing domain name is  Windows.ae . This will be change to  Sifad.local  in the short while. 2 – Next, open your  Server Dashboard , go to Tools & click  DNS  to open  DNS Manager . 3 – on the  DNS Manager , you must create the  New DNS Zone (Sifad.local) , this is to make sure that after whole process successfully, your member server and Windows clients can join to new Domain name . To create new DNS Zone , Right Click  Forward Lookup Zone , and click  New Zone 4 – On the  Welcome to the New Zone Wizard , just click Next button. 5 – On the Zone Type, Click  Primary Zone  and click Next. 6 – On the  Active Directory Zone Replication Scope , click button  To all DNS servers running on domain controllers in this domain: Windows.ae  and click Next. 7 – In the  Zone Name , key in your  New Domain Name , my new Domain Name is  Sifad.local . 8 – On the  Dynamic Update, Click Allow only secure dynamic updates (recommended for Active Directory) , and click Next. 9 – On the  completing the New Zone Wizard , click  Finish  to complete the process. 10 – On DNS Manager, you can see my new  Domain Name is listed (sifad.local) . 11 – Next, open  Command Prompt, run as administrator . 12 – In CMD, type  rendom /list  and press enter – this command use to generate a state file named  Domainlist.xml . This file contains the current forest configuration. 13 – Next, open computer and browse to  C:\Users\Administrator  folder to get your  Domainlist.xml . 14 – Once you see the  Domainlist.xml , right click the file name & choose  Edit . I going to change the DNSname and NetBiosName in this  Domainlist.xml file . 15 – Once the  Domainlist.xml  open, you can see there are few existing Domain name,  change this existing domain name to new domain name . ( Refer to picture ) 16 – once you change to new Domain name, make sure you save the  Domainlist.xml  file. 17 – After you save the  Domainlist.xml  file, On the CMD, type  rendom /showforest . This is to show the potential changes; this step does not make any changes. 18 – Next, type  rendom /upload . This is to upload the rename instructions ( Domainlist.xml ) to the configuration directory partition on the domain controller holding the domain naming operations master role. 19 – Next, type  rendom /prepare . This use to verify the readiness of each DC in the forest to carry out the rename instructions. This should contact all DC’s successfully and return no errors before proceed to next process. 20 – Next, type  rendom /execute . This is to  verifies readiness  of all DC’s and then preforms the rename action on each one. “ Remember also there will be a service interruption during this process. Once the process successful, your DC Server will be restarted. ” 21 – Once your DC Server restarted,  log in using the new Domain name as Administrator . 22 – Next, after you successfully log in, open  System Properties  and  check your old Domain Name is now gone . Replace by new Domain name. 23 – Next, open  CMD  again, and type  gpfixup /olddns:windows.ae /newdns:sifad.local  This is to refresh all  intra Domain  references and links to group policy objects. 24 – Next, type  gpfixup /oldnb:DC-CLOUD /newnb:sifad . 25 – Next, type  rendom /clean . This is to remove references of the old domain name from AD. 26 – Next, type  rendom /end . This is to unfreeze the forest configuration and allow further changes. This was frozen during the rendom /upload step. 27 – Next, Open  DNS Manager , click your new created domain ( Sifad.local ), here you can see your own IP listed but we still have long way to go to make sure this DNS Zone is working. 28 – Next, turn on your  client PC , for this exercise I’m using  Windows 10  as a client. Open  System Properties  and  join to new Domain  ( sifad.local ). Windows Security box will show up and now  key in administrator and domain password  and click OK ( Welcome to the sifad.local domain ). (Refer pictures) 29 – After your Windows 10 restart,  log in as a domain administrator . 30 – Once you log in,  double check Windows 10 System Properties . Now your  Windows 10 successfully join in to new Domain  ( Sifad.local ). 31 – Now, go to the Server 2016 and  open DNS Manager , you can see now your  Windows 10 Client is listed in DNS . 32 – You can also check in  Active Directory Users & Computers  that your Windows 10 Client now also listed. This ends the rename process and we have a dc now with a new domain name. Original Article