So, a DFS root target has disappeared. Could be because the server broke bad enough to never be able to be recovered back in to AD or because it was previously a domain controller that has been demoted and decommissioned. In any case, you will get an error from dfsgui saying, “Access is denied” when you try to remove a DFS root target that no longer exists.

Use the dfsutil command to first backup the DFS namespace and then remove the orphaned reference:

1. If not already installed, install the Support Tools for Windows Server 2003

2. Start -> All Programs -> Windows Support Tools -> Command Prompt

3. Backup the DFS namespace, type:

dfsutil /root:<fully_qualified_name> /export:<file>

(<fully_qualified_name> will be the namespace, e.g. \\mydomain\dfsroot and <file>, for example, c:\dfs.txt)

4. Open the file you exported it to, it will show you the reference to the orphaned server and will include a field called ‘Folder’.

5. Remove the reference, type (all on one line):

dfsutil /UnmapFtRoot /Root:<fully_qualified_name>

/Server:<server_name> /Shared:<folder>

(<server_name> is the name of the orphaned server and <folder> is the value from Step 4 above

6. Open or refresh dfsgui and the old root target will be gone.

Be careful to ensure that there is another root target available for the DFS namespace because otherwise the namespace will be deleted.