[aek]

I have a LDAP query that I use to query AD. I query AD for a specific useraccoutnname in my Win PE environment. I query AD before even the machine gets ghosted and way before even I log into any domain.

I need to use the name of my DC in my LDAP query that queries AD because without that my query fails. Currently I have been harcoding the name of the Domain controller, but can you get the name of the nearest DC in WinPE environment before logging to any domain.

This is what I had tried, but did not work for me.

Set MyDomain = GetObject("LDAP://RootDSE")
MyDC = MyDomain.Get("dnsHostName")

The above query basically gives me the name of the DC.

I then tried to use this MyDC variable in my LDAP search but this did not work in WinPE (works fine from my machine as I am already logged on the domain).

Any thoughts or suggestions of getting the name of Domain Controller.

[getwired]

Have you added ADSI? WinPE by itself does not include any ADSI functionality.

[aek]

Yes.

[aek]

I have VB, ADSI, OLEDB, ADO, SQL Server and maybe a bunch more

[aek]

Got it. Hope it helps someone.

Call this API and it might just work.

Option Explicit

MsgBox GetPDCName("computername", "domainnname")

'The NetGetDCName function returns the name of the Primary Domain Controller (PDC) for the specified domain.

'API calls
Private Declare Function NetGetDCName Lib "netapi32.dll" (ServerName As Any, DomainName As Any, lpBuffer As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function NetApiBufferFree Lib "netapi32.dll" (ByVal pBuffer As Long) As Long

Private Declare Sub CopyMem Lib "kernel32.dll" Alias "RtlMoveMemory" (pTo As Any, uFrom As Any, ByVal lSize As Long)
Private Declare Function lstrlenW Lib "kernel32.dll" (ByVal lpString As Long) As Long

'API Constants
Private Const NERR_Success As Long = 0&

'Module
Private Function PtrToString(lpwString As Long) As String
'Convert a LPWSTR pointer to a VB string
Dim Buffer() As Byte
Dim nLen As Long

If lpwString Then
nLen = lstrlenW(lpwString) * 2
If nLen Then
ReDim Buffer(0 To (nLen - 1)) As Byte
CopyMem Buffer(0), ByVal lpwString, nLen
PtrToString = Buffer
End If
End If
End Function

'ComputerName

'Pointer to string containing the name of the remote server on which the function is to execute. A NULL string specifies the local computer.

'DomainnNme

'Pointer to a string containing the name of the domain. A NULL string indicates that the function returns the name of the domain controller for the primary domain.
Public Function GetPDCName(ComputerName As String, DomainName As String) As String
Dim bComputer() As Byte
Dim bDomain() As Byte
Dim ret As Long
Dim lpBuffer As Long
Dim s As String

If Trim(ComputerName) = "" Then
'Local users
bComputer = vbNullChar
Else
'Check the syntax of the ServerName string
If InStr(ComputerName, "\\") = 1 Then
bComputer = ComputerName & vbNullChar
Else
bComputer = "\\" & ComputerName & vbNullChar
End If
End If
If Trim(DomainName) = "" Then
'Default Domain
bDomain = vbNullChar
Else
bDomain = DomainName & vbNullChar
End If
ret = NetGetDCName(bComputer(0), bDomain(0), lpBuffer)
If ret = NERR_Success And lpBuffer Then
s = PtrToString(lpBuffer)
End If
If lpBuffer Then
Call NetApiBufferFree(lpBuffer)
End If
GetPDCName = s
End Function

'Usage