Verifies integrity of AD DS or AD LDS database files with respect to Active Directory semantics. At the semantic checker: prompt, type any of the parameters listed under Syntax.

Ntdsutil is a command-line tool that is built into Windows Server 2008. It is available if you have the Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) or Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) server role installed. To use ntdsutil, you must run the ntdsutil command from an elevated command prompt. To open an elevated command prompt, click Start, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.

For examples of how to use this command, see Examples.

Syntax

[get %d] [{go | go fixup}] [verbose %s] [{check quota | rebuild quota}]

Parameters

Parameter	Description
check quota	Integrity-check quota-tracking table (object owner quotas). This command checks if the quota table is correct, by trying to open the quota-tracking table and getting column information for each pre-defined column name.
get %d	Retrieves record number %d from the Ntds.dit.
go	Starts the semantic analysis of the Ntds.dit or AD LDS instance with no fixup. A report is generated and written to a file named Dsdit.dmp.n, in the current directory, where n is an integer incremented each time that you carry out the command.
go fixup	Start semantic checker with fixup.
verbose %s	Toggles verbose mode on or off.
rebuild quota	Force asynchronous rebuild of quota-tracking table.
%d	A numeric variable, such as replication delay time periods.
quit	Takes you back to the previous menu or exits the utility.
?	Displays help at the command prompt.
Help	Displays help at the command prompt.

Remarks

Unlike the file management commands described earlier, which test the integrity of the database with respect to the ESENT database semantics, the semantic analysis analyzes the data with respect to Active Directory semantics. It generates reports on the number of records present, including deleted and phantom records.

Note

End users should not use this command except when Microsoft requests them to use it as an aid to fault diagnosis.
Before you can run the semantic database analysis subcommand, you need to set NTDS or an AD LDS instance as the active instance for ntdsutil. For example, if the AD LDS instance that you want to restore is named instance1, type the following command at the ntdsutil prompt before you run the authoritative restore subcommand:
```
ac in instance1
```
You need to stop the AD DS or AD LDS service before you can run the semantic database analysis subcommand. To stop AD DS, click Start, click Server Manager. In the console tree, double-click Configuration, and then click Services. In the details pane, right-click Active Directory Domain Services and then click Stop.