Error message: "A transaction recover failed." Error status: 0xc0000227 (311502)

SYMPTOMS

When you restart the computer after you restore a system state on a domain controller, and you make the restored system state authoritative for a subtree at the same time, if you do not restart the computer, you may receive the following error message:

Directory Services could not start because of the following error:
A transaction recover failed.
Error Status: 0xc0000227.
Please click OK to shutdown this system and reboot into Directory Services Restore Mode, check the event log for more detailed information.

CAUSE

This behavior may occur for the following reasons:

The Ntds.dit file in the system state backup is located in a different location from the current configuration.
The Current Configuration settings stored in the registry are incorrect, invalid, or missing.

If you do not restart the computer when you restore a backup file that has a different database location, you cannot perform an authoritative restore operation immediately because the database is moved to its location from the system state. However, when you are in Directory Restore mode, the registry contains the location of the current configuration but it does not contain the previous configuration. When you try to make the backup file authoritative, the registry reports that the database is one location but the directory reports that the database is in another location.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use any of the following methods:

Method one:
1. Move the database to the location in the system state before you did the restore operation.
  
  For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  257420 How to move the Ntds.dit file or log files
Method Two:
1. In Directory Restore mode, restore your backup file, and then restart the computer when you are prompted.
2. Start the backup into Directory Restore mode, and then make the database authoritative.
Method Three:
1. Restart the computer into Directory Restore mode.
2. Locate the database where the Ntds.dit file is located, and then move the Restore.mrk file to the location where the system state restore placed the database.
  
  Note By default, the Ntds.dit file is located in the C:\Winnt\Ntds folder.
3. Restart the computer.
  
  Note The Restore.mrk file is created when the restore is set to authoritative. After the computer is restarted, the Restore.mrk file is deleted. If you perform another system state restore before you restart the computer, the Restore.mrk file is not deleted. If you then try to make the restored system state authoritative again, you receive the error message that is described in the "Symptoms" section. When this occurs, delete or rename the Restore.mrk file, and then use the Ntdsutil utility to make the restored system state authoritative.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information, refer to the following Microsoft Web site:

Windows 2000 Server Disaster Recovery Guidelines

For more information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

240363 How to use the Backup program to back up and restore the system state in Windows 2000

241594 How to perform an authoritative restore to a domain controller

216993 Useful shelf life of a system-state backup of Active Directory