Suppose you encountered the system cannot contact a domain controller to service the authentication request error. In that case, your computer cannot connect to the server that authenticates users in the Windows domain. 

Check if the Domain Controller is accessible

  • This error may occur if the client machine is not configured correctly to communicate with the domain controller.

  • To know more about the error, you can check Event Viewer logs and try to ping your domain controller.

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Here in this guide, we will talk about ways to fix the issue right after discussing the reasons for its occurrence.

What causes the system cannot contact a domain controller to service the authentication request?

There could be various reasons for active directory domain controllers cannot be contacted on Windows 10 or 11. Some of the popular ones mentioned are: 

  • The domain controller is offline – You might get this error if the domain controller is unavailable or offline due to maintenance or power outage.
  • Network issues – If the client device is not correctly configured to establish communication with a domain controller, or there are issues in the network, you might face the problem.
  • Host server issues – A domain controller is a virtual machine; if there is an issue on the host server, you could get the error.
  • Incorrect DNS configuration – If the DNS configuration of the client machine is incorrect, it won’t resolve the domain controller’s hostname to an IP address, hence the issue.

What can I do if the system cannot contact a domain controller to service the authentication request?

Before diving into the detailed troubleshooting, make sure you perform these general checks: 

  • Remove the security program on your machine temporarily.
  • Remove the VPN if installed.

1. Check Event logs

  • Press Windows + R to open the Run window.
  • Type eventvwr.msc and press Enter to open Event Viewer.
  • Go to Windows Logs, then click System.
  • Inspect the errors or warning messages related to the domain controller.

2. Check if the Domain controller is accessible

  • Go to Search, type CMD, and press Run as administrator.
  • Type the following command and press Enter: ipconfig /all
  • Copy the IPV4 value and type the following command to know if the server is accessible. Then, replace the IP address with the IPV4 address shown on your machine:  ping 192.168.1.148

3. Check the Network Configuration settings 

  • Press the Windows key, type Control Panel and click Open.
  • Select Large icons for View by and click Network and Sharing Center.
  • Click the active connection to open the Status window.
  • Click Properties.
  • Go to Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.
  • On the next page, check the Preferred DNS server field and copy the current value if it is not the preferred IPV4 value.
  • Change the value to the IPV4 value (Preferred) mentioned in the first step.
  • Paste the value you copied from the Preferred DNS server field in the Alternate DNS server field.
  • Click OK. Restart your computer to let the changes take effect.

4. Add the Domain Controller again

  • Press Windows + R to open the Run window.
  • Type dsa.msc and press Enter to open Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS).
  • Go to the Domain Controllers folder, right-click on the domain controller you want to delete, and select Delete.
  • Click Yes on the next screen.
  • On the Deleting Domain Controller page, select Delete this Domain Controller anyway. It is permanently offline and can no longer be removed using the removal wizard option. Click Delete.
  • Click Yes.

So, these are methods that you can use to fix the system cannot contact a domain controller to service the authentication request error.

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Try these methods and let us know which worked for you in the comments below.

If the advices above haven’t solved your issue, your PC may experience deeper Windows problems. We recommend downloading this PC Repair tool (rated Great on TrustPilot.com) to easily address them. After installation, simply click the Start Scan button and then press on Repair All.

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