Code  8007203A – The server is not operational

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Troubleshooting Code 8007203A – The server is not operational.

Introduction to Error Code 8007203A

This error, code 8007203A usually occurs when you execute a VBScript.  My suggestion is that there is a typo in the LDAP reference in your script.  Error messages beginning 8007xxxx mean there is a problem with Windows rather than VBScript itself.

The Symptoms You Get 8007203A  Code 8007203A The server is not operational

When you execute the script you get a message box like this (See diagram).  The VBScript does execute as you hoped.  One possibility is that you are using an LDAP variable has been misspelled.

The Cause of Code Error 8007203A

Your VBScript contains an illegal LDAP reference, probably a typing mistake, maybe an extra letter.  Check the spelling of your objects in the script.  The source is (null) could mean that it could not find an object near the beginning of the script. As we will see in Solutions 2, it could be that the server really is not ‘operational’ and cannot respond for a number of reasons.

Solution 1

Check the spelling of your variables and methods.  Look for clues particularly the Line: number (4).

In this case it Char: 1 is not to blame.  When none of the line can execute, the error gets charged to the first character. In the case of runtime errors you can use this work around.  Add this line: On Error Resume Next.

Example of Script

The problem is a typo on line 4.

Observe the famous rootDSE; a phantom ‘X’ has appeared.

This is the error: rootDxSE

Correction: It should be plain: rootDSE

‘Script to Create a new user account in the GuyDemo OU
‘Script created by Guy Thomas
‘Feel free to adapt names
Set oRoot = GetObject("LDAP://rootDxSE")
Set oDomain = GetObject("LDAP://" & oRoot.Get("defaultNamingContext"))

Set oOU=oDomain.Create("organizationalUnit","ou=GuyDemo")
oOU.Put "Description", "Guy’s Script Pure OU"
oOU.SetInfo

Set oUser = oOU.Create("User", "cn=GuyDemo User")
oUser.Put "sAMAccountName", "GuyDemo"
oUser.Put "Description", "Guy’s Script made this User"
oUser.SetInfo

oUser.SetPassword "demo"

oUser.AccountDisabled = True
oUser.SetInfo

Wscript.Echo "Success, Check Active Directory Users and Computers – Remember F5"

Solution 2 – Kindly sent by Ed Crowley

Error 8007203A, can be caused by hitting a domain controller too hard. For example, I’ve written a script that makes a query that returns a lot of entries (hundreds of thousands).  The problem occurs when the script goes into a loop doing GetObject(LDAP://CN=name,DC=domain,DC=com) calls to examine and/or perform an action on each object returned by the query. After running thousands of loops the DC times-out and starts throwing this error repeatedly. The solution I’ve found is to put a 100ms delay in the loop. That delay period is arbitrary. I have also found that this problem doesn’t occur if my script does a write (SetInfo) on the object on every pass; that slow down the loop enough so that 8007203A error doesn’t occur.

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