Active Directory Cookbook

16.18. Modifying the Tombstone Lifetime for a Domain

Problem

You want to change the default tombstone lifetime for a domain.

Solution

Using a graphical user interface

1. Open ADSI Edit.

2. In the left pane, expand cn=Configuration → cn=Services → cn=Windows NT.

3. Right-click on cn=Directory Service and select Properties.

4. Set the tombstoneLifetime attribute to the number of days that tombstone objects should remain in Active Directory before getting removed completely (the default is 60 days).

5. Click OK.

Using a command-line interface

Create an LDIF file called change_tombstone_lifetime.ldf with the following contents:

dn: cn=Directory Service,cn=Windows NT,cn=Services,cn=Configuration,<ForestRootDN>
changetype: modify
replace: tombstoneLifetime
tombstoneLifetime: <NumberOfDays>
-

then run the following command:

> ldifde -v -i -f change_tombstone_lifetime.ldf

Using VBScript

' This code modifies the default tombstone lifetime
' ------ SCRIPT CONFIGURATION ------
intTombstoneLifetime = <NumberOfDays>
' ------ END CONFIGURATION ---------

set objRootDSE = GetObject("LDAP://RootDSE")
set objDSCont = GetObject("LDAP://cn=Directory Service,cn=Windows NT," & _
                "cn=Services," & objRootDSE.Get("configurationNamingContext") )
objDSCont.Put "tombstoneLifetime", intTombstoneLifetime
objDSCont.SetInfo
WScript.Echo "Successfully set the tombstone lifetime to " & _
             intTombstoneLifetime

Discussion

It is not recommended that you change this setting unless you have a very good reason. Lowering this value below the 60-day ...