When you quick formatted a disk drive (an internal computer hard drive or an external HDD), the data contained in the files are not erased immediately. All it does is to zero out the index of the items you've saved on the disk.

Other than that, though, I've got no idea how sticky the setting is.

As you noted, there are 3 services here to consider, AD, DHCP, and DNS. In a nutshell, as long as the affected computers can access DNS on another server, do not attempt to acquire an IP address, and have another AD server to authenticate against (these 3 things, during the move), you should be fine. Also, if this server holds FSMO roles, then do not attempt to add a new user or computer to the domain until this server is back online. Out of the nutshell. Regarding DNS, if the computers affected by this move can access another DNS server, then there's no problem with simply moving the server. Regarding DHCP, DHCP is only used when a device wants (or wants to renew) a network address.

So, if people at your organization are good about getting in on time, then all of the devices receiving IP addresses from this DHCP server should be trying to renew their address at about the same time. Assuming your lease window is large enough, then shutting down this server should not be an issue. Clients attempt to renew their addresses halfway through the lease.

Any device that has a lease will continue to operate on the network whether the DHCP server is present or not. Regarding AD, clients assigned to a particular site in AD Sites and Services will attempt to authenticate against the AD servers in that site. Since AD is multi-master, you should be able to shut this server down as long as another AD server exists in the site to accept authentication requests from clients. The only thing that one AD server can do that another cannot is provide services from FSMO roles. Within any given domain, there will only be one server that holds any one FSMO role, though it is not uncommon for one to hold them all. I'd say the most important FSMO role to consider in your move is the RID Master role, which assigns SIDs to AD objects. As long as you do not attempt to add a new user or computer, then you should be okay with shutting this server down.

Dave Dearth wrote: Actually i have used my windows 7 machine to pull data off a mac laptop hard drive I connected the mac drive via external enclosure kit to my USB port on my windows machine Installed this software Please remember, the data you pull will not all be usable on your windows machine but the data is salvageable. All i was doing was backing up the drive so i could restore the information to the drive once i reinstalled the OS. Hope this helps, Dave I'm only going to get paid 40 bucks to do this so im not going to buy the software or waste anymore time. I'll just hand it back to them they didnt tell me it was a mac to start off with. Short answer — As always, “how valuable is the data on it?” $40 ain’t much. Longer answer — Try it from another Mac.

'Disk Utility' may show the drive, but refuse to mount it. Not the worse scenario, which is the drive cannot be seen cannot be seen by Disk Utility (& likely dead). Important to know if File Vault was used (if so, options are limited). Other options if unmountable & prospectively salvageable: • $99, • $99, • Free, • (Longshot) Another thread, 'Open Source Data Recovery Tools To The Rescue': • Keep in mind, the enclosure may not be reliable.

Have had enclosures get flakey over time. Not designed to be plugged/unplugged too often.