Raise Forest Functional Level

When you install Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), a set of basic Active Directory features is enabled by default. In addition to the basic Active Directory features on individual domain controllers, there are new domain-wide and forest-wide Active Directory features available when all domain controllers in a domain or forest are running a later version of Windows Server.

To enable new forest-wide features, all domain controllers in the forest must run the version of Windows Server that corresponds to the forest functional level value or a later version, and the forest functional level must be raised to that value. For example, to enable Active Directory Recycle Bin, all domain controllers must run Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2012 and the forest functional level must be raised to at least Windows Server 2008 R2.

Membership in Enterprise Admins , or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Review details about using the appropriate accounts and group memberships at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477.

To raise the forest functional level

1. Open Active Directory Domains and Trusts. To open Active Directory Domains and Trusts, click Start , click Administrative Tools , and then click Active Directory Domains and Trusts .
2. In the console tree, right-click Active Directory Domains and Trusts , and then click Raise Forest Functional Level .
3. In Select an available forest functional level , select the value and then click Raise .