Adding W2K laptop to our domain

[juliaatpcgp]

Hi,

I've been given a Windows 2000 laptop which is currently belonging to a workgroup.

I'm logging on as a user who is an administrator.

I want to join it to our domain, but every time I try I get the message saying the domain is not available even though the network cable is correctly plugged in.

I've only ever setup Windows 98 and XP computers into our domain so perhaps Windows 2000 needs to be done differently ?

Regards,
Julia

 

[markdmac]

Make sure that the DNS settings only point to internal DNS and not your ISP DNS.



I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at

http://www.thespidersparlor.com/vbscript

 

[juliaatpcgp]

I'm afraid I don't understand because I've never even gone into any DNS settings - I usually just go into Control Panel / System, choose the option to join it to a domain and it asks me for the user name and password with permission to join this computer to the domain. Instead all I get is the message that the domain is not available.

 

[markdmac]

Modify your DNS in the TCP/IP settings. Make sure you only have listed the internal DNS server IPS. If it is set to Dynamic for the DNS servers, then make sure your DHCP server only is giving out DNS informaiton for internal servers and not ISP servers.

TO join the 2000 machine to the domain right click My Computer. Choose Properties. Click the ComputerName tab. Click the Change button. TYpe your domain name. Click OK. Provide domain credentials (admin) when prompted.

Unlike 98, you need to have rights to join the domain with Win2K and above.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at

http://www.thespidersparlor.com/vbscript

 

[juliaatpcgp]

Today I've just come across the same error message when trying to fix a problem with one our existing domain laptops running Windows XP Pro.

It had the main shared folders listed in My Computer and was set up for 2 of our network printers. Today, they are gone and I cannot browse the network to re-add them - when I try I just get a blank screen.

It was suggested to try re-typing the domain name into the relevant Control Panel box - but I get the same error message I reported here when trying to add the new Windows 2000 laptop to the domain.

All of my other Windows XP computers and laptops are running fine, so I compared the DNS settings on them with the Windows XP laptop that's just started playing up and they are identical.

Can you help me ?

Regards,
Julia