Only 1 Windows XP won't join to 2003 Server, 4 machines will join!

[peejaygee]

Dear All,

gotta a strange one, I've got a server 2003 set up at home so I can monitor the devices, only 5 machines, but one machine won't connect to the domain, everything other machine, usual steps, change from workgroup to domain, propmt for username and password of authorised user, etc, joins, reset the machine, bam, they are in... except for one machine, it comes up 'Network Path Not Found' I'm thinking it is something on the Machine itself, the machine has had 'past histories' which I've recovered from the user who is a 13 yr old (so you can see were I'm going with that). I'm wondering if something that has been on the machine managed to disable a service or similar, I really don't want to have to re-image his machine, so I'm turning to here for some pointers, I've created the user and also tried by adding the computer name into the structure also, there is nothing special in the 'Profile' of the user, I'm just stumped as why this '1' machine won't connect to the dc?

Any Help and/or pointers would be apprecaited..

P.S. I've searched Google (as we know goole is our friend) but because the error is message is far to generic I end up with sites, wanting me to make sure the forwardlookup is ok, i've done the dcdiag and all tests passed... I'm stumped.

 

[Roadki11]

Check the DNS on the problem workstation, make sure its looking at the DC.

RoadKi11

"This apparent fear reaction is typical, rather than try to solve technical problems technically, policy solutions are often chosen." - Fred Cohen

 

[peejaygee]

Oh, I've already checked that, I've got the DNS manually set to point to the DC, I usually have the DNS as the DC and the router, incase the DC is having issues, but I even tried it with just the DC in the DNS settings (TCP/IP)...Unless there is somewhere else hidden I don't know about, I even tried the old ipconfig /flushdns, etc.. just in case... but nada....hmmmm!!!!!

 

[DrB0b]

Run services.msc in the Run box and compare the services to one of the working XP machines. Some viruses like to disable a couple needed for this scenario to work. If it will not let you restart the service or it keeps shutting off, the virus is still hanging around.

"You don't know what you got, till its gone..
80's hair band Cinderella or ode to data backups???

 

[peejaygee]

I've checked the services on both machines (cheated, had teamviewer running, so they were side by side, technically) and both have all the same, with the obv one's disabled, like remote registry, etc

Any other tips and/or pointers but I bite the bullet and re-image it?

 

[Roadki11]

Can you ping the DC by name and IP? Firewall software on the problem pc? nslookup the DC from the problem pc? Add the domain name to the NIC properties under the DNS tab in both the Append suffixes boxes?

RoadKi11

"This apparent fear reaction is typical, rather than try to solve technical problems technically, policy solutions are often chosen." - Fred Cohen

 

[DedyH]

Hi.., I think that 1 PC / Client couldn't connect or communicate with the other device such as printer, don't you?
If right, it caused by virus but I am not sure the virus name, maybe DOWNUP.