Joining a Windows NT 4 domain with Windows XP SP2

Hello I’m trying to log a windowsXP service pack 2 computer onto a NT 4.0 domain. There are many other computers on this domain from windows98 to other XP service pack 2 machines, that work just fine. To change from workgroup to domain I right clicked system properties and clicked the computer name tab. From there I clicked change and the domain radio button. I typed the domain name I’ll call MYDOM in the domain text field and clicked ok. Without any kind of noticeable delay I get a message titled "Computer Name Changes" that read A domain controller for the domain MYDOM could not be contacted. Ensue that the domain name is typed correctly. If the name is correct, click Details for troubleshooting information.

I tried clicking the button they suggested but most of the information is cryptic and seems to point to the server, yet through past experience the corrections always happened on the clients.

As stated we have had such problems in the past with windows 2000 computers also fresh out of the box but they were solved by uninstalling all the networking stuff including TCP/IP in the network property box, then uninstalling the networking components in the add and remove components section of the add and remove programs box. Then after we reinstalled all that everything would work

In windows XP I no longer have the option of uninstalling TCP/IP in the networp properties. I have tried unsuccessfully the NETSH INT IP RESET command from the command prompt, also reinstalling TSP/IP by right clicking on C:\Windows\inf\nettcpip.inf and choosing reinstall. I also added the following lines to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC\LMHOSTS.SAM paying special attention that there were exactly 20 spaces between the quotes in the second line and that the / was the 16th character. (Tom is the name of the NT server)

192.168.0.2 Tom #PRE #DOM:MYDOM
192.168.0.2 "MYDOM \0x1b " #PRE

The last computer I set up I made an image of a different computers hard drive and put it on the new one but I have since read that that could lead to problems with some security systems SID or something.

If anyone has any ideas I would be very appreciative.

 

Start by renaming the LMHOSTS.SAM file to just LMHOSTS. The SAM extension is SAMPLE. It does not work as such. This may solve your problem, since the problem sounds like a case of the client not being able to "find" the domain controller.

I would suggest that you read up about SIDs since they are an important part of your network, including both computer and user accounts. This is what the system really sees, not user names or even computer names. It sees SIDs.

There is a way to strip out the SID information on a functioning system, image the drive and then go through a very simple install to get a new machine running from the image. Check here. This is essentially the same for XP and 2K.

DRD

 

You are my hero! The .sam removal did the trick nicly! We have had this as an ongoing problem with new computers for over a year. We usually white knuckle each computer until we somehow get it to work. Some times changing operation systems 2 or 3 times. This seems like it will fix the problem. Thank you very much

 

Glad to be of service. Sometimes it's the little things.

DRD