Re: Problem getting a new XP computer to join an NT 4.0/Win 98 domain

From: Pegasus \(MVP\) (I.can_at_fly.com)
Date: 10/23/04 

Date: Sat, 23 Oct 2004 11:06:24 +1000

"Stephen Porter" <stp@pobox.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1be3467f8465d377989685@msnews.microsoft.com...
> Hi,
>
> I'm pretty inexperienced with anything beyond simple peer-to-
> peer networks, although I have set up and worked with a lot of
> these and know the basics pretty well. This is a recent problem
> that I need some help with.
>
> We have a simple network that was set up years ago and has
> functioned well enough for quite some time. When I started
> working here we decided that we would gradually start updating
> the computers and the file server with the goal of getting
> things into the 20th century.
>
> We just bought a couple of Dell workstations with Windows XP and
> I've already run into something today that I couldn't solve via
> trial-and-error. I'll be hitting the books later, but I have a
> feeling this might be something very simple that more
> knowledgable folks could answer easily, so I'm posting here and
> I guess to the Win98 networking group as well.
>
> The current setup has a bunch of machines running Win 98 SE and
> one machine with Win 2000 Pro. There is a file server that
> runs NT 4.0 and *I believe* is also a domain controller. At
> least all the existing computers are configured to log onto a
> domain with a password at bootup.
>
> If you scan Network Neighborhood for the Entire Network after
> booting, there are 3 workgroups: Domain, Office and Workgroup.
> The workgroup "Domain" (which is also the domain's name... ;-))
> has only the server as a member, with a couple of shares set up
> so all the computers can access and store data files on the
> server. The other two workgroups have 4 and 5 computers
> resepectively. All the computers map to the server shares and
> all is fine.
>
> In attempting to set up the new Dell workstation, which has XP
> Professional, I am able to see the workgroups "Office" and
> "Workgroup" and all the computers and shares in them. The
> workgroup "Domain," however, doesn't show up at all.
>
> I figured this is because the XP machine hasn't been set up to
> log onto the domain, "Domain," but whenever I try to set it up
> that way, i.e., change the workgroup setting to a domain, I just
> get a quick search and then an error message saying that no
> domain controller can be found.
>
> I've gotten as far as reading the minimal troubleshooting notes
> in XP and it sounded like there might be some DNS setup issues
> with the NT 4.0/Windows 98 setup, but I'm just over my head with
> that.
>
> In a nutshell I need to somehow make it possible for the new XP
> machines to see and map to shares on the NT file server. Once
> that's all configured and users are getting used to the new
> interface we'll move on to getting a more up-to-date server,
> possibly install Small Business Server 2003, etc., etc. But
> this is like stumbling right out of the blocks of a mile race
> ;-)!
>
> Any pointers/advice/solutions appreciated.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Stephen Porter
> Los Angeles, CA

Your post needs some clarification.

Your Subject line reads "Problem getting a new XP computer
to join an NT 4.0/Win 98 domain". There is no such thing as
a Win98 domain. You can have an NT4 domain, if you run
WinNT4 server.

You have to establish once and for all if you run in a workgroup
environment or in a domain environment. If your existing NT4/
Win2000/WinXP clients show three boxes on the logon screen
(User name, Password, Domain name), and if you can select
"Domain" as a logon domain then you are in a domain environment.

Domains are here to
- validate user accounts centrally
- run centralised logon scripts
- apply policies

Domains have nothing at all to do with file or folder sharing. In other
words, you can share a folder on some server regardless of its
status as a domain controller or as a file server. However: If you
operate in a workgroup environment then you must manually
synchronise every account name and password on every machine.
In a domain environment, account details are held centrally on the
domain controller, hence no synchronisation is required.

Lastly: If all your machines belong to the same workgroup or to
the same domain then you can see the various shares in Explorer.
If they belong to different workgroups or domains then you cannot
easily see shares on other machines. However, you can still map
a share - if you know the address! You could, for example, type
this command from a Command Prompt:

net use x: \\SomeServer\SomeShare

The command is completely independent of any domain or
workgroup settings that you might have in place. It only depends
on these things:
- IP address
- User name / password
- Existence of the nominated share
- Firewall settings (firewall tend to block things, including your
   attempt at registering your WinXP machine on the domain!)

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