Topic: Joining Domain again - Windows XP - last year worked fine

[wallyrp]

Good Morning,

I have a lab of Windows XP units that were using a SME box last year in a domain server/client situation. Everything worked fine until the hard drive crashed. We replaced the hard drive this year and re-installed SME. We disjoined the workstations from the non-existent old domain and when we attempt to rejoin the new domain, we get an error stating that it can't contact the server. Using Internet Explorer, I can configure the server just fine. I can browse via the IP address and place files in various shares on the server. I can do a ton of stuff outside of joining the dadblame workstations to the domain.

The version of SME that I'm using is also the same version that I used last year. It is the custom iso that is floating around out there. There is a second lab here at the same school, everything works fine on that server and the computer specifications are identical as they are the same model.

Any ideas before I go bald?

[raem]

wallyrp

Did you restore the new server from the old server backups ?
If so the old machine accounts on the server may be interfering with rejoining the domain.

It sounds like the XP boxes already have the regedit patch applied, correct ?

[wallyrp]

Good Evening,

The workstations have already had the reg hack applied. The hard drive crashed with no backup. Clean slate as far as the domain. Disjoined the workstations from the old domain and attempted to join up to new one, no problem.

The funny thing about it is, I did the same thing for another lab next to this one and it worked just fine. The same process. The same type of units.

I went as far as replacing the unit with another unit that is the same type. No success.

I changed domain name, host name, etc. No success.

I changed IP addresses, no success.

I'm bumfuzzeled.

[raem]

wallyrp

Try changing one of the workstation names and see if it can join the domain then.

The server & workstation are in the same workgroup name ?
The server is set up to be a Domain controller ?

[wallyrp]

Good Evening,

I can understand changing the names if I was dealing with anything from the old domain. The only connection to the old domain is with the workstations. I removed them from the old domain though.

Here's the deal. In room 607 we have a server for room 607 and 603. I install SME on both servers which are identical in hardware. I totally do away with the old domains. They were separate domains. One had a crashed hard drive and the other one was working fine just upgraded it to the same size as the other one.

I install SME on 607 server and everything goes beautifully. I can join the workstations in 607 to the server just fine. I install 603 and nothing will join it. I can connect to it via the browser and putty just fine so I know it has network connectivity. I wind up joining 603 workstations to the 607 server. The teacher hollers a bit and states that they need to be on different servers which is fine with me. I change out computers with something that is identical and it still doesn't work.

I re-install twice, no success. I backup the 607 server and restore it to the 603 server. I change the IP address and all the pertinent names. The 607 workstations still don't join. I still have network connectivity during all this. I'm at my wits end here so I'm probably going to install NT 4 just to get it done. I can't deal with it any more, tomorrow is the final day. I'm still curious though as to why.

[raem]

wallyrp

> I backup the 607 server and restore it to the 603 > server. I change the IP address and all the
> pertinent names. The 607 workstations still don't > join.

What about just restoring the 607 server to the 603 box without changing any IP address or names etc. Can 607 workstations join the 603 server (configured as 607 server) ?

This should conclusively rule out or rule in the hardware.