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Novice Help Needed

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by shanghai sam

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I'm currently configuring a win2k adv server on an existing network to simply do password authentication and share applications. There are three domains on the netowrk, only one of which I am dealing with. The domains do not need to operate cooperativly, so I figure they should operate independantly without any conflicts (print sharing would be nice though).
Last week, the old PDC (a NT4 server named HERALCES) for PXDOM (the domain I'm working with) crashed and crashed hard, all user accounts were lost, however since the domain was new there were only about 10 accounts lost. So, after building a new server (named PEGASUS) and setting up win2k adv server (what better time to upgrade) I entered in a few accounts, such as my own username and the old password. At this point I thought I was golden.
I logged into a previously connected computer (PANDORA using win2k pro) using the local admin password and attempted to join the computer to the domain. However, the computer gives me the error "The network path was not found." This has ben repeated for multipule accounts ... what am I doing wrong?

I know:
1) computers can communicate with each other
2) both can reach external internet

Possibilities:
1) When configuring, do I need to enter my domain with a .com?
2) I'm putting my money on a problem with my setup of user accounts.

Please keep in mind I need nearly step by step instructions, I've used win2k server but am not extrememly fluent in it.

2 replies

by iulian costache

Did you try to join the domain with "Network Identification Wizard"? (My Computer->Network Identification->Network ID)
After you recreate a domain you must recreate the computer accounts in the domain. To do this you must be logged on as a local admin. Use the above wizard. Insert the appropriate answers. Note that you might want to use the same password for admin (on local pc and on domain controller), because it could get confusing when asked to insert the admin password. One pass for admin simplifies the job.
If it does not work (I had a problem like this before) it could be that when you try to join the domain the computer gets confused because there are multiple domain controllers in your network.
If you could shut them down just enough to add the pc to the domain it's fine. I belive this is a bug, so ...
If you need step by step instructions you might want to increase your points assigned for this questions.

by joseph moore

So, you lost a PDC, then you re-created it on a Win2K box. You then went to one of the domain member workstations and tried to log in. When you did, you got an error.
Ok. When you lost the original PDC, then made a new Win2K Domain Controller, eventhough you named the domain the same (PXDOM), it is a NEW domain.
Therefore, any workstation/server members of the old domain (PXDOM) are looking for the old domain.
The PXDOM domain is identified by a Security Identifier, SID, that is incoropratedonto every PDC/BDC/DC. When you add MachineX to the PXDOM domain, it gets its own domain SID that identifies the domain, the workstation name, and some other pieces of information.
When you made the Win2K the new DC of the new PXDOM domain, the SIDthat was generated was brand new, and it would not match the SID information the old workstation members of the old PXDOM domain.
That is why you are getting the network can't be found error. Each workstation member of the old PXDOM domain has a SID that is not matching up with the new PXDOM domain SID.
So, remove each workstation from the old domain -- make them members of a Workgroup, then reboot -- then add to the new PXDOM domain, then reboot.
That should do it.

Hope this helps.

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