Windows 7: join an Active Directory domain

[000Commander000]

how do you get to not wanna logon on to the local computer?

[harryrobertpowell]

hi there. When i do this i get an error message "The following error occured attempting to join the domain "mydomainname"

An attempt to resolve the DNS name of a domain controller in the domain being joined has failed. Please verify this client is configured to reach a DNS server that can resolve DNS names in the target domain. For information about networking troubleshooting, see windows help.

Please if anyone knows what to do, please let me know!!! Thanks

[technoblogical]

@harryrobertpowell Do you know how to set a static IP Address? Go to that same location and configure the Domain controller as your DNS server. If you still want internet connectivity, configure your gateway as alternate DNS. If the Domain controller is running DHCP for the network, you can configure scope option 6 instead.

[harryrobertpowell]

@technoblogical thanks, about an hour after i posted this, i realised. Thanks for reply and nice vid!

[cris03sayco]

how can he do that using two Operating system at one computer.?

BTW its a great tutorial thanks..

[technoblogical]

@cris03sayco VirtualBox FTW! Three operating systems. You forgot the one I'm using to record the video.

[Designandrew]

What if any issues have you come across adding win 7 machines to a 2003 domain? Is there anything I should look out for?

[slpkntmaggot22]

I want to learn some scripts to do it alittle bit quicker than pointing and clicking.

I dont remember seeing any videos of yours on it. Could you make one?

keep up the good work!

[TheRobyoman]

Can it be done over WiFi?

[technoblogical]

@TheRobyoman I think Win7 will do it. Vista might. XP will not. Really all I know for certain is that XP will not do it over WiFi

[TheRobyoman]

@technoblogical coolio!

[Metakrom]

Your tutorials are wonderful. A great follow up I think, for those of us experimenting with active directory and adding machines to a domain with Win7, would be migrating local machine accounts to a domain. I tried migrating an account and failed misserably lol.. Maybe? I hear you need to know vbs and batch file script coding to make it easier but i have no clue! Many thanks in advanced!

[Fresh0razoR]

I use AD and I do not use Policies...

[krenehan]

I am currently studying towards a Microsoft cert, I want to set up a network as if i was working in an organisation ( for learning purposes ) I was just wondering virtualisation program you're using and do I need a server OS to explore with Active Directory? Many thanks, Kez.

[technoblogical]

@krenehan I use VirtualBox, but Virtual PC 2007 is okay as well. BPC2007 doesn't support 64 bit operating systems. That's why I made the jump to virtual box. You do need a Server. With server 2008 you can install a trial without a key and make it last for 120 days. (I Think). 120 days does not seem like long to some, but with the way I enjoy experimenting with machines, I've likely torn it up in that time and probably start with a fresh install anyway. Virtual Box is free.

[hoenahola]

I see that you are using the virtualization tool from Microsoft. How do u make windows server communicate with windows seven. Does it auto sync? ?

[1loveharshiti]

I deleted my user account how can I get it back?

[technoblogical]

@1loveharshiti I can't link to the page here in the comment section, but go to google and look up "Recovering Deleted Items in Active Directory" petri. Lots of tools on the first search result. Quest software even has a graphical tool.

[dantelacoste]

I need the password

[technoblogical]

@dantelacoste The password is the login for the domain controller.

[avilarmando]

Thank You for the quick reply, I'll let you know how it works out...

[avilarmando]

Thanks for the guide, this works fine on two Virtual Boxes. How can I have a Non- Virtual box workstation logon to a Windows Server 2008 Virtual Box? On the same network...

[technoblogical]

@avilarmando Virtual machines are largely unaware that they are not real machines. Why would they act differently? As long as your virtual machine's network card is bridged and not NAT, the only trick would be to make sure that they are on the same network.

[marvin441]

lol /me called marvin

[hackera2z]

Hi There, Could you tell me what website your domain is registered with and is it free?

Thx

[kmax1940]

do you think its better to just join a "user" to the domain? than to join a particular pc?

[technoblogical]

@kmax1940 I'm not certain that's possible. You must build a trust between client and domain by joining that client to the domain. Without that trust, the user can not be authenticated by the client. Therefore the client has no idea who the user is. The client would have no reason to let an untrusted user log onto itself. (Or something like that.)

[kmax1940]

@technoblogical thanks for the video... and for taking time to reply! i am new to active directory as you can tell :)

I thought that you could just add "users" on the server... and then they could login once their pc had joined the domain.

[technoblogical]

@kmax1940 Wait, what? Yes, they can log in once the the PC joins the domain. I thought your original comment asked if you could avoid the PC joining the domain but still have your users login.

[kmax1940]

@technoblogical I guess what I was trying to ask was... what is the benefit to adding the computer the way you did in the video... over just adding the actual user and letting their pc join the domain...

[technoblogical]

@kmax1940 Pre-staging the account in the OU? To have more control over the machine with Group Policy. By default it goes to the computers container w/ no group policy. OUs have group policy. Join the domain and login, the machine doesn't have any GP. Even if you notice and move it to the OU, it might take an hour to update GP on the client. By that time, the guy there might be fired because he decided that the Swedish Bikini Team was OK wallpaper instead of the company logo forced by OU's GP.

[pyter09]

did you set your IP address on the server side?

[interspares1]

Hi

I am trying to connect windows 7 pro to a domain on server 2003.

The user profile already exists and I have managed to add the pc to the domain and log on to the user profile however it will not use the existing desktop profile?

I have tried everything and cannot resolve this. Could you help?

Regards Simon

[davidmtrout]

after following those steps (altering only the container) i get an error when join a win7ulitimate machine to my domain. it tells me "the network path was not found" any ideas?

[technoblogical]

@davidmtrout Can they ping each other by IP address? Does your Windows 7 machine have the Server as its DNS server? That's what I'd look for.

[davidmtrout]

@technoblogical the answer to both those questions is yes

[technoblogical]

@davidmtrout Other than firewall or login issues, I'm not sure what is going on. The only other problem would be is if your Windows 7 machine has two network connections and is consulting the wrong one. Other than that, I'm stumped.

[Theserversman]

@davidmtrout That is what I get also :/

[EwizedTech]

i need help i cant get my dns working or let other computers connect to the dns server

[AaronAyliffeBurtt]

Hay!!

Well done but one thing...

As that's on Microsoft Vis PC

Where can i get the ISO Image

Please reply. I'v be looking for Windows server 2008 ISO Image Every where but I still can't find it

[technoblogical]

@AaronAyliffeBurtt I can't put the link in the comments. I placed the link in the video description instead. If you are reading this six months from now and that link is broken, please let me know. That link won't last forever. If you run it on VPC, you need the x86 version not the 64 bit version

[adatau]

I know that you can't join to server 2008 if environment have Vista & Window 7 Home edition but I was just wondering if you may have way around it to make it happens? You have a good impression on your explanation, keep up the good work! thanks.

[technoblogical]

@adatau No, I don't know of a way.

[hammadshams]

@adatau if your are technical enough there is material available on net. You have make some changes in registry of your computer and then you can make it a memeber of domain. I had this problem and I am sick of spending money on little things like these. First you buy windows server operating system and then you buy an operating system that can connect to domain. Would be fair if the cost was a bit cheaper for every body. It can be very difficult for students.

[adatau]

I know that you can't join to server 2008 if environment have Vista & Window 7 Home edition but I was just wondering if you may have way around it to make it happens? You have a good impression on your explanation, keep up the good work! thanks

[peacockealot]

people??? what you mean users as in the name active directory USERS and COMPUTERS.

[monaitksa]

You are truly awesome .. ⎝ᄽ⏝⏠⎠

I benefited a lot ..

[liverpoolatnight]

Can windows xp join windows server 2008 active directory domain?

[technoblogical]

@liverpoolatnight yes. However, group policy has been updated a bit. You should check out KB943729. I think that update will update XP's GPOs to more closely match 2008.

[liverpoolatnight]

@technoblogical Thanks :D So that would be the same if i join windows 2000 professional? I know i login with my\liverpoolatnight and the password with 2000

[technoblogical]

@liverpoolatnight Yes, that's the reason for a domain. You no longer authenticate to your desktop. You authenticate to the server. It doesn't matter which desktop you sit at. You still authenticate to the server so your user name and password are still the same.

[liverpoolatnight]

@technoblogical Fantastic xD

[m1s73r4nd3rs0n]

Fairly useful, from a practical point of vu ? Tho I was side-tracked from th uploader's (how can I put this) er... philosophical stance, sumwot ? At 1st I thought maybe th guy lackd confidence in th subject matter he was presenting ? Now I'm notso sure, but goin off th way he sez "computer ??" at 0:05 ? & "person to a domain ??" at 0:15-17 ? it sounds lyk e's notsure wot a person or a computer is, since he seems to ask rather than state ?? Otherwise, as I said, not a bad mini-tutorial !!!

[VinnyBenson]

erm, one problem, i dont have a Servers folder in the domain tree :S

[VinnyBenson]

@VinnyBenson haha, never mind, it doent matter i put it in Computers, i forgot to set my internet connections dns to the local ip of the server, and thats why i couldnt get it working... i thaught i had to put the comps in servers folder to get it working, haha

[milpatel83]

I love Doh-maine....!

[mo9204]

thank you again you technology blogical father. questions

would too many group policy effect users to logon? or it will only be 1st time for user in the machine?

when you creating the server as a domain is it better to make it from 2003 and on wards as once you make it 2008 u cannot put it back. or lower versions would not be part of the infrustructure. thanks again. ONE BIG LESSON ON VLSM.

[technoblogical]

One user can have many group policies. There is an order of importance though. Those closest to the OU that the user is in comes first. Half of group policy will update when the computer turns on and every two hours after that. The other half of group policy updates when the user logs in and every two hours afterwards.

[technoblogical]

It is better to make the domain in a mixed mode. If you raise the domain (Or forest) functional level to 2008, your 2000 and 2003 machines become obsolete. So, I would not suggest raising functional level unless it introduces a feature that you must have. A Server 2008 domain controller operates just fine in a mixed mode environment.

If it's impossible that you will ever introduce an earlier Server version, then why not use a Server 2008 domain?

I'd rather stay in mixed mode. Your decision.

[diapwnsyou]

Hey, I was wondering if anyone knows how to get more of a classic looking domain logon screen (basically without the big empty profile picture box).

Just a simple: username, password, domain selection type logon screen.

[marmajini]

Wonderfull, you make a great job! Thanks very much for your help. Best regards!

[wlsmith1967]

I love your videos. They are very clear and I can understand them. Can you make video about setting up a file and printer server in Win Server 2003 or 2008?

[technoblogical]

Thanks, no prob. It'll probably be a couple of days though. I like to get most of the kinks worked out these videos before I actually put them up.

[kenonthegoldcoast]

Thanks for the video. My client PCs still won't connect to SBS 2008.

Error: An Active Directory Domain Controller (AD DC) for the domain "mydomain.local" could not be contacted.

Ping work find to the IP address, but not to mydomain.local

[technoblogical]

@kenonthegoldcoast If you've set your IP statically on the Win7 machine , make the server your DNS server. If you are using DHCP to assign IP Addresses, go to scope options of the DHCP console and set the SBS as the DNS server. If that doesn't work, try to join mydomain without the local. Beyond that, I'm stumped. But that usually fixes it for me.

[thepook02]

@kenonthegoldcoast same as me , i donot know how to fix it but it near our goal ^^"