Windows cannot connect to the domain

[ascoredhat]

Hello

After moving a couple computers in my office's network due to problems with crashed hard drives, switching with working computers while getting things fixed, etc., there seems to be a message that comes up after logging off and then trying to log back in:

Windows cannot connect to the domain, either because the domain controller is down or otherwise unavailable or because your computer account was not found. Please try again later.

I know this is related to switching around computers, adding new hard drives and all the other Frankenstein fixes, and from what I gather from googling the problem it has to do with duplicate accounts or IP address change thingies or what not, and I "think" I've read about removing the computer from the domain, putting it in workgroup, rebooting, putting it back in the domain, or also rebuilding the TCP/IP stack, or messing with the domain controller.
Here's the thing... I am not real computer savvy and I have no idea at all how to do any of those things. For every tip of "remove the computer from the domain and..." I answer "HOW do I remove it?" or "add it back to the domain..." again I say "HOW? Where on the computer do I do this?" Or "open the domain controller and then..." "WHERE is the domain controller?"

In other words, assume I'm a complete idiot (you're not too far off the mark) and could someone please give me advice on how to fix my network so I straighten out the confusion the domain seems to now have with allowing the "fixed" computers access, and in a "step by step" manner explaining where to find things like controllers and DNS's and IP's and what have you? Believe me, I would be extremely grateful.

Oh, I have a network with one server with Windows Server 2000 and six workstations with XP Pro. And before the moving of a couple computers, things were fine in regards to logging in.

Thank you very much for any help that can be offered.

 

[tlarkin]

The domain controller is the AD server which your machine authenticates to. If you moved it perhaps it is behind something that is blocking connection to it.

 

[ascoredhat]

Hi tlarkin. Thanks for the reply.

I believe the domain controller would be on the server, and the server hasn't been touched. Only a couple of computers of the 6 workstations got jumbled around, and they are the ones who seem to confuse the domain controller (the other 4 workstations don't have any problems with log in issues).

Could it have something to do with when new hard drives were put in and windows XP pro was installed, during the setup the computer names or addresses on the network got messed up or something? Doing google searches it seems that others have recommended for the above error message to "try removing the workstation in question from the domain set it up as a workstation, reboot into it as a workstation and join the domain again, thus fixing whatever problems it had in accessing the domain".

So if that makes any sense, my next questions would be:
If I log in on another workstation as administrator, can I access the domain controller from there should I need to remove the problem computers from the domain? Is the domain controller the thingamajig at the top of network tree (mycompanyname-dm) that has all the workstations underneath it?
In XP Pro, is there a procedure to join a domain/map a drive?

Thanks.

 

[tlarkin]

Here is a good place to start

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/295017

Do you have a server/domain admin that can help you with this sort of stuff on your staff?

 

[fmw]

Might be as simple as the new computers having different names than the names on the server.

 

[ascoredhat]

Might be as simple as the new computers having different names than the names on the server.

That's what I was thinking, too. When I re-installed XP Pro into that computer, during the installation it went through the network wizard to help get me re-established onto the network and I put in what I "thought" was that computer's name, but with the machines being switched around perhaps I put it in as the wrong one.

If so, how can I a.) See the available names listed on the server (I do have the administrator password) and b.) Change the name on the computer to reflect the name I should have given it in the first place?

Also, can the domain controller (whatever the heck that is) be accessed from a workstation using the administrator name and password log-on, or can it only be accessed on the computer of which it resides, which I believe would be the server?

And in response to an earlier question, we are a small company with no network administrator. Believe it or not, I'm it. Money is tight and we just got finished paying over a grand to have our accounting software people update it for us (which was why we had to upgrade the computers to XP Pro from 2000 in the first place). Admittedly, my knowledge of computers is pretty basic. But compared to others here (who think adding memory to a computer means it can "remember" things better) I have the best shot of getting this fixed. With the help of you good people, of course.

 

[ascoredhat]

Ah ha! I think we are getting to the crux of the problem...

Right now I just rebooted one of the problem computers and when it got to the log in screen this message popped up:

Windows-System Error
A duplicate name exists on the network

So that would appear to be the problem. I must have somehow accidently added a duplicate name when I set up that computer.

Now, could you wonderful, kind and generous folks walk me through the exact procedure in eliminating this problem?

Thank you, thank you, thank you

 

[tlarkin]

Ah ha! I think we are getting to the crux of the problem...

Right now I just rebooted one of the problem computers and when it got to the log in screen this message popped up:

Windows-System Error
A duplicate name exists on the network

So that would appear to be the problem. I must have somehow accidently added a duplicate name when I set up that computer.

Now, could you wonderful, kind and generous folks walk me through the exact procedure in eliminating this problem?

Thank you, thank you, thank you

That is because the Microsoft networking client can't have duplicate names on the same subnet. You most likely need to rename your systems, and that was one of the steps in the link I posted earlier.

Good luck.

 

[ascoredhat]

Success. Thank you for all your help. I did indeed use the link to rename the computer and join the domain.

But there is one extra step that has to be done first, for when I tried to rename and join the domain all at once it came back with an error message:

"The following error occurred attempting to rename the computer to "ws2". Multiple connections to a server or shared resource by the same user, using more than one user name, are not allowed. Disconnect all previous connections to the server or shared resource and try again."

To get around that, I had to first rename the computer into a workgroup, not the domain, because it sees me logged in already using the duplicate domain name. After joining into a workgroup with the new name, the computer restarts and I log in again this time in the workgroup. THEN I can go and add the renamed computer into the domain. And that was it. Now I can log on and there are no duplicate errors.

Thank you for all your help in guiding me along. I truly appreciate it.