adding a workstation to an existing domain...

[joe]

Question. I want to add a laptop to an existing AD
domain. There is an existing account which has admin
rights (administrator login). I will also need to set the
laptop up so that I have admin rights on it when using my
username (joe). Can someone outline the steps
needed to do all of this please? Does my computer name
need to be set in AD or can I name it anything? I want to
be able to connect to the domain so I can install some
software from a Network drive. Any help would be GREATLY
appreciated!

Thanks!
Joe

 

[Greg Stigers]

This is a basic admin task, so you can find this answer in a few places. I
searched the knowledge base on "add computer account domain", and found
<http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320187> and
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/server/help/dsadmin_computers_add_account.htm.
As for domain user account Joe having admin rights on just the laptop, add
the joe account in the domain to the local admin group on the laptop. It is
a really * bad idea * (tm) to have a regular account with admin rights. You
want an admin account for admin tasks, and only admin tasks, or, better, get
familiar with runas, which allows you to run commands and utilities in
another user context, such as administrator.

Since you asked, you can either create the computer account in AD first, or
you can create it from the laptop when you add the laptop to the domain, by
providing the credentials of a user with admin rights (which might remind
you of our good friend, runas).