Changed name of machine = can't login

[sklett]

I changed the name of a machine on our network. It was a win2k pro client
and we have a win2k server PDC.
After robooting(and some hack tricks to change the name) I can't log on to
the domain from that machine. The error is:
"The System cannot log you onto this domain because the system's computer
account in it's primary domain is missing or the password on that account is
incorrect"


OK, there is more: When I tried to change the name of the machine, it asked
for credentials, when I supplied mine(member of domain admins) it rejected
them. The only way that I was ever able to rename the machine was to do
this:
1) switch from domain to workgroup
2) rename machine
3) reboot
4) join domain
5) reboot
!!) can't login

What have I done? I have tried to create a new computer account on the PDC
using the AD snapin, I create a new computer with the same name. Still
can't login. Any suggestions?


Please help, my Dad is gonna kill me if I don't fix this for him. It was
one of those "This will just take a second things" and now it's been almost
a week
I'm stuck.

 

[serverguy]

Ok, let me try to understand this one. Assuming this is a 2000 domain and
not NT4 (please don't refer to "PDC" unless it is running NT4, it's very
confusing; 2000 domain controllers are simply called Domain Controllers, or
DC's), creating a computer account in AD is not going to resolve your issue.

The steps you took to rename the machine are wrong. You should first change
to workgroup, reboot, login as local admin, make sure you can ping the DC,
then rename machine and/or add back to domain, reboot.

Delete all previous machine accounts related to this machine in AD, then
give it a new name and try re-joining the domain again.

Hope you don't get spanked ;-)

 

[sklett]

Thanks serverguy,

OK, after much reading, googling and trying... I finally found the solution.
First, a better explanation of the problem;
I was getting an error "The credentials supplied conflict with an existing
set of credentials" when trying to rename a recently renamed machine back to
the domain

I determined from my reading that the reason that I was getting this error
when trying to join the computer back on to the domain was that there was
something on the workstation that had an established connection w/ the
server using the OLD credentials(in this case, same username and all that,
but different computer account)

I read that you should unmap drives. I did.
I read that you should kill applications that might be establishing
connections. I did(I thought).

Still, it would not work. There was still something establishing a
connection. The solution that worked for me was simple. I unplugged the
network cable, rebooted, logged in w/ local admin account, clicked my way
through mapping drive errors and some unexpected errors from Norton
Antivirus, I guess it maps a drive in the background when rolled out from
the server.

Anyway, joined the domain, asked for credentials, everything worked fine.
Reconnected cable, rebooted, logged into domain. All is well.

no spanks!