Computer Name Change

[Bob Felton]

Windows XP Pro SP2 client. Windows 2000 domain.

I am installing new (replacement) computers at a client. User
computers are named after their user, for example "Joe". When I build
up a new computer for a user, such as Joe, I name it "Joe1". After
build completion and swapout with the old computer, I want to rename
the new computer from "Joe1" to "Joe". To do this, I use the Computer
Name applet in System Properties. First, I removed the computer from
the domain and added it to a workgroup by the same name as the domain.
I then changed the computer name to "Joe" using the same applet. I
then attempted to add the computer back to the domain using the same
applet. This failed with the following error message:

---
Computer Name Changes

The following error occurred attempting to join the domain "LAN":

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.
---

I removed all mappings (mapped drives and printers) to server
resources that had been set up and tried again. Same result.

While trying to do this I am logged into the computer as the local
administrator, I am not logged into the domain. I am asked for server
credentials to add the computer to the domain and then a short time
later the error message appears.

Can anyone provide guidance on what is happening and how to correct?

Tnx es 73!

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Windows XP Pro SP2 client. Windows 2000 domain.

I am installing new (replacement) computers at a client. User
computers are named after their user, for example "Joe". When I build
up a new computer for a user, such as Joe, I name it "Joe1". After
build completion and swapout with the old computer, I want to rename
the new computer from "Joe1" to "Joe". To do this, I use the Computer
Name applet in System Properties. First, I removed the computer from
the domain and added it to a workgroup by the same name as the domain.
I then changed the computer name to "Joe" using the same applet. I
then attempted to add the computer back to the domain using the same
applet. This failed with the following error message:

---
Computer Name Changes

The following error occurred attempting to join the domain "LAN":

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.
---

I removed all mappings (mapped drives and printers) to server
resources that had been set up and tried again. Same result.

While trying to do this I am logged into the computer as the local
administrator, I am not logged into the domain. I am asked for server
credentials to add the computer to the domain and then a short time
later the error message appears.

Can anyone provide guidance on what is happening and how to correct?

Why do you join the computer to the domain before swapping it out?

Anyway - why not remove the old computer from the domain, then using NETDOM,
rename the new computer to the old computer name in both active directory
and on the machine itself.. all done...

With domain admin rights on the machine in question:

netdom renamecomputer OLDNAME /newname:NEWNAME /userDOMAIN\DOMAINADMINNAME
/passwordDOMAINADMINPASSWORD /userOOMAIN\DOMAINADMINNAME
/passwordOOMAINADMINPASSWORD /force /reboot:60

That's all one line, in case it splits..

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Shenan Stanley wrote:

Windows XP Pro SP2 client. Windows 2000 domain.

I am installing new (replacement) computers at a client. User
computers are named after their user, for example "Joe". When I
build up a new computer for a user, such as Joe, I name it "Joe1". After
build completion and swapout with the old computer, I want to
rename the new computer from "Joe1" to "Joe". To do this, I use the
Computer Name applet in System Properties. First, I removed the
computer from the domain and added it to a workgroup by the same
name as the domain. I then changed the computer name to "Joe" using
the same applet. I then attempted to add the computer back to the
domain using the same applet. This failed with the following error
message:
---
Computer Name Changes

The following error occurred attempting to join the domain "LAN":

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.
---

I removed all mappings (mapped drives and printers) to server
resources that had been set up and tried again. Same result.

While trying to do this I am logged into the computer as the local
administrator, I am not logged into the domain. I am asked for
server credentials to add the computer to the domain and then a
short time later the error message appears.

Can anyone provide guidance on what is happening and how to correct?

Why do you join the computer to the domain before swapping it out?

Anyway - why not remove the old computer from the domain, then using
NETDOM, rename the new computer to the old computer name in both
active directory and on the machine itself.. all done...

With domain admin rights on the machine in question:

netdom renamecomputer OLDNAME /newname:NEWNAME
/userDOMAIN\DOMAINADMINNAME /passwordDOMAINADMINPASSWORD
/userOOMAIN\DOMAINADMINNAME /passwordOOMAINADMINPASSWORD /force
/reboot:60
That's all one line, in case it splits..

To make that into a batch script you can run on any computer with rights to
access the other computers in the domain..

(Yes - you can rename computers remotely - but it does qa reboot - so be
cautious about WHEN you do it..)

Put this into a script..

----- Copy below this line -----
@ECHO OFF
if "%1" EQU "/?" goto helptext
if "%1" EQU "" goto helptext

:renamecomputer
netdom renamecomputer %1 /newname:%2 /userDOMAINNAME\%3 /passwordD:%4
/userOOMAINNAME\%3 /passwordO:%4 /force /reboot:60
goto end

:helptext
CLS
@ECHO.
@ECHO This script will rename a computer in the domain.
@ECHO It WILL reboot said computer.
@ECHO.
@ECHO The syntax for this script is:
@ECHO.
@ECHO rendompc OLDCOMPNAME NEWCOMPNAME DOMAIN_ADMIN_USERNAME DOMAIN_PASSWORD
@ECHO.
@ECHO Where:
@ECHO.
@ECHO OLDCOMPNAME is the old NETBIOS name of the computer.
@ECHO NEWCOMPNAME is the new NETBIOS name of the computer.
@ECHO DOMAIN_ADMIN_USERNAME is a Domain Administrative Username - just the
username.
@ECHO DOMAIN_PASSWORD is the Domain Administrative Username's password.
@ECHO.
PAUSE

:end
----- Copy above this line -----

Change "DOMAINNAME" in the script (this is a simple .BAT/.CMD script) to
your domain name.
I've used this a few times for managing machine names and the likes - so
that they make more sense.

 

[Bob Felton]

Thanks for the detailed help, Shenan. I'll give that a try when next
at my client.

Out of curiosity, any idea why the multiple connections message
appears even after deleting mapped drives and network printers and not
being logged into the domain when attempting to add the computer to
the domain? Will whatever is causing this message to appear affect
the use of NETDOM at the computer as you describe?

Thanks, again.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Thanks for the detailed help, Shenan. I'll give that a try when next
at my client.

Out of curiosity, any idea why the multiple connections message
appears even after deleting mapped drives and network printers and not
being logged into the domain when attempting to add the computer to
the domain? Will whatever is causing this message to appear affect
the use of NETDOM at the computer as you describe?

My first thought would be to ask if you tried rebooting - to guarantee there
were no latent connections around.
Otherwise - I would throw it out to "Windows Weirdness" - *grin*

 

[Bob Felton]

Well, even after the local computer (one being renamed) and the old
computer name being deleted in AD on the server and the server
rebooted, attempting to rename via Computer Name in System Properties
still returns the same error. Sure would like to find a way to
determine the server connections so I can try to eliminate them.

I did try using Netdom at the local computer. Didn't work. Not sure
why unless I had a bad syntax or similar. I haven't tried it at the
server as yet.

 

[System Administrator]

Got it working, Shenan. The fact that the message said there was an
open connecting kept bugging me. I finally found it, using "nbtstat
-s". There was a NetBIOS connection to the server. I disabled
NetBIOS over TCP/IP on the local machine, rebooted, and tried again.
I was then able to add to the machine to the domain, using the DNS
name of the domain. I then re-enabled NetBIOS and things kept
working.

I found a reference indicating that in a pure Windows 2000
Server/Windows XP client network, that using NetBIOS over TCP/IP is
not required. So, I'm wondering if I should disable its use by
setting the DHCP server parameters accordingly (MSKB 313314).

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I found a reference indicating that in a pure Windows 2000
Server/Windows XP client network, that using NetBIOS over TCP/IP is
not required. So, I'm wondering if I should disable its use by
setting the DHCP server parameters accordingly (MSKB 313314).

You can - but it keeping that connection before makes no sense.

 

[Bob Felton]

It may sound strange, but disabling NetBIOS over
TCP/IP allowed the machine to join the domain. Since NetBIOS over
TCP/IP comes up enabled by default, I think I will leave it that way.
Thanks much for your assistance, Shenan.

 

[kennysarmy]

I had same problem....

Fix:

Instead of entering domain name enter domainname.local added me
straight to domain when i did that....

cheers