The system cannot log you on now because the domain is not availab

[Guest]

I am running a windows 2000 domain with windows 2000 and XP pro
workstations/laptops. We have recently started to see with some remote
laptops: The system cannot log you on now because the domain <DOMAIN_NAME> is
not available.

These employees work from home and do use their domain logon credentials.
We have not seen this for our 2000 builds but have seen it a few times for
our XP users.

We are have not created a policy for cached logons so they would have the
default of 10. They would be the only users logging on besides the local
admin account to their laptop.

Any suggestions?

 

[Steven L Umbach]

I would check the computers to make sure that the Local Security Policy has
not been changed and that 10 cached logons are still available which the
user should not be able to change unless they are a local administrator and
look in the logs of the problem computers via Event Viewer to see if
anything is recorded that may be of help. I assume you know this but the
user needs to logon to the domain successfully at least once in order to
have a cached logon and you may want to try it while at work to see if it
still fails. Have then logon to the domain, unplug their network cable and
have them try to logon again. --- Steve

 

[Roger Abell [MVP]]

and if you do find the setting altered in the local policy . . .
consider setting the caching, even if to 10, in domain based GPO so
that in the future it cannot be set in local policy and letting the machines
boot a couple times in a domain-connected state.