Workstations will not log on

[Brent]

We have a issue with one of our computer labs. The lab has Windows XP Pro
workstations connecting to a Windows 2000 domain. Today we are getting an
error message when we try to log into the computer/domain with a domain
account. The error message is:

"Windows cannot connect to the domain, wither because the domain controller
is down or otherwise unavailable, or because your computer account was not
found. Please try again later. If this message continues to appear,
contact your system administrator for assistance."

The user account is valid because it works on other workstations in the
building. The computer account appears to be in the domain (All the
workstation names appear in Active Directory). The instructor in that lab
told use that he has had no problems login in before, however he has not
always told us that he is having problems in the past when he has.

Does anyone know what the problem is? The computer are Deep-Frozen since it
is a High School computer lab.

 

[Richard Moreno]

Hi Brent-

I suggest checking event logs on the closest DC and also the workstations.
Maybe a secure channel issue from the clients. Verify your DNS
infrastructure and communication too.

--
Thanks,
Richard Moreno
MCSE NT4\2000, MCSA 2000

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.

 

[Brent]

Thanks for the quick response.

The event log on the closest DC has:

"The session setup from the computer TC311-20 failed to authenticate. The
name of the account referenced in the security database is TC311-20$. The
following error occurred: Access is denied."

 

[Jerold Schulman]

Yes.

See tip 1710 and 2477 in the 'Tips & Tricks' at http://www.jsiinc.com

I am also looking at this article
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=216393

It appears that the computer account password is changed every 30 days by
the DC. So if the computer is Deep-Frozen, meaning that the computer runs a
program called DeepFreeze that restores its configuration/setup to the way
we had it when it was frozen, then when the DC changes the computer password
and the computer is restarted then the computer is the still trying to use
the password when we first froze it making the passwords out of sync. Does
this sound correct?

Thanks,
Brent

Jerold Schulman
Windows: General MVP
JSI, Inc.
http://www.jsiinc.com

 

[Brent]

I was trying to use the netdom command on a system to remotely reset the
computer accounts password. However I get a message saying that the Windows
workstations network path could not be found. Is there a trick to using
this command?

 

[Richard Moreno]

Here's some info on netdom

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;260575

--
Thanks,
Richard Moreno
MCSE NT4\2000, MCSA 2000

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.

 

[Brent]

I could only get it to work by running the command on the system locally. I
could not get the netdom command to work by doing it from a remote system.

Brent

 

[Richard Moreno]

Hi Brent-

If after your attempt at netdom has failed either remotely or locally at the
problematic workstation you're only left with the choice of removing and
readding the workstation to the domain. You must delete the computer account
from the domain and then from the client move it to a workgroup, reboot, and
then readd back to the domain again. Be sure to know the local administrator
account password to log back on!

--
Thanks,
Richard Moreno
MCSE NT4\2000, MCSA 2000

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.

 

[Brent]

Hello Richard,

That is what I ended up doing, I also learned to make sure the domain
replicates between all sites before readding the workstation. When I
deleted the computer account and removed/readded the computer to the domain.
The system was removed again after the domain replicated to all sites so I
had to rejoin it again.

Brent