Help! I carelessly tried to join my notebook computer's Workgroup from my desktop computer. The desktop computer was a member of a domain established by my employer. The domain membership was lost when I rebooted. Now I can't log back in to Windows on that computer. I don't know what the administrator password is. The computer has some kind of remote login program accessible when the computer boots, but only the employer knows the password. Is there a tool I can use to log back in and recover the domain membership, without asking my employer's tech support dept. for help? I have a Windows XP home installation / boot disk.
How can I log back into Windows XP Pro and restore my computer's domain membership?
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Lexluethar
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Since you've disassociated the computer with the domain there is nothing you can do. You will have to join the PC back to the domain - which is something that does require an administrator password (domain admin, not just a local admin).
Thank you both, Mak and Lexluethar for your very helpful responses.
My recollection is that I was given administrator rights, which enabled me to change the system settings. Shouldn't I only have limited user privileges to prevent this kind of error from occurring? If I were a limited user, would I still be able to access the company's VPN?
My recollection is that I was given administrator rights, which enabled me to change the system settings. Shouldn't I only have limited user privileges to prevent this kind of error from occurring? If I were a limited user, would I still be able to access the company's VPN?
Lexluethar
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I don't know, depends on how your Server Administrator setup your Active Directory permissions, it's literally impossible to tell because you can have permissions to do one thing, but not permissions to do something else. Example: We are not allowed to change when our screen saver comes up but we are able to install certain software programs.
You should be able to launch the VPN client, but i doubt you will be able to actually join the network because the PC isn't going to pass authentication because you aren't a domain user.
You can try to join it back to the domain but it's probably going to fail because A)you have to be on the network to join to the domain B)you aren't a domain administrator (well i don't think you are)
Don't know if you have xp or 7, but in xp right click my computer>properties>computer name>join the domain. Windows 7 is similar.
You should be able to launch the VPN client, but i doubt you will be able to actually join the network because the PC isn't going to pass authentication because you aren't a domain user.
You can try to join it back to the domain but it's probably going to fail because A)you have to be on the network to join to the domain B)you aren't a domain administrator (well i don't think you are)
Don't know if you have xp or 7, but in xp right click my computer>properties>computer name>join the domain. Windows 7 is similar.
No the password can't be reset. As I stated above, you will have to get the IT people to fix the problem. They will have to reimage the machine so that it is back on the domain or just use their permissions to put it back on the domain and remove the user network you put on there. Granted this will get you into some trouble, but do something you not supposed to always ends up catching up to you somehow.
Lexluethar
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Ya, if you can't log in then you've totally disassociated the domain, if you don't have the local admin account to log in you can't attach it back to the domain so you are totally SOL.
To add the PC to the domain you first have to log in as a local admin, then go through and add the PC back to the domain which requires a domain admin user name and password (not the local).
So you are up a creek man, sorry. Call your IT department, you are going to get in FAR less trouble explaining what happen then you would not doing your work for an entire week while trying to fix something that you don't have the ability to fix.
To add the PC to the domain you first have to log in as a local admin, then go through and add the PC back to the domain which requires a domain admin user name and password (not the local).
So you are up a creek man, sorry. Call your IT department, you are going to get in FAR less trouble explaining what happen then you would not doing your work for an entire week while trying to fix something that you don't have the ability to fix.
I contacted the company's IT department about the problem this morning. The IT staff member finally determined that I need to have the computer reconfigured or reconnected to the network via the service center's LAN. It'll take me 3 1/2 hours to get there, but I'm willing to do it that way instead of shipping it to them, since it can be online again the same day and I won't have to miss more days of training.
Mak, I agree that I shouldn't have tried to connect the machine to my workgroup using the system settings, but it doesn't seem right that the penalty should be harsh. A way exists to restrict access to the system settings to only the sysadmin or domain administrator. I was granted access privileges that I shouldn't have been granted.
Mak, I agree that I shouldn't have tried to connect the machine to my workgroup using the system settings, but it doesn't seem right that the penalty should be harsh. A way exists to restrict access to the system settings to only the sysadmin or domain administrator. I was granted access privileges that I shouldn't have been granted.
You know you shouldnt have connected it to your workgroup. You know it is a work PC that is supplied to you by them for doing a job. So why shouldnt the penalty be harsh for you trying to use the PC for purposes other than those intended?
Despite the fact you had a permissions screw up you knew you were doing something you shouldnt have been. For every action there is a reaction. For every cause there is an effect. You broke the rules, you pay the penalty. No I wont feel sorry for you cause of a permission screw up when you knew flat out you shouldnt have done it and after you did you tried to find an alternate way to fix it instead of admitting to the company that you were using their resources for your own personal reasons. Be happy that you just have to drive 4 hours to get there and have them fix it instead of getting terminated like most companies would do when they find out your using their machines for your personal gain.
You got your answer, topic closed.
Despite the fact you had a permissions screw up you knew you were doing something you shouldnt have been. For every action there is a reaction. For every cause there is an effect. You broke the rules, you pay the penalty. No I wont feel sorry for you cause of a permission screw up when you knew flat out you shouldnt have done it and after you did you tried to find an alternate way to fix it instead of admitting to the company that you were using their resources for your own personal reasons. Be happy that you just have to drive 4 hours to get there and have them fix it instead of getting terminated like most companies would do when they find out your using their machines for your personal gain.
You got your answer, topic closed.
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