Can't log on to network, greyed out on server

[geezer]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.misc (More info?)

I'm no network whiz kid, just an old geezer trying to troubleshoot a a 7-PC,
2-printer network for a small nonprofit serving at-risk kids. The server
runs NT 4.0, the PC's are all Windows 2000.
After many months without any problems, the E.D.'s PC got all Netsky'd, and
after being repaied with the Netsky Repair Tool, now her PC can't log on to
the network. On Server Manager, her PC is greyed our. The network cable,
however, is definiely connected - it shows up clearly in the systray, and
when it's unplugged, it pops up immediately that it's been unpllugged.
I've spent way too many hours on this. On her pC, My Computer/ Properties/
Network ID keeps hanging on the difference between the "computer domain" and
the "user domain." It can't find the user domain, and nothing I put in
"computer domain" works. Might be come kind of DNS lookup problem, whatever
that is. Any simple, plain-English help would be greatly appreciated.
Urgent. Thanks.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.misc (More info?)

Netsky can sometimes corrupt teh computer beyond repair. You should just
re-install windows.

 

[geezer]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.misc (More info?)

Except for the problem noted, Windows is running perfectly on this computer.
Just to be sure, I repaired Windows 2000 and ran the Add-Ons for network
services as well from the original W2K setup disk, but the problem remains.
It's not a generic Wndows problem, if such a thing can be said to exist, but
very specifically in the area of the user domain name vs computer domain
name. The error message I get says "DNS lookup problem." I'm trying to learn
more about that. There should be a way to check exactly if that's correct.

I'm grateful for any reply, but I've grown increasingly dubious and even
angry about the seeming flippancy with which Microsoft support professionals
and others toss off the phrase "Just re-install Windows" as if it were some
kind of voodoo magic solution.

In my experience, nine times out of ten re-installing WIndows does
absolutely nothing to resolve the actual problem. I mean absolutely no
reflection on you, dlv, but it in my experience, when I've gone to Microsoft
support with problems, it's been the the less experienced and knowledgeable
techies, not the experts, who seem to want to suggest reinstallation of
Windows! right off the bat. It seems like the less they know or are willing
to learn about the actual problem, the faster they invoke the voodoo magic
solution of "reinstall Windows" - a generic approach that leaves the actual
problem, and its actual solution, shrouded in mystery.

And there is no such thing as "just" re-installing Windows. Besides saving
and all the user's documents, .pst files, doing the actual re-install, then
recovering that backed up data, there are now at least a half-hour's worth of
SP's, QB's and other Hotfixes that must be reinstalled.

There has to be a simpler, more direct solution to this problem.

Thanks anyway,
Geezer

dlv wrote ...
> Netsky can sometimes corrupt teh computer beyond repair. You should just
> re-install windows.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.misc (More info?)

try this-
1. join a workgroup, just make up a name
2. reboot
3. in server manager on the server, add a computer to domain- make up a name
4. change computer name to the name you added above
5. reboot
6. use network ID wizard to join the domain.

The server manager window should tell you what your domain name is.

 

[geezer]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.misc (More info?)

Terrific practical suggestion, much more what I was looking for. Thanks.
After following those steps, would I have to repeat the entire sequence in
order to get the computer back to its orginal name?
PS. Since my last post, the E.D. freaked and called in an very expensive
expert, whose solution reportedly included reformatting her entire hard
drive. Grrr.

"dlw" wrote:
> try this-
> 1. join a workgroup, just make up a name
> 2. reboot
> 3. in server manager on the server, add a computer to domain- make up a name
> 4. change computer name to the name you added above
> 5. reboot
> 6. use network ID wizard to join the domain.
>
> The server manager window should tell you what your domain name is.