Join domain using netdom

[Swiftie]

Hi guys

is there a way of adding a windows xp machine to a domain from the AD server running Windows Server 2008 R2 using netdom join workstation /domain:mydomain.local from the command line of the server?

At the moment its failing with a Access is denied.

One thing to bare in mind is that the local machine's admin password has been forgotten. Otherwise I wouldn't be bothering with this. I know there a ways of getting that reset but the PC is thousands of miles away and trying to avoid guiding the end user on how to use ntpasswd.

thanks in advance

[c.grz]

Does the user have an account with admin rights? If not; you may be SOL because you'll need admin rights to that workstation to join it to the domain.

[Swiftie]

There's no local users or passwords wether admin or not that are working on the pc. :(

[c.grz]

So the PC is just sitting there all by it's lonesome? How about having them download and run one of those bootable linux discs that can reset passwords for local accounts?

Edit: it seems that's what ntpasswd is...sorry I'd never heard of that before...

[Swiftie]

So the PC is just sitting there all by it's lonesome? How about having them download and run one of those bootable linux discs that can reset passwords for local accounts?

Edit: it seems that's what ntpasswd is...sorry I'd never heard of that before...

Yep, as a background story, pc got removed from the domain by one of guys who normaly did a bit of support now and then and as luck would have it the documented local password is not working. So what we're saying is without having a workable user account there's nothing that can be done remotely?

If that's the case then I best prepare myself to start guiding the user to try and run through the reset password utility I guess. :/

[c.grz]

Yep; running the password utility will be your best bet.

[+BudMan MVC]

Hmmmm - its been a while since I have done this.. But yeah I do believe you have to have local admin account get it to join a domain. You can always create the computer account on the domain and setup any account to be able to join the domain from the domain side.. Normally any domain authenticated user can join 10 machines to a domain - unless you have correctly adjusted these permissions.

But to actually join the machine I do believe the account your logged in on the machine has to have local admin rights.. Other wise that would be pretty messed up you could login as guest or something on a machine - join it to a domain you have setup, and since domain admins are give local admin rights on the box that joins the domain you would now have an account on the box with full admin rights. That would be a bit of security issue!

Walk the user through reset of the local account - the tools are pretty simple any monkey could be walked through the process. Then once the box is joined just remotely change the local admin account. Problem is the fact that your showing the user the way to hack any machine - he could use this new learned skills for evil in the future ;) heheheh

Its not like any 8 year old can not look up this stuff on google in 12 seconds -- its just that users are normally dumber than 8 year olds when it comes to anything to do with a computer! So you hand hold them through learning such a dangerous thing - next thing you know you have all user doing it! Users are like monkeys learning how to use a stick to grab ants out of the ant hill -- they pass that **** on to the next monkey! ;)

[sc302 Veteran]

If the machine has access to the network and you have admin rights, why not just log onto the machine and join it for him....there are quite a few utilities that allow you to stay logged in at the logon prompt provided you have the admin creds of the machine.

[+BudMan MVC]

"provided you have the admin creds of the machine."

Thats the thing sc302 the way I read it there is NO local admin account he can use.

Now if the machine had been removed from the domain, and had at some point been logged in with domain admin account -- it would still be cached and as long as the machine is not connected to the network with domain access you could log in with domain admin rights account from cache and change the local password.

As to recovery options. If you have SA from microsoft -- you should have access to DART, which you could create a recovery tools disk with.. And you can have him reboot with that CD/DVD and you can remote it and recover/change the local password.

You would think most companies that are licensed would take advantage of the tools MS provides?

http://www.microsoft.../mdop/dart.aspx

[sc302 Veteran]

mmmm hmmm.

[Swiftie]

Walk the user through reset of the local account - the tools are pretty simple any monkey could be walked through the process. Then once the box is joined just remotely change the local admin account. Problem is the fact that your showing the user the way to hack any machine - he could use this new learned skills for evil in the future ;) heheheh

Its not like any 8 year old can not look up this stuff on google in 12 seconds -- its just that users are normally dumber than 8 year olds when it comes to anything to do with a computer! So you hand hold them through learning such a dangerous thing - next thing you know you have all user doing it! Users are like monkeys learning how to use a stick to grab ants out of the ant hill -- they pass that **** on to the next monkey! ;)

My exact fears..

If the machine has access to the network and you have admin rights, why not just log onto the machine and join it for him....there are quite a few utilities that allow you to stay logged in at the logon prompt provided you have the admin creds of the machine.

Machine is connected to the network but no admin rights access as the passwords documented does not work for this 1 machine, so login into the actual machine is out. Will just proceed with pass reset on Monday and just move forward with that.

Thanks for all the responses and happy birthday Budman.. :D

[+BudMan MVC]

Now this might be frown upon - but if you want to try the dart option where you can remote his machine and change the password using a MS tool -- just let me know (pm) and I might be able to send you the tools needed to create the disk :shiftyninja:

But to be honest if your a MS house you should have access to these tools already - I can walk you through how to do it with the remote control option. Its been awhile since I have need to do it. So I would have to verify - but I do believe when you do it he wouldn't actually see you resetting the password. And either way it would be official MS tools - so he might not comprehend that any 8 year old can grab the tools and do this on any box, etc.

[ybrett23]

Any domain user should be able to join pc to the domain,

[+BudMan MVC]

^ agreed if they have local admin on the box they are trying to join!

The problem here is the account they are logged into the box with does not have local admin rights - so even if he has an account that has permissions to join the domain. He does not have the permissions to do that on the box he is trying to join.