Cannot Join Windows 2000 Client to a Windows NT Domain (258832)

SYMPTOMS

A Windows 2000-based computer may be unable to join a Windows NT 4.0-based domain. When you attempt to change the domain membership for the Windows 2000-based computer in the Identification Changes dialog box, you receive the following error message:

Network Identification:

The following error occurred validating the name "domain name".

The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted.

If you attempt to use the net view command from the Windows 2000-based computer, you receive the following error message:

System error 53 has occurred.

The network path was not found.

If you attempt to ping by name from the Windows 2000-based computer does not work. Pinging by IP address does work.

CAUSE

This problem can occur if both of the following conditions exist:

NetBIOS over TCP/IP is disabled on the client computer.
The TCP/IP protocol is the only protocol installed on the client computer.

Also, some third-party DNS servers have been known to cause this problem. See the "More Information" section for details.

This problem can also occur if WINS is not enabled on the Windows 2000-based computer that you want to join the domain, and the Windows 2000-based computer is located in different TCP/IP subnet than the Windows NT 4.0 PDC. See the "More Information" section for details.

RESOLUTION

Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP on the workstation:

Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Network and Dial-up Connection.
Right-click Local Area Connection, and then click Properties.
Click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click Properties.
Click Advanced, and then click the WINS tab.
Click Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP.
Click OK. You can disregard the "empty primary WINS address" notification.
Click OK, and then click OK.

If network configuration requirements make it impractical to enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP, one possible workaround is to install a new protocol, such as NetBEUI, on both the Windows 2000-based client and the Windows NT-based server.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about how to enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP with Windows 2000, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

204279 Direct Hosting of SMB Over TCP/IP

Some third-party DNS servers may cause this issue. For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256083 Error Message: The Specified Domain Either Does Not Exist or Could Not Be Contacted

If WINS is not enabled on the Windows 2000-based computer that you want to join the domain and the computer is located in different TCP/IP subnet than the Windows NT 4.0 PDC, you can configure the computer to use the LMHOSTS file for NetBIOS name resolution.

The computer that you want to join the domain must be able to find the PDC of that domain across subnets. To do so, it can look up the hexadecimal 1B registration for the domain name in its NetBIOS cache or on a WINS server to locate the IP address for the PDC.

For additional information, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

180094 How to Write an LMHOSTS File for Domain Validation

140476 How to Install a BDC in a Routed TCP/IP Environment

To join a Windows 2000 Professional-based client to a domain:

Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click System.
On the Network Identification tab, click Properties.
Under Member Of, click Domain. Type the name of the domain you want to join, and then click OK. You are prompted to provide a user name and user password to join the computer to the domain.
Click OK.
When you are prompted to restart the computer to apply the changes, do so.

For more information about NetBIOS over TCP/IP, please refer to RFCs 1001 and 1002.