I purchased a windows 7 machine from a local store to use with my TV a week ago. It came with home edition which I upgraded to Pro. I am running a domain at my home on a windows 2003 server. All of my other machines connect to the domain with no problems but this new windows 7 computer will not connect. The error I get is "cannot connect to domain because the computer name is already in use" It connects to my Domain Controller fine and it locates the domain but it will not join. I have no machines with the same name on the network, and no aliases or user names etc... I have tried other names and using other IP addresses. I have changed NTLM on the server to LM & NTLM / NTLM2 if accepted I have changed the windows 7 machine to the same settings. On the windows 7 machine I have turned netbios on IPv4 and ensured netbios helper is on and starts with the machine I have tried joining with the machine listed in active users and without (although my admin account allows remote creation of machines) I usually am pretty good at figuring this stuff out although I am no IT admin so any help would be great, or suggestions on where else to take this question. Thanks. James

James, Can you upload the content of C:\WINDOWS\Debug\NetSetup.log to pastebin.com or your skydrive(skydrive.live.com). Kind Regards DFTIM me - TWiTTer: @DFTER

Here is the latest attempt 08/09/2010 16:57:10:334 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 08/09/2010 16:57:10:334 NetpValidateName: checking to see if 'TVPC' is valid as type 1 name 08/09/2010 16:57:13:334 NetpCheckNetBiosNameNotInUse for 'TVPC' [MACHINE] returned 0x0 08/09/2010 16:57:13:334 NetpValidateName: name 'TVPC' is valid for type 1 08/09/2010 16:57:13:364 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 08/09/2010 16:57:13:364 NetpValidateName: checking to see if 'TVPC' is valid as type 5 name 08/09/2010 16:57:13:364 NetpValidateName: name 'TVPC' is valid for type 5 08/09/2010 16:57:13:414 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 08/09/2010 16:57:13:414 NetpValidateName: checking to see if 'appliedcom' is valid as type 3 name 08/09/2010 16:57:13:524 NetpCheckDomainNameIsValid [ Exists ] for 'appliedcom' returned 0x0 08/09/2010 16:57:13:524 NetpValidateName: name 'appliedcom' is valid for type 3 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 NetpDoDomainJoin 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 NetpMachineValidToJoin: 'TVPC' 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 OS Version: 6.1 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 Build number: 7600 (7600.win7_gdr.100226-1909) 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 SKU: Windows 7 Professional 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 NetpDomainJoinLicensingCheck: ulLicenseValue=1, Status: 0x0 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 NetpGetLsaPrimaryDomain: status: 0x0 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 NetpMachineValidToJoin: status: 0x0 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 NetpJoinDomain 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 Machine: TVPC 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 Domain: appliedcom 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 MachineAccountOU: (NULL) 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 Account: appliedcom\administrator 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 Options: 0x425 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 NetpLoadParameters: loading registry parameters... 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 NetpLoadParameters: DNSNameResolutionRequired not found, defaulting to '1' 0x2 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 NetpLoadParameters: DomainCompatibilityMode not found, defaulting to '0' 0x2 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 NetpLoadParameters: status: 0x2 08/09/2010 16:57:21:414 NetpValidateName: checking to see if 'appliedcom' is valid as type 3 name 08/09/2010 16:57:21:514 NetpCheckDomainNameIsValid [ Exists ] for 'appliedcom' returned 0x0 08/09/2010 16:57:21:514 NetpValidateName: name 'appliedcom' is valid for type 3 08/09/2010 16:57:21:514 NetpDsGetDcName: trying to find DC in domain 'appliedcom', flags: 0x40001010 08/09/2010 16:57:36:524 NetpDsGetDcName: failed to find a DC having account 'TVPC$': 0x525, last error is 0x0 08/09/2010 16:57:36:524 NetpLoadParameters: loading registry parameters... 08/09/2010 16:57:36:524 NetpLoadParameters: DNSNameResolutionRequired not found, defaulting to '1' 0x2 08/09/2010 16:57:36:524 NetpLoadParameters: DomainCompatibilityMode not found, defaulting to '0' 0x2 08/09/2010 16:57:36:524 NetpLoadParameters: status: 0x2 08/09/2010 16:57:36:544 NetpDsGetDcName: status of verifying DNS A record name resolution for 'Ohanepecosh.AppliedCommunity.com': 0x0 08/09/2010 16:57:36:544 NetpDsGetDcName: found DC '\\Ohanepecosh.AppliedCommunity.com' in the specified domain 08/09/2010 16:57:36:544 NetpJoinDomainOnDs: NetpDsGetDcName returned: 0x0 08/09/2010 16:57:59:156 NetUseAdd to \\Ohanepecosh.AppliedCommunity.com\IPC$ returned 52 08/09/2010 16:57:59:156 NetpJoinDomain: status of connecting to dc '\\Ohanepecosh.AppliedCommunity.com': 0x34 08/09/2010 16:57:59:156 NetpJoinDomainOnDs: Function exits with status of: 0x34 08/09/2010 16:57:59:156 NetpDoDomainJoin: status: 0x34 08/09/2010 16:57:59:389 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 08/09/2010 16:57:59:389 NetpDoDomainJoin 08/09/2010 16:57:59:390 NetpMachineValidToJoin: 'TVPC' 08/09/2010 16:57:59:390 OS Version: 6.1 08/09/2010 16:57:59:390 Build number: 7600 (7600.win7_gdr.100226-1909) 08/09/2010 16:57:59:392 SKU: Windows 7 Professional 08/09/2010 16:57:59:392 NetpDomainJoinLicensingCheck: ulLicenseValue=1, Status: 0x0 08/09/2010 16:57:59:395 NetpGetLsaPrimaryDomain: status: 0x0 08/09/2010 16:57:59:395 NetpMachineValidToJoin: status: 0x0 08/09/2010 16:57:59:395 NetpJoinDomain 08/09/2010 16:57:59:395 Machine: TVPC 08/09/2010 16:57:59:395 Domain: appliedcom 08/09/2010 16:57:59:395 MachineAccountOU: (NULL) 08/09/2010 16:57:59:395 Account: appliedcom\administrator 08/09/2010 16:57:59:395 Options: 0x427 08/09/2010 16:57:59:395 NetpLoadParameters: loading registry parameters... 08/09/2010 16:57:59:395 NetpLoadParameters: DNSNameResolutionRequired not found, defaulting to '1' 0x2 08/09/2010 16:57:59:396 NetpLoadParameters: DomainCompatibilityMode not found, defaulting to '0' 0x2 08/09/2010 16:57:59:396 NetpLoadParameters: status: 0x2 08/09/2010 16:57:59:396 NetpValidateName: checking to see if 'appliedcom' is valid as type 3 name 08/09/2010 16:57:59:500 NetpCheckDomainNameIsValid [ Exists ] for 'appliedcom' returned 0x0 08/09/2010 16:57:59:500 NetpValidateName: name 'appliedcom' is valid for type 3 08/09/2010 16:57:59:500 NetpDsGetDcName: trying to find DC in domain 'appliedcom', flags: 0x40001010 08/09/2010 16:58:14:512 NetpDsGetDcName: failed to find a DC having account 'TVPC$': 0x525, last error is 0x0 08/09/2010 16:58:14:512 NetpLoadParameters: loading registry parameters... 08/09/2010 16:58:14:512 NetpLoadParameters: DNSNameResolutionRequired not found, defaulting to '1' 0x2 08/09/2010 16:58:14:512 NetpLoadParameters: DomainCompatibilityMode not found, defaulting to '0' 0x2 08/09/2010 16:58:14:512 NetpLoadParameters: status: 0x2 08/09/2010 16:58:14:532 NetpDsGetDcName: status of verifying DNS A record name resolution for 'Ohanepecosh.AppliedCommunity.com': 0x0 08/09/2010 16:58:14:532 NetpDsGetDcName: found DC '\\Ohanepecosh.AppliedCommunity.com' in the specified domain 08/09/2010 16:58:14:532 NetpJoinDomainOnDs: NetpDsGetDcName returned: 0x0 08/09/2010 16:58:15:212 NetUseAdd to \\Ohanepecosh.AppliedCommunity.com\IPC$ returned 52 08/09/2010 16:58:15:212 NetpJoinDomain: status of connecting to dc '\\Ohanepecosh.AppliedCommunity.com': 0x34 08/09/2010 16:58:15:212 NetpJoinDomainOnDs: Function exits with status of: 0x34 08/09/2010 16:58:15:212 NetpDoDomainJoin: status: 0x34

Well, since you asked so nicely in another thread... This error means that something on your network has the same name that you're trying to use to register the computer. It could be another PC, a user, a share, a service... pretty much anything. Since you've tried different names it probably means that the conflict is on the local machine itself. When you unpacked it and set it up it asked you for a default user name. This name must be different from the machine's name, just as the machine's name must be unique on the network. XP would let you get away with having the machine name and the default user name the same. Vista and Windows 7 throw fits if you do this. Also make sure that when you join you use a domain admin account and not a local admin account. Other than this, you might try asking in one of the Windows Server forums since this is more of a server-side issue than a client. Sorry I can't be of more help, but usually just changing the computer's name works for me.

Thanks bob, I have read enough online to know that everyone loves to jump on the client as the problem, and well.. so do I. lol I have tried a myriad of computer names, I have not changed the admin account name on the client so I will try that. I have been joining as the domain admin. There are no shares, machines, accounts or things I can think of with the same name as this new clients machine. I use unique names from local rivers I like to kayak as machines and I use unique rapids as shares. User accounts are based on a first initial.lastname. I will see if changing the username works. It is odd if it does because all of my other machines join no problem the same way. It would be a big change for version 7 to function that way. Thanks - James

Bummer .. Thanks for the help Bob but changing all the names did not work. I suppose it could be the way I have my Intranet designed but it is driving me crazy. I just bought a new lap top from Lenovo and requested that it have XP Pro on it and it joined up just fine. That was last night. I wish they never messed with this stuff in windows 7 because it is giving me grief.

Okay then, lets take a look at how your network is set up and see if we can't track down the culprit just for future reference. Besides, you've made my curiosity itch; I've been looking up related stuff in my spare time today. If you can, and if you're still interested, let's start with an IPCONFIG /ALL from your Windows 7 machine, your new Lenovo and your server, just to make sure there's nothing odd in the network setup itself. Oddly enough, I set up two Lenovo E20 Thinkstations just last week; one with 32-bit XP and one with 64-bit Windows 7 Pro (otherwise identical) and neither had any trouble joining the domain.

Have you checked your active directory for a reerence to this machine in any name you may have used? Worth cleaning up the active directory deleting all the entries that definately do not reference to computers on the network. It may have a reference on the domain, that is a different name, but it could be causing issues. Certainly cant do any harmwww.mypchealth.co.uk

Chunks_ : yea there are no computers in AD that don't need to be, same with users. Bob: here are the IPconfigs New Lenovo Laptop: Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600] (C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp. C:\Documents and Settings\jamandus>ipconfig /all Windows IP Configuration Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Callaghan Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : AppliedCommunity.com Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : AppliedCommunity.com Home Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Home Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-21-5C-4F-FE-01 Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.199 Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0 IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::221:5cff:fe4f:fe01%8 Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.1 DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.1 DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.1 fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1 fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1 fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1 Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, August 11, 2010 8:46:08 A M Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, August 12, 2010 8:46:08 AM Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::ffff:ffff:fffd%5 Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled Tunnel adapter Automatic Tunneling Pseudo-Interface: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Home Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Automatic Tunneling Pseudo-Interface Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : C0-A8-0A-C7 Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : fe80::5efe:192.168.10.199%2 Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1 fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1 fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1 NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Server Microsoft Windows [Version 5.2.3790] (C) Copyright 1985-2003 Microsoft Corp. C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>ipconfig /all Windows IP Configuration Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Ohanepecosh Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : AppliedCommunity.com Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : AppliedCommunity.com Home Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 4: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Home Description . . . . . . . . . . . : TRENDnet Wireless N PC Card/PCI Adapter Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-14-D1-A9-2D-4C DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.197 Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0 Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.1 DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.1 DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.1 Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, August 11, 2010 4:37:15 AM Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, August 12, 2010 4:37:15 AM C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>

Ipconfig for the stupid windows 7 machine (did I mention I hate windows 7?) Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600] Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. C:\Users\JackOlantern>ipconfig /all Windows IP Configuration Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Cedar Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : Home Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Home Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8191SU Wireless LAN 802.11n US B 2.0 Network Adapter Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 74-F0-6D-3D-C2-FF DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.196(Preferred) Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0 Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, August 11, 2010 9:27:19 AM Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Thursday, August 12, 2010 9:47:33 AM Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.1 DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.1 DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.10.1 NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled Tunnel adapter isatap.Home: Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Home Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0 DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 9: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0 DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:4137:9e74:288e:102e:3f57:f53b(Pref erred) Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::288e:102e:3f57:f53b%14(Preferred) Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : :: NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled C:\Users\JackOlantern>

All right then. I see that your router is acting as both DHCP and DNS provider; nothing wrong with this, mind you, but your DC should have a static address, not one assigned by DHCP. The only possible exception is if you have a DHCP reservation set up to always give your server the same address. The problem with using your router as both DHCP and DNS in a setup like this is that if you do give your DC a static address it's not going to appear in the router's DNS tables, requiring that you add your DC's address info to each computer's HOSTS file in order for it to be resolved correctly. What surprises me is that XP isn't having hissy-fits joining your domain as well; but then, XP relies more on the old NetBIOS protocol than Windows 7 does, so maybe that explains it somewhat. I also have to wonder why your Primary DNS Suffix and your Connection-specific DNS Suffix are different; this doesn't indicate a problem, it's just that on a small network they're usually the same.

Bob, There was a time that my server was the DC, DHCP and DNS but I moved to a new place with the connection in a bad place for my setup. I did not want to run new cables so I just changed the network around. I have an address reserved for my DC on the router. I have never had to add the address into a host file on a client before.

Bob, the DC does have it's address published in the DNS tables, and my windows 7 machine finds the DC no problem, it authenticates the admin and password before erroring out on the name. I can see how this is not an idea setup but it work on XP machines and the 7 machine can connect with the DC ... My problem is in the naming. How does the 7 machine see that there is a duplicate name on the network?

By "changed the network around" I assume you mean "put my server on a wireless connection". Not a problem. But I still see two DNS domains: Home and AppliedCommunity.com. Is the server still acting as DNS for the domain? Try adding AppliedCommunity.com to the Advanced TCP/IP settings for the IPv4 protocol on the adapter (under Append these DNS suffixes (in order)) and see if that makes any difference.

Changed the DNS Suffixes - did not work.

James am i correct that 192.168.10.1 is your home router (hardware device not a windows machine)? because this can be your problem. the DNS Server must also contain the SRV records to find the GC, DC, Kpasswd to do a succesful join the domain(and these are not created automaticly). So if on one of your servers is still running a DNS Try to point your dns to that server. Otherwise you can use tools like netdiag.exe en DCDiag.Exe to view what goes wrong. You can find these tools in the microsoft server 2003 resource kit or support tools (i am not sure witch one). Kind Regards DFT IM me - TWiTTer: @DFTER