Windows XP Pro: The Missing Manual

If you work in a corporation, the computer supplied to you generally has Windows XP already installed and joined to the domain, ready to go.

But if you ever have occasion to add a PC to a domain yourself, here's how you go about it. (You can make your PC join a domain either during the installation of Windows XP Pro, or any time afterward.)

1. Log on using the local Administrator account.

   See Section 17.4.1 for details.

2. Choose Start Control Panel System. In the resulting dialog box, click the Computer Name tab (see Figure 19-1).

   Figure 19-1. The Computer Name tab of the System control panel displays the name of your computer and the workgroup or domain of which it is currently a member. From here, you can change the computer or workgroup name or join a new domain. The Network ID button launches a Network Identification Wizard, while the Change button displays a dialog box in which a more experienced person can perform the same tasks .

   You should now be able to see the names of your computer and any workgroup or domain it belongs to.

3. Click the Network ID button.

   The Network Identification Wizard appears.

4. Click Next to bypass the Welcome screen.

   The Connecting To The Network screen appears.

5. Click "This computer is part of a business network," and then click Next.

   Now the wizard wants to know: "What kind of network do you use?"

6. Click "My company uses a network with a domain" and click Next.

   A Network Information screen appears. It lets you know that, before you can join a domain, you need both a domain user account and a computer account. Your network administrator should create and give these to you in advance.

7. Click Next. On the User Account and Domain Information page, enter the user account name and password supplied by your administrator, plus the name of the domain in which your account has been created.

   Remember this domain name; you'll need it again later to log on.

8. Click Next again.

   A Computer Domain screen may appear next, requiring you to specify the name of your computer and the domain the computer object is in. If you see this page, it means that your computer isn't listed in the Active Directory domain you specified on the previous wizard screen. Flag down your network administrator and point out the problem. Then click Next to proceed.

   In any case, you should now arrive at the User Account page, where you can create a local account for your computer. Of course, if you're going to be logging onto a domain, you don't really need a local account on your PC.

9. Click "Do not add a user at this time." Click Next, and finally click Finish to complete the wizard.

   Restart the computer for your changes to take effect.