Oh, wow, that's not very encouraging, but it makes perfect sense now
that you explain it. I don't know why, but I had been assuming that the
server had been setup correctly. This opens a whole new can of worms. I was
really hoping for something that was going to be a simple fix. Well, as much
as I don't like the answer, I still thank you for explaining it to me.
Many thanks!

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kerry Brown" <kerry@kdbNOSPAMsys-tems.c*a*m>[color=blue]
> For active directory to work properly a domain controller has to be
> running an active directory integrated DNS server and all clients joined
> to the domain have to use this and only this DNS server. This is a
> simplified version and as always there are exceptions but if you go by
> that rule active directory (and Vista) will be happy. There are many other
> things that will help like an active directory DHCP server, WINS server,
> etc. DNS is the key factor though.
>
> It sounds like DNS is misconfigured on their domain. I'd recommend they or
> you get someone in who knows how to set up active directory. It sounds
> like the missing consultant didn't do it right. XP can sort of work with
> NETBIOS when AD DNS is misconfigured. Vista is much pickier. If they get
> DNS working properly they will see a speed up when accessing domain
> resources from XP and Vista will work.
>
> --
> Kerry Brown
> MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
> [url]http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/[/url]
>
>
>
> "Mat Brown" <matbrown@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:IPGZj.35$2C.20@trndny08...[color=green]
>> I guess first some background. I got a call from a client to come get
>> a Vista laptop working on their domain. I haven't worked very much with
>> domains (I have a lot of experience with workgroups, just not so much
>> with domains) and even less experience with Vista. Still, it sounded like
>> no problem. They have the domain running on a 2003 Server, and as much as
>> I would like to sit down with the guy who set it up and find out how he
>> had it configured, he's nowhere to be found, hence why they called me.
>> The stage is set.
>>
>> First thing I discover is that the laptop is running Home Premium, so
>> I have to upgrade it to Vista Ultimate. Once that's done I start by
>> copying network settings off of one of the XP boxes. (All the other
>> computers in the office except the server and the laptop I am working on
>> are running XP Pro.) Well, Vista gives me the Domain Controller Not Found
>> error, and I double check, and it has the same DNS address as the XP
>> boxes that can find it, but it still can't find it. So I feed it the IP
>> address of the Domain Controller for DNS and after that it can find it
>> just fine. I create a new user on the Domain Controller in the same group
>> as the other people in that office, and log the laptop onto the domain.
>> So far so good. The domain controller also doubles as their file server,
>> and I can get into the main folder that's shared out, but not all of the
>> folders inside that one. I can get in to some, but not others, access is
>> denied. I can't figure out any pattern to it, but it doesn't seem to be
>> just random, it's consistent every time, it doesn't change with reboots,
>> the ones I can get into I can always get into, the ones I cannot, I
>> cannot ever get into. Get this, however, if I open the share by IP
>> address rather than by server name, I can get into all of the subfolders
>> just fine. So I map the drives they want mapped by IP rather than by
>> name, and that seems to work just fine. Next I go to setup the printer
>> shared off of another user's computer in the same room. The computer the
>> printer is on shows up in the network browser, but when I try to access
>> it I get a login dialog. I try the domain login for the laptop, I try the
>> local login for the computer the printer is connected to, and neither of
>> them will let me in. The thing is, I shouldn't need to log into that
>> computer at all, since the printer is shared with all the other users in
>> the domain. I've double and triple checked the user account on the
>> server, and it appears to have the exact same settings as the users who
>> can access everything properly. I can keep on like I have been, and find
>> a workaround to make the printer work, but I'm really thinking what I've
>> been doing is finding workarounds for the symptoms, there is some larger
>> problem here, and unless I identify it and fix it I will keep having to
>> fight the symptoms. I am just at a loss for how to fix the larger
>> problem, or even what it really is. I'm hoping someone here who has had
>> experience making Vista work in a domain will recognize what I've got
>> going on and can give me some help, because I need some help.
>>
>> Thanks in advance![/color][/color]