Cannot see DC

Machine ws1 was part of domain SLA. It rebooted during the
day and after that reboot ceased to see the server, called
SLA2 again. It can still get to the internet, browse to
other servers, ping the SLA2 by IP address, but cannot
resolve via DNS (which is on SLA2 as well).

I hard coded SLA2's address in the hosts file and it can
now ping via hostname but cannot join domain again. I
removed it from the domain to try and solve the problem,
but that did not work.

In DNS settings, ws1 has SLA2's address as its first DNS
server, so I cannot understand why it cannot join the
domain SLA anymore. I have rebooted both ws1 and SLA2 many
times.

This happened to me once before and I had to setup WINS
for the machine to join the domain. Is there something
that can be done other than setting up WINS and does this
have a logical explination? Thank you in advance.

Sincerely,

Enrique

Did you install SP4 on the domain controller recently? is your domain a single label domain?
Check the following KB article about single label domain names changes.
Information about configuring Windows for domains with single-label DNS WGID:491
ID: 300684
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=300684

Try the following if not a 'single label domain'
1- Install the Support Tools on the Windows 2000 DC (SLA2) and run 'Netdiag /test:dns' from a command prompt
2- If the DNS test fails, then the Win 2k DC server has not registered its SRV records properly in DNS.
a- Check the DNS server that is authoritative for your domain and make sure that DNS zone is setup to accept dynamic updates
b- Stop and restart the Netlogon service and run the DNS test again.
c- try to join the domain if DNS test is ok

If DNS test is OK but the client still can't join the domain then:
3- Disable any Firewall software that may be running on the client (Check the BIOS settings for firewall protection too)
4- Reboot the client PC in clean mode and try to join again. See the following KB for clean boot info:
How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP WGID:425
ID: 310560
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310560

HOW TO: Perform Advanced Clean-Boot Troubleshooting in Windows XP WGID:425
ID: 316434
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=316434

--------------------
>From: "Enrique" <(E-Mail Removed)>
>Sender: "Enrique" <(E-Mail Removed)>
>Subject: Cannot see DC
>Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 12:48:32 -0700
>
>Machine ws1 was part of domain SLA. It rebooted during the
>day and after that reboot ceased to see the server, called
>SLA2 again. It can still get to the internet, browse to
>other servers, ping the SLA2 by IP address, but cannot
>resolve via DNS (which is on SLA2 as well).
>
>I hard coded SLA2's address in the hosts file and it can
>now ping via hostname but cannot join domain again. I
>removed it from the domain to try and solve the problem,
>but that did not work.
>
>In DNS settings, ws1 has SLA2's address as its first DNS
>server, so I cannot understand why it cannot join the
>domain SLA anymore. I have rebooted both ws1 and SLA2 many
>times.
>
>This happened to me once before and I had to setup WINS
>for the machine to join the domain. Is there something
>that can be done other than setting up WINS and does this
>have a logical explination? Thank you in advance.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Enrique
>

--
Sergio Moreno
Microsoft Windows Networking

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