Help on easy way to use laptop on domain

I have a laptop running Win98 that is used by salespeople for sales
presentations (slide shows). I recently made the change from Netware
to Server 2003. I would like to be able to change sales presentations
via the LAN but see no reason for the laptop to join the domain. I'm
a small business and don't use roaming profiles so joining the domain
would require 4 user profiles on the laptop (I have 4 employees who
would need the ability to login to the LAN with the laptop). This
seems totally unnecessary and drive space on the laptop is limited.
Are there any options to sharing files over the LAN without joining
the domain?

Sure, use domain username to logon win98 (without joining the domain). This
search result may help.

workgroup networking faqsHow can I share files between workgroup computer
and domain/workgroup computer There are currently no logon servers available
to service the logon request ...
www.chicagotech.net/workgroupnet.htm


--
Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
http://www.HowToNetworking.com


<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
>I have a laptop running Win98 that is used by salespeople for sales
> presentations (slide shows). I recently made the change from Netware
> to Server 2003. I would like to be able to change sales presentations
> via the LAN but see no reason for the laptop to join the domain. I'm
> a small business and don't use roaming profiles so joining the domain
> would require 4 user profiles on the laptop (I have 4 employees who
> would need the ability to login to the LAN with the laptop). This
> seems totally unnecessary and drive space on the laptop is limited.
> Are there any options to sharing files over the LAN without joining
> the domain?
>

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
>I have a laptop running Win98 that is used by salespeople for sales
> presentations (slide shows). I recently made the change from Netware
> to Server 2003. I would like to be able to change sales presentations
> via the LAN but see no reason for the laptop to join the domain.

Win95/98/ME is not capable of joining a domain. They can log into the
Domain but they can't join it,...the two ideas aren't the same thing.

> I'm
> a small business and don't use roaming profiles so joining the domain
> would require 4 user profiles on the laptop

Win95/98/ME uses a shared profile for all users. You will not have 4
profiles because it doesn't have profiles like that by default. There is a
bunch of monkeying around you can do with Win9x so that is does keep
separate profiles but it is not as clean as NT4, Win2k, XP, etc,...and it
sounds like that isn't what you want anyway.

> would need the ability to login to the LAN with the laptop). This
> seems totally unnecessary and drive space on the laptop is limited.
> Are there any options to sharing files over the LAN without joining
> the domain?

Delete any *.pwl file that you find on the Win9x machine.

Change the Workgroup name to match the Netbios version of the Domain Name.

In the Properties of the Client for Microsoft Networks check the box that
says "Log onto domain". Then indicate the name of the domain,...use the
single-word Netbios version of the name.

Your login prompt will now have three lines. Enter the Netbios version of
the domain name on the third line and log in with domain credentials. If it
asks for a "Windows Password" immediately after that,...make it
blank,...this is not the Domain password it is asking for,...giving it a
blank one creates a fresh *.pwl file with a blank password and effectly
tells Win9x to "leave me alone and don't bug me".

--
Phillip Windell
www.wandtv.com

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> I have a laptop running Win98 that is used by salespeople for sales
> presentations (slide shows). I recently made the change from Netware
> to Server 2003. I would like to be able to change sales presentations
> via the LAN but see no reason for the laptop to join the domain.

Good decision, because you can't join Win9x to a domain anyway :-)

> I'm
> a small business and don't use roaming profiles

Not relevant....

> so joining the domain
> would require 4 user profiles on the laptop (I have 4 employees who
> would need the ability to login to the LAN with the laptop). This
> seems totally unnecessary and drive space on the laptop is limited.
> Are there any options to sharing files over the LAN without joining
> the domain?

Yes, and you've been given some recommendations. However, my unsolicited
advice is get a current-generation laptop running WinXP Pro (or Vista, if
you're feeling very brave). Join it to the domain. If you want a single user
account to access it so your individual users don't have to, create a domain
account called Laptop. Then they can just copy whatever they want across the
network.

Besides being long out of support, Win9x/ME are really not suitable
operating systems for a corporate network, even a small one!

Thanks to all. I'll spend more time on this first chance I get. Will
I need to go into AD and add the laptop to the computers list?

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> Thanks to all. I'll spend more time on this first chance I get. Will
> I need to go into AD and add the laptop to the computers list?

No, not if you're using Win9x. Remember, Win9x cannot join a domain, can't
participate in a domain's security. AD will never know anything about it.

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> Thanks to all. I'll spend more time on this first chance I get. Will
> I need to go into AD and add the laptop to the computers list?

You could, but it doesn't do anything.

--
Phillip Windell
www.wandtv.com

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------