Windows 98 can't remember domain settings

Hi all,

This is my 1st post - so please excuse the newbie-ness of this!

I'm pretty new to networking and I've been given the task to migrate users
from a NT4 server ( domain: "foo" ) to a brand spanking new Windows 2003
server ( domain: "bar" ).

The client PCs are old Celeron 433 Fujitsu PCs running Windows 98SE.

The user migration went OK, however - the client Win98 PCs will not
"remember" the domain that they are supposed to log into. It always reverts
back to the "foo" domain. I can type in "bar" in the login box and it will
login OK, but when I re-boot, it always reverts back to "foo" even though
it's been setup in the network settings. There is nothing in the login
scripts to tell it to revert back to the old "foo" domain - only commands to
map network drives to the new Windows 2003 server.

I did a clean install of Win98 on a test PC, switched the old "foo" server
off and it still does the same - it always reverts back to the "foo" domain
even though I specified "bar" in the Microsoft Client Network properties to
log into the "bar" domain. There are only the Windows 98 clients and the
Windows 2003 server on the network.

Anyone got any clues? This job is for a school network and there are no
further funds to purchase/upgrade software. I'm able to login using WinXP
Pro on a laptop no problem but it's just the Win98SE client PCs that can't
remember the domain to log into. One way around it would be to manually type
in the "bar" domain everytime to login however, teachers and kids use this
network and would a pain to do type the domain in every time.

I've tried installing the Active Directory client and messing with the
lmhosts file in Windows 98 system directory to try to "fool" Win98 into
logging into the new domain, but none of this worked.

I've been told that you can't rename a domain once you've set it up, they
had to be different names in order for the migration to happen. Unless
someone knows a way around this???

TIA,

Binky

Okay, let's start with the basics and work our way up.

First, not to overlook the obvious, right-click the Network Neighborhood
icon on the control panel, select Properties, then highlight the "Client for
Microsoft Networks" entry and select Properties. We do have the right
domain name in this box, right?

Second, you didn't actually import the "foo" NT domain into the new Active
Directory "bar" domain as a forest or a tree, did you? If you did, what you
are seeing is likely normal. Windows 98's Client for Microsoft Networks
won't see the "foo" AD, instead it will see the "bar" tree/forest within the
"foo" AD domain.

Finally, how are the network properties (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, WINS, etc)
working out with the new server? Are you getting the right settings, or are
your Win98 clients still picking up the old ones? Or are the "old" ones
also the "new" ones?

--
Richard G. Harper ((E-Mail Removed)) MVP Win9x
* Please post all messages and replies in the newsgroup so that
* all may benefit. Private mail is usually not replied to.
* Help US Help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"Binky" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi all,
>
> This is my 1st post - so please excuse the newbie-ness of this!
>
> I'm pretty new to networking and I've been given the task to migrate users
> from a NT4 server ( domain: "foo" ) to a brand spanking new Windows 2003
> server ( domain: "bar" ).
>
> The client PCs are old Celeron 433 Fujitsu PCs running Windows 98SE.
>
> The user migration went OK, however - the client Win98 PCs will not
> "remember" the domain that they are supposed to log into. It always
reverts
> back to the "foo" domain. I can type in "bar" in the login box and it will
> login OK, but when I re-boot, it always reverts back to "foo" even though
> it's been setup in the network settings. There is nothing in the login
> scripts to tell it to revert back to the old "foo" domain - only commands
to
> map network drives to the new Windows 2003 server.
>
> I did a clean install of Win98 on a test PC, switched the old "foo" server
> off and it still does the same - it always reverts back to the "foo"
domain
> even though I specified "bar" in the Microsoft Client Network properties
to
> log into the "bar" domain. There are only the Windows 98 clients and the
> Windows 2003 server on the network.
>
> Anyone got any clues? This job is for a school network and there are no
> further funds to purchase/upgrade software. I'm able to login using WinXP
> Pro on a laptop no problem but it's just the Win98SE client PCs that can't
> remember the domain to log into. One way around it would be to manually
type
> in the "bar" domain everytime to login however, teachers and kids use this
> network and would a pain to do type the domain in every time.
>
> I've tried installing the Active Directory client and messing with the
> lmhosts file in Windows 98 system directory to try to "fool" Win98 into
> logging into the new domain, but none of this worked.
>
> I've been told that you can't rename a domain once you've set it up, they
> had to be different names in order for the migration to happen. Unless
> someone knows a way around this???
>
> TIA,
>
> Binky
>
>