Confirming Domain and Workgroup Membership

After you add the Windows XP Professional based computer to the domain or workgroup, you should verify that the move is successful. To do so, restart the computer. After you press CTRL+ALT+DEL, the Log On to Windows dialog box appears. Use the arrow to the right of the Log on to text box to review the Log on to list. If you have joined a domain, the list will include the logon domain and any of its trusted domains. Reviewing the list is the first step toward confirming that you have successfully added the computer account to the logon domain.

Testing a Workgroup User Account

To test workgroup membership, log on to the local computer by using a valid user name and password. Typically, you can access all local computer resources and view other workgroup computers in My Network Places. A failure to access other workgroup computers might indicate problems with addressing or name resolution or a failure to connect to an intervening computer.

Testing a Domain User Account

You can test the validity of a user account by logging on to the trusted or logon domain. If you can log on by using the logon credentials at the domain controller, you ve been granted access to a user account at the selected domain. If a message indicates that you ve connected by using credentials stored in the cache, that means that the domain controller could not be contacted during the account authentication process. It is important to verify that the physical connection (network adapter and cables) and logical connection (transport protocol configuration) permit access to the domain controller.

You can use Nltest.exe, a command-line tool included with Windows Support Tools on the Windows XP Professional operating system CD, to test the logical connection between a Windows XP Professional based computer and a domain controller. By using Nltest.exe, you can determine if a domain controller can authenticate a user account. Nltest.exe also establishes which domain controller performs the authentication and provides a list of trusted domains. For more information about Nltest.exe, click Tools in Windows XP Professional Help and Support Center, and then click Windows Support Tools.