Windows 7: Frustrations with Active directory

I had some previous problems installing it but now there's still something wrong: now the right program is installed, the control panel changes have been made; I'm on the right domain; but something is wrong & I can't use it for the purpose it was intended, which is to find users & computers on the domain; establish new users & assign new passwords to them. Find action is limited to find domain computers only & no users at all, nor user computers.

what domain account is tied to this computer?

Are you trying to install the AD plugin for Windows 7? If so, you need to download and install the Remote Server Admin Tools from Microsoft here:

Download Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7 with SP1 from Official Microsoft Download Center

But it seems you may have already done that step. Do you have domain admin privileges? Sounds like a permission issue

I believe (I'm not in the network sub-department, but in the customer service) it's called dallas.sil.org

Each time I use the privileges, I must reenter my id/password, but the answer is "YES". Yes, AFAIK, everything, I know of to do has been done. I have installed the module & made all Control Panel Settings that I currently know to do.