Windows 7 - Connecting Windows 7 to Windows Server 2003 Domain.

**Pcmanrules** · 05-19-2009

Hi there,

I am testing some of our computers on our school system and got to the stage of joining it to our domain. They joined fine but the domain had never been connected to vista or windows 7 so it tried to upgrade itself. This crashed the server because it only had permission to change the sub domain. Is there any way to join without this effect happening or could someone at least tell me in more detail what happened?

**johngalt** · 05-19-2009

Which server version(s) are you running over there? Server 2003 or Server 2003 R2?

I work in IT at my uni, and we have an eclectic mix - but I have joined countless machines here that are running Vista to the AD (previously it was Server 2003, but we recently (2 months ago?) upgraded our DCs to 2003 R2 - and have never had this happen before....

however, I could talk to our network admin tomorrow to see if he had already previously performed some sort of patch to allow for Vista based machines to join the domain....

**Pcmanrules** · 05-20-2009

Thanks for the reply,

I am unsure if the server is R2 or not but all our infostructure at this campus is 2006+. I am trying to connect a Windows 7 RC and the server has never seen vista.

I'm not 100% on what happened at the server end except that it crashed while updating without permission the main domain controller. I would really like to know what to do in this situation.

**sexytool** · 05-20-2009

Disabling the automatic update, would be a good start

**Pcmanrules** · 05-20-2009

i doubt that the server has automatic updating and the automatic updating on windows 7 is not working through the proxy at the moment, so i don't think that is the problem.

**sexytool** · 05-20-2009

Remember when XP was first released?
M$ wanted us to create networking floppy discs for use on our win98 and 2k machines, JUST so XP would function on the same network.

What PCMan is encountering sounds like a similar "feature".
The domain controller has probably detected Windows 7 and is trying to copy over + install compatable networking protocols like the Link-Layer Topology Discovery protocols.

**Pcmanrules** · 05-20-2009

Thanks for the help, unfortunately i don't think we'll be able to reattempt it.

**waz** · 10-28-2009

hi

open "system information" from "Accessories" on the server and check the OS name and "other OS description" to see if it's 2003 R2 or not.

Johngalt was correct i think because if you have 2003 you'll need to upgrade the AD schema on your DC for it to be able join vista or windows7 to your domain.

**waz** · 10-28-2009

lol...didn't notice this is an old post

**armen** · 12-08-2011

I joined to my domain (win server 2003) with win 7 pro 64 bit PC successfully, and connected to all network resources (internet, shared folders on server, map drives, shared printers on network...) but after 4 or 5 days ... I can log in to my pc with network and domain user name and password, but no connection to the network, I lost everything.... can anybody help me with that.
thanks in advance.

Windows 7 - Connecting Windows 7 to Windows Server 2003 Domain.

Connecting Windows 7 to Windows Server 2003 Domain. problems?