Identification Options

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Use the Identification tab in the Network Properties sheet to view your computer name and your workgroup or domain name. Click on the Change button to change your computer name—maximum length for a computer name is 15 characters—or to join a workgroup or domain—maximum length for a workgroup or domain name is 15 characters (see Figure 4.5).

The Windows NT security system requires that all Windows NT computers in a domain have accounts. Only domain administrators and other users that have been granted the user right of Add workstations to domain by a domain administrator can create computer accounts in a Windows NT domain.




If you are a domain administrator, you can give any user or group the user right of Add workstations to domain. Open User Manager for Domains. In the Policies menu, choose User Rights. Make sure that you check the Show Advanced User Rights box.

The following two methods enable you to change your domain name:

• If a domain administrator has already created a computer account for your computer, type the domain name into the Domain box and click on OK.
• Alternatively, you can create your computer account in the domain, as previously shown in Figure 4.5. To create your own computer accounts, the user name specified must be a domain administrator or have been granted the user right of Add workstations to domain by a domain administrator.

Regardless of which method you use to join a domain, you should see a status message welcoming you to your new domain. You then must restart your computer to complete the process of joining the new domain.




To join a domain, you must have network connectivity to the primary domain controller (PDC) in the domain that you wish to join. Also, make sure that you do not have a network session open with that PDC. If you must have open network sessions with that PDC, close all open files. Then join that domain, restart your computer, and reopen the files.