Question

Logon failure: the target account name is incorrect

Asked by: nprignano

I am getting this error when trying to browse to a Windows share on a Windows 2003 server from a Windows XP (both are in the same domain).

I have tried removing the XP device from the domain and readding it with a different name, but the same thing continue to happen.  Also, I CAN get to the share using IP address instead of the NetBIOS name or the server.

This is only happening from the one XP device on the domain.  Please help.

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Asked On
2009-04-22 at 11:01:49ID24346234
Topics

Windows 2003 Server

,

Windows Networking

Participating Experts
1
Points
500
Comments
4

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Answers

 

by: b_haynesPosted on 2009-04-22 at 11:24:41ID: 24207937

 

by: nprignanoPosted on 2009-04-22 at 11:27:08ID: 24207957

What about the WINS settings?  WINS is not enabled in this domain.

 

by: b_haynesPosted on 2009-04-22 at 14:10:44ID: 24209684

Here is a bit I found ( http://www.searchmarked.com/windows/how-to-deal-with-login-failure-the-target-account-name-is-incorrect-on-a-windows-file-share.php ) that may help:


This problem had me going for a bit today. As it turns out the answer was simple. Let me set up the scenario for you.
At work we are in the middle of an Active Directory child domain migration (we are migrating our users and computers into a child domain). As part of this domain migration, we are also moving from separate departmental file servers onto a single file server for the building. I had a logon script in place that would disconnect old mapped printers from a client and reconnect new mapped printers so that we could decommission one of the old file servers (a dying behemoth HP that looks like a mini-fridge).
The script worked beautifully except for on two legacy Windows 2000 Professional workstations (the rest are Windows XP). The old printers were not removed and the new printers were not mapped on these machines. So, I proceed to try and run the script manually by going to:
\\script-server\script-share
I get the following message:
Login Failure: the target account name is incorrect
Huh!?! OK, so this sounds like a DNS or WINS problem. I proceed to check both using nslookup and nbtstat. Everything looks normal. I can query the server and get the appropriate IP address. I even flushed both the DNS and NetBIOS cache. Still the same message. Google time.
After searching for Login Failure: the target account name is incorrect I came upon a forum entry at experts-exchange that got me thinking in the right direction.
One of the accepted answers said to remove the problem server from the domain and rejoin it. What that does is essentially reset the computer account for that server. So, I got to thinking (dangerous, I know). The server that I was using for the logon script had recently been migrated to the child domain&
What if the old computer account still existed in the parent domain? A quick query in Active Directory confirmed this to be true. AHA! I deleted the account from the parent domain and all was well after that. The two Windows 2000 Professional workstations were able to access the Script server share.
The only thing that I am still fuzzy on is why the Windows 2000 Professional workstations had a problem and the Windows XP Professional workstations didnt. Any ideas? Leave them in the comments.
This was a very specific case in which the error was experienced. However, the cause may enlighten those administrators in a similar situation. Perhaps the server computer account is screwed up. In this case, maybe resetting it in Active Directory or removing and re-joining the server to the domain will help. I hope you find this helpful. I was glad that it was a relatively simple solution.
Happy File Serving!

 

by: nprignanoPosted on 2009-04-22 at 14:17:06ID: 24209764

Awesome.  Not at all the answer I wanted, but and answer none-the-less.  Thank you very much for pointing me in this direction.  Looks like I'm putting in a call to Microsoft after all :(

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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