Remote Web Workplace Problem: Computer not in Active Directory but listed in Computer Management: web, remote, workplace, computer, listed

by: sgarson1Posted on 2006-09-15 at 18:25:15ID: 17533654

PS: The machine IS listed in the AD under: domain.local>My Business>Computers>SBS Computers along with the other network machines.

Where it IS NOT listed is under domain.local>Copmputers, which has all but this one machine listed

by: TechSoEasyPosted on 2006-09-16 at 16:49:14ID: 17536671

Well, all of your computers should NOT be in domain.local\Computers, so I would suspect that you have some much deeper issues here.

All computers should have been created with the Add-Computer wizard (either separately or in conjunction with the Add-User wizard). This would have put them in the default OU of domain.local\MyBusiness\Computers\SBSComputers.

Additionally, all users should be in the default OU of domain.local\MyBusiness\Users\SBSUsers.

If this is not the case, then you will continue to have problems using any of the wizards, which really are required to properly manage your server.

I don't understand at all what you mean by "My understanding is that you should not enter anything directory into the AD, but should only use the lower level menus" so perhaps this is part of the problem?

Jeff
TechSoEasy

by: sgarson1Posted on 2006-09-17 at 12:04:25ID: 17539161

Jeff:

What I meant is that my understanding is that you should only use the Wizards, not enter into the AD directly. I just couldn't think of the word when I wrote the question. Everything was created using the wizards.

by: TechSoEasyPosted on 2006-09-17 at 18:05:53ID: 17540374

If everything was created using the wizards, then the computers would have been put in the default OU. So were they moved out of this OU at some point into domain.local\Computers?

Jeff
TechSoEasy

by: sgarson1Posted on 2006-09-17 at 18:26:05ID: 17540425

Jeff:

I have no idea. What should be in domain.local\Computers?

What do you suggest I do?

by: TechSoEasyPosted on 2006-09-17 at 19:03:22ID: 17540520

Nothing should be in that OU.

So if there are computer accounts there, move them back to domain.local\MyBusiness\Computers\SBSComputers.

Then, make sure that all client computers are members of the domain.local\Users\Domain Computers Security Group.

That should ensure that all would be listed in RWW, and you should be able to connect as long as you or a particular user is a member of that computer's local administrators group.

Jeff
TechSoEasy

by: sgarson1Posted on 2006-09-18 at 06:19:21ID: 17543203

I'll try this today. Thanks!

by: sgarson1Posted on 2006-09-19 at 16:51:13ID: 17556718

Jeff:

I made the changes in the AD, but I still cannot access that one computer remotely, even within the same network. The log of the problem computer indicates Event ID 15,

"Automatic certificate enrollment for local system failed to contact the active directory (0x8007054b). The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted. Enrollment will not be performed."

I am guessing that this might be a clue to the problem.

Ideas?

by: TechSoEasyPosted on 2006-09-19 at 17:17:55ID: 17556978

Yeah... i'd suspect that the computer's account may be corrupt... but even if it's something else, it's not really worth the time to troubleshoot when you can fix it in about 10 minutes by following these steps:

At the workstation:
1. Log in with THAT machine's LOCAL administrator account.
2. Unjoin the domain into a WORKGROUP
3. Change the name of the computer (this is not optional... if you don't change the name to a unique, never before used name, it won't work)
4. Delete or rename the following directory C:\Program Files\Microsoft Windows Small Business Server\Clients if it exists
5. Make sure that the network settings are configured to get an IP address automatically (DHCP enabled)
6. Reboot

Then on the server, from the Server Management Console:
1. Remove the client computers if it still shows in the Client Computer screen on the Server Management Console
2. Add the client with it's NEW name using the Add Computer wizard

Then, go back to the client machine and join the domain by opening Internet Explorer and navigating to http://servername/connectcomputer

Jeff
TechSoEasy

by: TechSoEasyPosted on 2006-09-19 at 17:21:27ID: 17557028

Actually, just a second thought... that error COULD be caused by not allowing the workstation to use DHCP to begin with... you can check that first if you like... and if you want to post a complete IPCONFIG /ALL from the worksation here, I'll take a look.

Jeff
TechSoEasy

by: sgarson1Posted on 2006-09-19 at 18:11:00ID: 17557282

Jeff:

I'll post the info in the morning. I really appreciate your time and effort on this. I'm the business owner and IT manager all rolled in one at a three person company:)

Steve

by: TechSoEasyPosted on 2006-09-20 at 14:44:24ID: 17564749

Steve,

I can certainly appreciate YOUR efforts on this as well. So I hope you don't mind me making a recommendation to you in this regard.

I would suggest to you that if your business is not an IT Management company, you should consider getting some professional assistance for your network. I'm not at all suggesting that you aren't qualified to do this, but I would certainly make the case that what you may think you are saving by doing this yourself could be costing you a bunch!

Granted, as small business owners, we sometimes do the things that we "like" to do which may not always be the right business decision... so you'll have to be the judge of that. If you like managing your IT, then you should at least get a sense of what it costs you to do so. Therefore, consider that this year, you've posted about 30 questions to EE... and perhaps elsewhere. If each of those issues took you a total of two hours to resolve (and I'm guessing it's more than that, but we'll be conservative). Then you've already lost at least a week of productivity this year... assuming a 60 hour week.

But to put things into perspective... you may have ONLY spent 60 hours dealing with your IT, where as a qualified IT professional would spend about 2,000 hours a year dealing with IT. A good IT professional will also keep up with current problems that are occuring on all of the networks they manage... so that what may take you a couple hours to troubleshoot, would take them 10 minutes to fix because they've already done it 5 times that month. Additionally, a GOOD IT Professional will help you to analyze your business workflow and offer suggestions on how to either cut costs or improve profits by implementing usable technology solutions.

IT should never cause a negative effect on your bottom line. IT expenditures should always be viewed as an investment in a tool that will improve your bottom line... and if it doesn't then unplug everything and go buy a bunch of 3x5 index cards, a file cabinet and a box of pens... because those are a lot cheaper and rarely crash.

Hope you don't mind my 2cents.

Jeff
TechSoEasy

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Remote Web Workplace Problem: Computer not in Active Directory but listed in Computer Management

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