Ping server name returns wrong/old ip address

Go into the Command Prompt and do a ipconfig/flushdns and the ipconfig/registerdns

It may just have an old entry in the DNS on that laptop.  First check that the DNS server is set up correctly.
Then Start -> Run   type cmd
In the command prompt type    ipconfig /flushdns

If that doesn't work, look at this article:
http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/0347e3db-f010-4229-a722-5f8fe653f5491033.mspx?mfr=true

Without knowing more about what operating system is on your laptop.. I have run across machines that stuck like that.
This may seem elementary but...
You can try to type the following at the command promt:

"ipconfig /release"   hit enter
then
'ipconfig /renew" hit enter
This will force the network adapter to renew its connection information.

Cheers...

Laptop is running Windows XP Pro. Here are some of the things that I have already tried.
-ipconfig /flushdns
-ipconfig /registerdns
-ipconfig /release
-ipconfig /renew
-took the laptop off the domain and placed it back on

Thanks for all your help, but still not working for me

Disable dhcp and set ip address and dns information manually.  See if that resolves the problem.

No, still pings the wrong server ip address when giving the laptop a static ip address

If there is no entry in the host file, then i would suggest adding an entry for the server you are trying to access.

Thanks netnounours. Thats exactly what it was.