windows 7 prof in windows server 2003 domain

Would be helpful to know exactly what error message you received.... There is no problem running Windows 7 systems on a 2003 domain... unless your domain has problems - corruption, improper configuration, etc.

If there was a DNS error, post your DNS settings from the Win7 system AND the DCs.

Start Menu (.i.e. Windows logo flag)->Right click on Computer, select Properties. Under "Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings" click Change Settings. A new windows appears. On the Computername tab, click change. Now enter you domain name and proper authenication and you should be joined to the domain.

As leew said, there is no problem running W7 on a 2003 domain ... did you enable Network Discovery?  Open Network and Sharing Center, Advanced Sharing, Turn on network discovery.

i got the error  " network path was not found "

I concure, windows 7 pro works well on a 2003 domain. I just added 30 win 7 computers on board..

Is each of these boxes a DHCP client? If so, where are they getting DHCP from (router or server)?

An IPconfig /all from one of these clients would help a great deal.

Post your DNS settings from the servers AND the workstation.

Hello,

Check the TCP/IP settings & 

From windows 7, click start, type local and open the Local Security Policy
Manager.

Select Local Policies -> Security Options, in the right find Network
Security: LAN Manager Authentication Leven, and set to Send LM & NTLM - use
NTLMv2 session security if negotiated.

Regards,
Tushar Kaskhedikar

hi ChiefIT:

 i dont know where they get DHCP  ? How can i find out ?

IPconfig /all shows you if they are accepting DNS. If your router is providing DHCP, it will also try to provide DNS. So, your "preferred DNS servers" found in an IPconfig /all will tell you if you are going outside your network for a domain DNS name server and trying to find your domain controller... I am certain we will see the issue if you post an IPconfig /all on the client machine.

hi ChiefIT:

IPCONFIG/ALL  output

Windows IP Configuration

   Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : WS28
   Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :
   Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
   IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) 82578DC Gigabit Network Connection
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 10-78-D2-A3-AA-9F
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.86(Preferred)
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
   DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 203.145.184.32
                                       203.145.184.13
   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Tunnel adapter isatap.{328818E2-B007-4C32-966E-435A13CE0C6F}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
   IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:4137:9e76:c66:2c65:3f57:fda9(Preferred)
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::c66:2c65:3f57:fda9%13(Preferred)
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : ::
   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

It looks like this IP information was from the workstation. If so it looks like it's pointing to your ISP's DNS. The DNS server address should be to an internal DNS server. Most likely this will be one of your domain controllers.

By pointing at the wrong DNS server the workstation isn't as likely to properly resolve the information necessary to add itself to the domain when requested to do so. It also seems you are not using DHCP. It's recommended you use DHCP to avoid IP address conflicts and avoid have to manually configure the these settings.

It appears DHCP is being provided by the router. The significance of that is your router will also try to provide DNS. The significance of that is, your router as a DNS server, will not hold very important DNS records, called SERVICE (SRV) records on the router. So, your client will go to an OUTSIDE DNS server to communicate with your Domain server for authentication and logons. This doesn't work.

I have seen this plenty of times before. Your Microsoft Domain servers should be supplying DNS, and DHCP. Then, the router should be disabled from providing DHCP. As you can see in your IP config, your preferred DNS servers are outside your network. This prevents you from finding your internal DNS servers that point the way to your domain controllers.

   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.86(Preferred) <<<192.168.2.1 is probably your router's IP
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1<<Yes it is.
   DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 203.145.184.32<<Outside DNS server
                                       203.145.184.13<<< Outside DNS server
   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

With your clients pointing outside your domain for DNS resolution, how can you find your Domain server??

The workstation is NOT using DHCP hence my recommending moving to using DHCP.

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) 82578DC Gigabit Network Connection
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 10-78-D2-A3-AA-9F
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.86(Preferred)
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
   DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 203.145.184.32
                                       203.145.184.13
   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

If it was using DHCP, DHCP enabled would be yes and a DHCP server address would be listed too.

Good point, but the DNS servers are pointed outside the network. This will not allow him to see the domain controller for logons. That's the bottom line. So, he has to change the preferred and alternate domain servers, then join the domain.

hi ChiefIT :

Thank You.  Can you give me solution for this issue How to change the prefered and alternate domain server to join the domain ....