When starting up Windows 2000 (and you defined that users must identify themselves), you will first need to press the keys “Ctrl” , “Alt” and “Del” at the same time to get the system to start the logon process.
By default, just the boxes for the Username and password are displayed (and the system shows the name of the user having last used the system). More information is displayed when using “Options > >”
When configured for Workgroup networking, it will just display in addition the checkbox for “log-on using dial-up connection” and the possibility to “Shutdown” the system without first making a logon.
The Logon changes after the Windows 2000 system has “Joined a Domain“:
The simple version of the “logon” screen is the same as in the workgroup networking
The expanded version shows an additional combo-box, from which you can select either the name of the domain or the name of the local computer.
This allows you to select, whether you like to logon using the user-database of the domain-server or the user-database of your local system (as used before joining the domain).
There are several reasons why you still need to logon using your local user-database, the most important: The Administrator permission to be able to modify the setup / configuration of the Windows 2000 system. When you logon to the Domain, your username will NOT have any administrative permission for the domain (unless you are yourself the Domain administrator, but even then it is suggested that you connect to the server without administrative rights to avoid accidental deletion of vital server data). The domain security system is now also valid for the local Windows 2000 system, not allowing to make changes to the setup / configuration. If you need to make a change to the setup / configuration, you make a logon to the Local user-database, allowing to make the logon as a user with administrative permissions.
Once you have made the logon to a domain server and you check your “Network Neighborhood” called “My Network Places“:
then compared to workgroup- networking, an icon is missing:
So, I am checking the “Entire Network“:
Nothing is displayed, so let’s follow the advice: “You may also view the entire contents of the network”
where I find: Microsoft Windows Networks
and as part of the Microsoft Network my domain name
and as part of the domain it shows my Domain server
with the shared resources. I have no idea, why it requires such a long detour to finally get to the shared resources of the server (compared to the direct access of workgroup networking).
To get a quick access to a shared resource on the server, it seems to be best to map a network drive or to declare the server as a “Network Place”:
The “Browse”-button allows to select a shared resource on the server
That is translated to the UNC-name of the network resource, in the above example: \\P120svr\DATA
Finished.
The shared resource of the server is now available for direct access in “My Network Places“
Why this detour to be able to locate a server resource? Just to check this, I reconfigured the Windows2000 system (in the properties of “My Computer”) to work again as a “Workgroup”, defining as workgroup-name the name of the domain:
In workgroup-networking, I have in “My Network Places” access to “Computers Near Me” and have quick access to the server. Why the above detour for members of the domain?
If somebody knows a method to be a member of a domain and have “Computers Near Me” displayed, please tell me !
