Windows XP Professional, Windows Server 2003

I have to record this just so it is out there somewhere.  If you’re having trouble with getting your new computer to log on to your domain in Windows Server 2k3, it could be your wireless software.

I have a brand new Dell Precision m4300 Laptop decked out and I was ecstatic to get started with the new imaging software we’re using in the lab, but after successfully adding the computer to our domain (wirelessly) I was unable to log in as any user on the domain.  The message I received said:

“The system cannot log you on now because the domain is not available.“

This was frustrating because I couldn’t tell if it was because I wasn’t making a connection to the wireless network before the log-on attempt, or if adding the computer to the domain didn’t take.

To find out, I tried to log in with a physical connection…. SUCCESS!  What I didn’t count on was cached credentials on that system now which fooled me in to thinking that I was now having successful log on.  When I realized that I wasn’t making the connection (when I couldn’t access any network resources), I knew I had a bigger problem.  I tried to add a user manually through Control Panel > User Manager.  When I tried to that, I got the following message:

“The user could not be added because the following error has occured: The Trust relationship between this workstation and the primary domain failed.“

So, now I know two things – that the computer can be added to the domain wirelessly, but I can only have a successful log on when wired.  I know that I can log on with a physical connection, so it’s not my network settings.  My only idea now is that there is an issue with trusting my wireless adapter?  What’s different between the setting on this computer and the three other wireless laptops in the lab?  All the settings are the same, all are getting DHCP from the same place, all are connecting fine… but my new computer is connecting with the included Intel PROset/Wireless software instead of Windows Wireless Networking.  I switched to Windows Wireless, and I logged back on.

Intel PROset/Wireless may interfere with the trust relationship between a Windows XP Pro and Windows Server 2003.