ok,

very wierd problem that i am having. fresh install of server 2003 standard (vm session) just installed AD and made the machine a DC, also have DNS installed but that is it. everything is set to defaults, AD is set for 2000 and higher. have added the domain users added to the Printer Operators so they can log onto the DC. Now the users logon is something.else ie (john.brown) use pre-2000 is jbrown. trying to logon with the proper logon name does not work. but using the pre-2000 jbrown will let him logon fine. not sure if i have set something up wrong in AD or what not but want to find out what is up.

thanks in advance

john.brown@domain.local is the correct syntax when logging on using the... I forgot what its called when you use the username in that syntax now. The whole point of using this syntax is so that when you have a multiple domain environment the users always attempt login to the correct domain. Therefore the domain must be specified in the UNC (the username) If your domain is called microsoft.com then you must logon as user@microsoft.com and not just user unless the pre-2000 username is "user"

ixion,

thanks for the info. do you know is this a feature for 2003? or jsut because it is a DC? just trying to understand why it requires the full logon name when the domain it is trying to logon to is listed below in the domains box. ah well just glad it works now.

thanks again

Well I run one network with two DC's on it currently...both have the same user info, but aren't aware of each other (One is the new server, the other is the old...haven't swapped them out yet).

In my current config, all I have to do is select the correct domain from the list and then login using just the user name...nothing more. Our naming scheme is conventional...first initial followed by last name. I don't include the @domain.lan afterwards, and all is well.

So, sounds like you are still having a problem elsewhere. Either that, or I've found a way to setup a domain improperly and yet I can still use it

Check your DNS situation...that might be getting in the way. Are the clients looking to the DC for DNS?

Correct they are looking at the DC for DNS, this is not really a domain as much as a test machine where everything resides on the DC and i am loginning into the DC with the accounts. i will look at DNS again and see if there is something of there. but this is a fresh build, (3 days old) i built another DC yesterday and it does the same thing, only AD and DNS running on it currently. So i am pretty sure i haven't mucked something up yet. thanks for the advice though!