[K12OSN] Can't Join NT Machine to Samba Domain

[Mark Cockrell]

Hello all,
    I addressed this issue earlier to no avail, so I thought I'd try 
again.  I've got several Windows NT 4 machines that have to be added to 
our new Samba/LDAP domain.  Upgrading isn't an option and not having 
domain security on these machines isn't an option.  I've been able to 
add XP and 2K machines to the domain with no trouble at all, and on 
seemingly random occasions I can get the odd NT4 machine to join.  On 
the XP and 2K machines it was not necessary to create a machine name at 
the PDC manually, the workstation takes care of all that during the 
process of joining the domain.  When I attempt join an NT machine to the 
domain and tell it to add a machine account I get the error message "The 
machine account for this computer either does not exist or is 
inaccessible."  If I add the machine account manually at the PDC and try 
to join the domain without adding the machine account I get the error 
"Unable to connect to the domain controller for this domain.  Have your 
administrator check your computer account on this domain."  If I add the 
machine account manually at the PDC and then try to join the domain at 
the workstation and check the option to add a machine account to the 
domain the existing machine account is removed from the PDC but a new 
one isn't created and I get the same error:  "The machine account for 
this computer either does not exist or is inaccessible."  So, I know 
that the workstation is contacting the PDC because it's triggering the 
necessary script to remove the existing machine account.  However, it 
seems there's something amiss with the way it tries to add a new machine 
account.  I can't even begin to imagine why it does work occasionally.  
I hope this extra information will help someone point me in the right 
direction.  Any help would be appreciated.

-- 

C-ya,
Mark
____
Most great discoveries are made by mistake.