Mac on Windows Domain

 
 
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Joined  2005-09-13

I’m curious to know if anyone has any experience with using OS X on a Windows 2000 or windows 2003 Domain.  I work in the IT field and have been, until a couple years ago, windows only.  Bought a mini back in March.  Problem is, I have a Win2k3 domain setup at home.  My main file server is my active directory server and I’m not sure how (if) I can setup the mini to be able to join the domain and get access to all of my files and my printers.  I know I can probably search around and read tons to find out, but I’m really just looking for a “yes, it can be done” or a “no, it can’t be done, but there are a few tricks you can play to still get easy file access” or something of the sort.

(I posted this same text in the Other Matters section under Apple in the Enterprise before reading enough of the forum to realize there was a more appropriate Networking section.)

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Joined  2005-09-11
armoursin - Sep 13, 2005 11:39am

I’m curious to know if anyone has any experience with using OS X on a Windows 2000 or windows 2003 Domain.  I work in the IT field and have been, until a couple years ago, windows only.  Bought a mini back in March.  Problem is, I have a Win2k3 domain setup at home.  My main file server is my active directory server and I’m not sure how (if) I can setup the mini to be able to join the domain and get access to all of my files and my printers.  I know I can probably search around and read tons to find out, but I’m really just looking for a “yes, it can be done” or a “no, it can’t be done, but there are a few tricks you can play to still get easy file access” or something of the sort.

(I posted this same text in the Other Matters section under Apple in the Enterprise before reading enough of the forum to realize there was a more appropriate Networking section.)

At day_job I file/print share to W2K servers via Active Directory, using my domain account to authenticate.  So, yes it can be done.  I have a vague recollection of doing something to ‘make it work’ but (sorry) that was months in the past and a one-time kinda deal.

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Joined  2005-09-13

Thanks.  Knowing someone else does it is a considerable help.  Now I know that if I try and fail I’m not just wasting my time.

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Joined  2005-09-12

Yeah, it’s definitely possible. Go for it!

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Joined  2005-09-12

You’ll find “how to” info for this at http://macwindows.com

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Joined  2005-09-17

I usually find the search for Domains quite tiresome. I mean, the samba protocol should be sufficient for nearly every sort of giving and receiving IDs, names etc. but you often have to specify the “Workgroup” or the “computer name” using lots of backslashes (now go find them on apple....) before once being logged in. After that the WinPC remembers names quite well. Tiresome. Printers? Oh no… Read lots of CUPS-postings before it worked. Good luck!

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Joined  2006-10-04

On the campus of higher education where I provide support, a substantial percentage of this year’s students purchased MacBook and other (iBook) where we have Windows 2003 domain.
Multiple times I have set up (Add) printer that is shared on the Windows domain and now want to do something similar to the “SERVER\users\student users\fall 2006\FLastname\My Documents\” and google brought me to this discussion. Progress?

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Joined  2007-04-27

Good Day
Its my first time on this forum and i belive i need to also share a problem i was facing for the past 8 months that was trying to join my company Mac to our Linux-Debian Server that seems impossible until today
Since this was the first time in 14 years of experience that im working with Mac i want to share the link that made my life simple
http://weblog.bignerdranch.com/?p=6
I belive this will help some IT on this matter
This link will show how to join a mac to windows 2003,unix or Linux Domain step by step
tks