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This page is not a tutorial. This page assumes you know the basics of setting up a domain, but that you are new to domain setup and group policy.
DNS Setup -Be sure that after promoting you Windows Server to a Domain Controller (DC) that you properly configure DNS. The best way (in my opinion) is to setup your ISP's DNS servers and forwarders. This way if your server can't resolve the name it will forward the request to the ISP. You should also modify the settings of the NIC cards in the server. Set the DNS to the server's ip address.
DHCP - DHCP is also a good thing to setup (in most cases). Be sure to disable DHCP on your router and then enable it on the server. Set the DHCP router (or gateway) ip address to the router on your network. Be sure to set reservations or exceptions if the scope you choose already has a few static ip addresses in it. You will need to release and then renew the ip of each workstation or restart each workstation, before joining each computer to the domain. If you try to join the domain before each workstation has the correct DNS, it will either not find the domain or it will take forever.
Logon Scripts using Group Policy (GP) - Setting up logon scripts using GP is much more efficient than setting up logon scripts for each individual user. GP logon scripts can be a bit trickier. While in the GP editor select "User Configuration" > "Windows Settings" > "Scripts (Logon/Logoff)" then double click Logon and then Add. This is where things get tricky. Don't click on browse. Click on "Show Files" then copy your script into that window. Then click browse and select the script you just copied. If the script does not reside in the folder that opens when you click show files, the script will not run properly.
Domain and Group Policy Tips
Last Updated: 2/15/10This page is not a tutorial. This page assumes you know the basics of setting up a domain, but that you are new to domain setup and group policy.
DNS Setup -Be sure that after promoting you Windows Server to a Domain Controller (DC) that you properly configure DNS. The best way (in my opinion) is to setup your ISP's DNS servers and forwarders. This way if your server can't resolve the name it will forward the request to the ISP. You should also modify the settings of the NIC cards in the server. Set the DNS to the server's ip address.
DHCP - DHCP is also a good thing to setup (in most cases). Be sure to disable DHCP on your router and then enable it on the server. Set the DHCP router (or gateway) ip address to the router on your network. Be sure to set reservations or exceptions if the scope you choose already has a few static ip addresses in it. You will need to release and then renew the ip of each workstation or restart each workstation, before joining each computer to the domain. If you try to join the domain before each workstation has the correct DNS, it will either not find the domain or it will take forever.
Logon Scripts using Group Policy (GP) - Setting up logon scripts using GP is much more efficient than setting up logon scripts for each individual user. GP logon scripts can be a bit trickier. While in the GP editor select "User Configuration" > "Windows Settings" > "Scripts (Logon/Logoff)" then double click Logon and then Add. This is where things get tricky. Don't click on browse. Click on "Show Files" then copy your script into that window. Then click browse and select the script you just copied. If the script does not reside in the folder that opens when you click show files, the script will not run properly.
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