Microsoft® Windows® XP Unleashed

Joining a Domain Using Windows XP

You can join a domain when you first install Windows XP. When you get to the network selections dialog boxes, just enter the domain name. If your network administrator has already created a computer account for the computer, then it can join the domain automatically. You will be asked for a username and password of a domain account that has the right to join a computer to a domain. This feature again is to prevent just anyone from hooking up a computer to your network and joining it to the domain.

When the administrator creates a computer account in the domain, the administrator only has to give a name to the computer that will join the domain. The purpose of having an administrator username and password when ...