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Error message on a Windows Server 2003 or a Windows XP computer trying to join a Windows Server 2003 domain: "Access is denied"

Article ID: 969264 - View products that this article applies to.

Source: Microsoft Support

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Symptom

When a Windows Server 2003 or a Windows XP computer tries to join a Windows Server 2003 domain, the following error message is received:

The following error occurred attempting to join the domain "domain_name":

Access is denied.

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Cause

In the Netsetup.log file, I get the following:

09/21 15:09:19 NetpValidateName: checking to see if 'domain_name' is valid as type 3 name

09/21 15:09:19 NetpCheckDomainNameIsValid [ Exists ] for 'domain_name' returned 0x0

09/21 15:09:19 NetpValidateName: name 'domain_name' is valid for type 3

09/21 15:09:19 NetpDsGetDcName: trying to find DC in domain 'domain_name', flags: 0x1020

09/21 15:09:22 NetpDsGetDcName: failed to find a DC having account 'account': 0x525 -> Access denied

09/21 15:09:22 NetpDsGetDcName: found DC '\\DC-NM.domain_name' in the specified domain

09/21 15:09:22 NetUseAdd to \\DC-NM.domain_name\IPC$ returned 5

09/21 15:09:22 NetpJoinDomain: status of connecting to dc '\\DC-NM.domain_name': 0x5

09/21 15:09:22 NetpDoDomainJoin: status: 0x5

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Resolution

On the member server or client machine, we enabled the following policies:

Microsoft network client: Digitally sign communications (if server agrees)
Microsoft network server: Digitally sign communications (if client agrees)

After that, we rebooted the member servers or client machines. Then we successfully joined those machines to the domain.

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