hi all having some issues connecting a windows 2008 server to a samba pdc. debug/netsetup is telling me this: 02/12/2010 16:10:54:468 NetpDoDomainJoin 02/12/2010 16:10:54:468 NetpMachineValidToJoin: 'SS-WIN-RDS' 02/12/2010 16:10:54:468 OS Version: 6.1 02/12/2010 16:10:54:468 Build number: 7600 (7600.win7_rtm.090713-1255) 02/12/2010 16:10:54:468 SKU: Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard 02/12/2010 16:10:54:468 NetpDomainJoinLicensingCheck: ulLicenseValue=1, Status: 0x0 02/12/2010 16:10:54:468 NetpGetLsaPrimaryDomain: status: 0x0 02/12/2010 16:10:54:468 NetpMachineValidToJoin: status: 0x0 02/12/2010 16:10:54:468 NetpJoinDomain 02/12/2010 16:10:54:468 Machine: SS-WIN-RDS 02/12/2010 16:10:54:468 Domain: SS-SCHOOL 02/12/2010 16:10:54:468 MachineAccountOU: (NULL) 02/12/2010 16:10:54:468 Account: SS-SCHOOL\root 02/12/2010 16:10:54:468 Options: 0x27 02/12/2010 16:10:54:468 NetpLoadParameters: loading registry parameters... 02/12/2010 16:10:54:468 NetpLoadParameters: DNSNameResolutionRequired not found, defaulting to '1' 0x2 02/12/2010 16:10:54:468 NetpLoadParameters: DomainCompatibilityMode not found, defaulting to '0' 0x2 02/12/2010 16:10:54:468 NetpLoadParameters: status: 0x2 02/12/2010 16:10:54:468 NetpValidateName: checking to see if 'SS-SCHOOL' is valid as type 3 name 02/12/2010 16:10:54:578 NetpCheckDomainNameIsValid [ Exists ] for 'SS-SCHOOL' returned 0x0 02/12/2010 16:10:54:578 NetpValidateName: name 'SS-SCHOOL' is valid for type 3 02/12/2010 16:10:54:578 NetpDsGetDcName: trying to find DC in domain 'SS-SCHOOL', flags: 0x40001010 02/12/2010 16:10:54:578 NetpDsGetDcName: failed to find a DC in the specified domain: 0x54b, last error is 0x0 02/12/2010 16:10:54:578 NetpJoinDomainOnDs: NetpDsGetDcName returned: 0x54b 02/12/2010 16:10:54:578 NetpJoinDomainOnDs: Function exits with status of: 0x54b 02/12/2010 16:10:54:578 NetpDoDomainJoin: status: 0x54b heres my smb.conf: [global] workgroup = SS-SCHOOL netbios name = SSS-XEN-SERVER server string = %h server (Samba, Ubuntu) wins support = yes dns proxy = no name resolve order = wins bcast hosts log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m max log size = 1000 syslog = 0 panic action = /usr/share/samba/panic-action %d username map = /etc/samba/smbusers security = user encrypt passwords = true smb passwd file = /etc/samba/smbpasswd passdb backend = tdbsam os level = 64 preferred master = yes obey pam restrictions = yes unix password sync = yes passwd program = /usr/bin/passwd %u passwd chat = *Enter\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *Retype\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *password\supdated\ssuccessfully* . pam password change = yes map to guest = bad user domain logons = yes logon path = \\%N\profiles\%U logon drive = H: logon home = \\%N\%U logon script = logon.cmd domain master = yes local master = yes usershare allow guests = yes [netlogon] comment = Network Logon Service path = /home/samba/netlogon ; guest ok = yes read only = yes ; share modes = no [profiles] comment = Users profiles path = /home/samba/profiles ; guest ok = no ; browseable = no create mask = 0600 directory mask = 0700 [share] comment = Ubuntu File Server Share path = /srv/samba/share browsable = yes guest ok = yes read only = no create mask = 0755 client lanman auth = Yes lanman auth = Yes theres no dns server on the samba server so i've entered a WINS address on the advanced tcp/ip settings page. not sure if thats really what i should have done. ive added the machine as a user, group etc. i dont have a /etc/samba/smbpasswd file though, should i?? ive done smbpassword -a -m machinename and it didn't spit out any errors. cheers