JSI Tip 3338. When you try to join your Windows 2000 computer to a Window NT 4.0 domain, you receive 'specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted'?

When you try to join a Windows NT 4.0 domain from a computer running Windows 2000, you receive:

The following error occurred validating the name <DOMAIN>. The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted.

This error can be caused when the Windows 2000 computer is unable to resolve the NetBIOS name of the Windows NT 4.0 PDC.

If you use WINS to reslove NetBIOS names, make sure that the IP address of the WINS server are properly configured on the Windows 2000 computer, and that NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled.

You may also wish to see tips:

2345 » You can't Join Windows 2000 Client to a Windows NT Domain?

2570 » WINS Scope ID may prevent Windows 2000 from joining a Windows NT 4.0 domain.