How to Join Windows 7 Professional to Domain

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This tutorial describes the steps that need to be taken to join a Windows 7 desktop to a Windows domain.

Join a Windows Domain

Step 1: Right-click the computer icon located on the bottom right corner of the task bar. Then click Open Network and Sharing Center

 Open Network and Sharing Center

Step 2: Click Local Area Connection

 Local Area Connection

Step 3: Click Properties

 Click on the network properties.

Step 4: Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties

 Select Internet Protocol Version 4

Step 5: Provide correct IP address and subnet mask to this machine. Provide correct DNS Server IP of domain controller in Preferred DNS server text field. When done click OK

 Enter IP address details

Step 6: Open the command prompt and ping your domain. Make sure that there are 0% packet loss and the domain is resolved successfully

 Check server connection with ping command

Step 7: Click Start icon and scroll to 'computer'.  Right click Computer and scroll to Properties and click it .

Open computer properties

Step 8: Click Change settings

 Click on change settings

Step 9: Click Change

 Click on change button

Step 10: Provide domain name in domain text field and click OK

 Enter the Windows Domain name

Step 11: You will be prompted to provide a credential of an account having permission to join a client machine to this domain

Enter the Windows domain admin credentials

Step 12:  A welcome window appears. Click OK

 Confirm by clicking ok

Step 13: Restart your machine so that changes can take effect. Click OK

 Restart the computer to apply the changes

Step 14: Click Close

 Close the dialogue

Step 15: Click Restart Now

 Restart now

Conclusion

Congratulations on joining windows 7 Professional to a domain. Once your machine has been restarted, login with your user name and password provided by domain administrator. All domain policies will be applied on your machine and you will be centrally administered.