Join Domain and Login over a VPN Connection

This is a short tutorial on how to join a computer to a domain over a VPN connection. This was very useful for us this weekend. We had to reformat a computer, and needed to setup their profile again under their login.

Join Domain on VPN

We didn’t want to run into work. This should work on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.

Step 1

First you will need to login to the computer with a local account.

Step 2

Now connect to the VPN, so that your computer can talk with the remote domain controller.

Step 3

Join the computer to the domain.

Step 4

Reboot your computer, login again with a local account.

Step 5

Connect again to the VPN. Now add the domain user you will be using to the local administrator’s group on the computer.

Step 6

Now lock your computer. You can do this by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL and then selecting “Lock the Computer.” Or you can press the Windows + L key.

Step 7

Hit Control-Alt-Delete again to login to the computer. But this time use your domain account to login. It will log the local account off.

And there you go, you are now logged in with the domain account on a domain joined machine.