New active directory users cannot login from client

Question

First a summary of the setup

Server side

1. Installed Windows Server 2003 Enterprise edition using disc 1
2. ran dcpromo and created a domain ( this is the only server in the network )
3. ran adprep /forestprep from disc 2, and then installed R2
4. installed service pack 2

Client Side

1. Windows XP with SP2

The problem:

I create a new user and leave the "User must change password at next logon" ticked. When I try to login with the newly created user I get an error saying

"The system cannot log you on now because the domain [DomainName] is not available"

Then if I remove the client from the domain and re-join it, I get to the prompt where the user is asked to change the password, but after entering the new password when I click the OK button, I get an error saying

"The [DomainName] domain is not available"

At this stage if I uncheck the "User must change the password at next logon", then the user can login fine.

My quesion, what am I doing wrong here? What steps do I take so that a new user can logon to the server and upon first login be able to change his password. Do I have to dis-join and re-join the domain everytime a new user is created? ( hopefully not!!! )

Just a note to say that the client has static ip. The only user that can login from any client in the network is the domain administrator.

Can someone please guide me in the correct direction.

Thanks

Answer 1

From my comment:

This sounds like a DNS issue. Check that your 2003 server is your DNS server, and that it is set as the DNS provider in the XP machine's network settings. You may also have to provide the fully-qualified domain name when adding the machine to the network.