How do I change the machine name so that it is automatically updated in AD?

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Level 1

5 points

How do I change the machine name so that it is automatically updated in AD?

So we have about 2 dozen Macs in the environment here and they are all joined to a Windows Domain. We have been doing a renaming project to standardize on a naming convention. When renaming the Macs I have gone under Sharing and changed the local name. After doing this though it did not update it in Active Directory. Where can I change the name on the Mac to also have it update in Active Directory?

Active Directory-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.5), 10.5.x, 10.6.x, Windows 2008 R2

Posted on Jun 23, 2011 12:47 PM

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Answer 1

varjak paw

Level 10

182,668 points

Jun 23, 2011 1:18 PM in response to flakeinator

To the best of my knowledge, it doesn't work that way even with a Windows client. The only way to change the name of a computer in Active Directory, unless I've missed something along the way, is via the Active Directory Users and Computers tool in Windows, signing in as a valid domain administrator, and making the change there. You then bind the computer to AD using that assigned name. I know of no way to get AD to update by making a change in the name on the client workstation. '

The local name in Sharing, by the way, isn't used by AD. That name is for Bonjour-compatible devices and services to advertise their availability on the local network. So changing that name should have no effect on AD at all, not even the name by which the binding takes place.

Regards.

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Answer 2

flakeinator Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 23, 2011 1:34 PM in response to varjak paw

I know that with a Windows machine if I change the name of the machine while it is joined to the domain I have to authenticate with a domain administrator account to change the name. Once I do that I reboot the computer and it has the new name. If I go into Active Directory the old name will be changed to the new name automatically. I was hoping that there was a way to do this with the Mac. It will make things much easier. I am pretty sure that I should be able to do it.

Thank you for the information though on the local name being the Bonjour name. It is good to know that is what it is used for.

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