I'm trying to add a MacBook Air running 10.11.1 to a Windows 2003 Active Directory domain. When I try to do so, I get an error that states the following:
Unable to add server.
The plugin encountered an error processing request. (10001)
If I try to add it using the command line using dsconfigad, I get this error even though computers running 10.10 can be added without an issue.
dsconfigad: Authentication server could not be contacted. (5200)
You do realize that Windows server 2003 is no longer supported by Microsoft, don't you?
OK, then. Why would you expect an OS released now to support Windows Server 2003 Active Directory? There are serious security flaws in it that will not be patched. Have you tried joining it to a more modern AD domain? I've had not issues with 10.11 on a domain with servers running Server 2008 R2. We decommissioned the last of our 2003 servers and fully migrated AD to 2008 R2 well over 6 months ago. I know some people still running 2003 servers as members of a 2008 R2 (or later) domain, but no Sysadmin in his right mind would continue running a 2003 domain any more. Especially one that has an Internet connection of any kind.
I didn't say I expected it to work. I also haven't heard of anyone else reporting the issue, so that's why I posted it here.
I haven't tried on a more modern AD infrastructure because the customer doesn't have one. To be frank though, I don't need any pointers on Microsoft system administration. 🙂
Unfortunately, I have to deal with M$ on a daily basis. It's just a fact of life in most environments. I do actually have a couple of old 2003 systems that I can't get rid of because it's physically impossible to run them on anything later. Luckily, it's just to maintain data that we legally have to keep (employee time clock records) and the systems are no longer actively used. They live in VMs in a totally isolated environment and they're not actually brought on-line unless they're needed (read: we receive a court order to product the data).
I'll ask around, maybe one of my contacts has a 2003 domain still alive in a test environment somewhere. Most of my fellow sysadmins have Macs as their own personal machines, maybe someone can test one against a 2003 domain. No promises, though.
Hey Brent, I have the exactly same situation. 10.11.1 won't join 2003 AD with the same error. Any luck with you?
No luck! I fear that it's a "feature", but haven't been able to confirm that.
OSX supports Windows Server from version 2007 (sp1r4) to date, 2003 is just too old, so old that even MS don't support it any longer. If you do find a way to make it work, let us know.
I was trying to find any official document to confirm this combination (10.11.1+2003) won't work any more. No luck either.
I know Microsoft has ended support for 2003, but currently my company is just not 2012 ready. Just trying to push 2003 as far as I can, I guess this might be it! Thanks for your reply.
Hey Brent, I have solution for this problem.
In el-captain broken creation of a new domain account of the computer.
If on the DC-server (win2003 standard) create new computer account in advance (in "AD Users and Computers"), el-captain sees this and asks - "join to already existing or create new account?".
And this "join" - really works.
p.s.: I bet, I saw this error earlier. It seems at the time of tiger or leopard, may be.
-green- , thanks a lot. that really helped!
You've saved my day!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I was getting same error beteween 10.11 and W2003 AD. Until 10.10.5 I had joined my macs with same AD without any problem.
Excellent! You saved the day 🙂
Error trying to add computer to Windows 2003 Domain
