Loopback with Windows XP Pro - Help Pls

[wael]

Greetings,

I 'd really appreciate it if someone explains to me how I can
make windows xp pro joins a domain using Loopback so that
I will be able to install Active Directory.


I was able to do this with Windows 2000 Server, As soon as
I installed loopback for win2k server I was able to install
Active Directory, I don't know how to do this to windows XP
Pro, please help.

thanks in advance,

WAEL

 

[Lactic.Acid]

I'm not sure what you mean by "Install Loopback." A loopback is a virtual device with an IP address of 127.0.0.1 that refers to your local machine. What that means, is if you were running an HTTP server and you went to http://localhost or http://127.0.0.1 the index page of your hosted site would load.

The loopback "device" is present on every machine unless you edit something to remove it, but AFAIK your system can't operate on a network properly without it.

Regardless of that information, you can not "install" Active Directory on Windows XP. Windows XP is equivalent to Windows 2000 Professional, and is not eligible to become a Domain Controller or AD Controller. You can join a domain, but all that is required for that is another machine acting as a DC and a username on the Domain. You then go into System properties (Right-click My Computer, choose Properties), Go to Computer Name and choose Network ID, then follow the wizard to sign onto the domain.
/L.A

 

[wael]

L.A thanks for reply, I understood now that Windows XP Pro is
equivalent to Windows 2000 Professional.

this is what I ment by saying I installed ms loopback:

with Windows 2000 Server I wanted to install Active Directory
so I can play around with creating users and accounts,

the only way to install active directory on Win 2000 server is if
you have a valid DNS. but I don't really have a DNS (or a
network of computers) so I had go to control panel --->add
new hardware ---> select network device manualy and choose
microsoft ---> loopback. this helped to make windows 2000
server think its connected to a DNS and then I was able to
install Active Directory.

anyway I thought I can do the same with XP PRO and install
Active Directory.

but I just heard that XP Server is out so I gusse that's what I
need then.

W.S