Unduly Noted

So Windows 2000 does it fine, Windows xp does it great but Vista just would not connect to our .local domain. Don’t ask me why it is .local I know that opens a pain in the butt can of worms but thats the way it was when I got here. Any way…simple fix, just add the Windows 2003/2008 server IP address into the first DNS server on the client computer and then a real DNS address in the second entry. If this still doesn’t work pull the cord on the internet and try binding again. This, in a way, will force the client to look only to the first DNS (the only place it is still connected to) and you will successfully bind. Don’t forget. When you are binding DO NOT include the .local after the domain name.

You can also just add the ip and local name to the hosts file of each client machine:
Right click on Notepad.exe and choose run as administrator
File ->Open:
c:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc
now at the bottom of this open file box change the file type to “All Files” and you should now see ” hosts”
Open it and add in the information of the local domain:
ie:
192.168.0.1 domainname
separate the ip and the domain name by at least 1 space or tab.