To join a domain or workgroup on a Windows 10 machine, you need to meet the following requirements:
- Administrative privileges: You must have administrative privileges on the local computer to join a domain or workgroup. This allows you to make changes to the system settings required for domain or workgroup membership.
- Correct network configuration: The computer must be connected to the correct network and have a valid IP address. The DNS server must be configured to resolve domain names correctly.
- Valid credentials: To join a domain, you must have valid domain credentials, including a username, password, and domain name. To join a workgroup, you need a workgroup name and a password.
- Compatibility: The computer must be running a version of Windows that is compatible with the domain or workgroup. For example, Windows 10 Home edition does not support domain membership.
- Network connectivity: The computer must be able to connect to the domain or workgroup over the network. This may require configuring firewalls or network settings.
Once these requirements are met, you can join a domain or workgroup by opening the "System" settings, selecting "About", and clicking the "Join a domain or workgroup" link. Enter the required information and follow the prompts to join the domain or workgroup.
Note that joining a domain or workgroup requires a restart of the computer, and you may need to log in with your domain or workgroup credentials to access network resources.
Determine the requirements for joining a domain or a workgroup.
When you install Windows networking components, you will be prompted to join either a workgroup or a domain.
You must provide the name of the workgroup or domain during the installation. A workgroup is a small group of networked computers that work together as peers, where centralized administration and a high level of security are not required.
A domain is a logical grouping of networked computers that share a common security database for storing security information.
Security and centralized administration are important elements of a Windows domain. The table below compares Workgroups and Domains.
In a Windows domain, each Windows or NT computer in the domain has a computer account. When a computer joins a domain,
the appropriate user and computer account must exist, or the computer account can be created during installation by an authorized user.
The following SlideShow describes the requirements for joining a domain and workgroup.
Although a user with a valid domain user account can log onto the domain from a Windows 95 or 98 machine,
Windows 9x computers cannot be members of a domain.
Only Windows NT and Windows computers have computer accounts and are members of the domain.