# How hard is it to add IMacs to Windows Server 2k3 domain?



## justcrash (Aug 7, 2009)

I have around 20 Imacs I am considering adding to the domain to make things easier (in terms of printing, etc). How hard is it, can you map shared drives on a mac, what do I need to be looking for?


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## LinuxHacker (Jan 1, 1970)

i have about 10 macs on my network and do not have them added to the domain. you really do not gain support by adding them. 

you can map drives locally but this cant be done using group policy or active directory login scripts.


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## peterh40 (Apr 15, 2007)

I think its easy to add Macs to the domain as then you do not need to set up new accounts on the Macs if someone different needs to log in to them. Use the Directory Access tool and add the Active Directory service, enter a unque name for the Mac and click Bind to join it to the domain.

Mapping drives can be done either by:
Using the home drive/folder configured on the user's domain account (see Profile tab) and enable its use via the Directory Services tool.
If you have an Open Directory server, you can configure home drives although it tends to favour AFP or NFS folders.
You can create an AppleScript on Mac Desktop to map drives.
Finally you can add map drives to Favourites in the Go, Server menu option.


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## Courtneyc (Dec 7, 2003)

You can add Windows (NT and above, Professional and above) computers to an Active Directory domain, not Mac, Linux boxes, or anything else.

Macs use Open Directory; while it is LDAP, it is not compatible with Active Directory. Windows uses SMB (server message blocks) for file sharing. If you can get the mac to use that protocol, you can share folders. (Here's how: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1568)

Courtney


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## peterh40 (Apr 15, 2007)

To map a drive to a windows share. Click on Go, Server and enter the line:
smb://servername/sharename to mount a volume to a share. You will be prompted for a username and password to access it.


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## LinuxHacker (Jan 1, 1970)

you can add linux boxes to active directory.

#sudo apt-get install likewise-open
#sudo domainjoin-cli join fqdn.of.your.domain Administrator

bam, added.


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