NUS Domain - Logging on to your profile while on Vacation

Okay, so this is a problem I had for several weeks. I like to be on domain, because I like to be on domain - bitch would disagree and chooses not to be on it, I choose otherwise.

Many reasons why I like domain:

• Access to resources
• Seamless access to email - Outlook 2007 just sets up your profile for you within seconds!
• IVLE - You can use the ENTER - Campus Login button
• Remote Desktop and all other remote features ;-)
• Other reasons that I fail to recollect at this point in time

Many reasons why domain sucks:

• Monitoring - Yes if you join domain those with Domain Admin access can traverse your computer, and when u sign the EULA of NUS network you give them the right - scary
• Trend MicroScan - Yes this is great antivirus, but you hardly have any control over it - at least it gives you the option not to install - though uninstall means you have to call Computer Centre for a password :@ I recommend McAfee :D
• Black Ice Defender - I'm not sure if it's even called this these days. This nasty little critter will install itself by itself. There are instructions to clean your computer of this if you wish (Maybe subject of another post?)

Okay enough pro/con bullshit - let's cut down to the chase. So I'm on domain. And I go on vacation like to Malaysia for a week or even worse somewhere else like Pakiland for 3 months. I can log on to my domain account which is basically the only account I use for a while and then all of a sudden I can't. This is why this happens:

So when we all add NUSSTU\userid to our Administrator group and add our comp to the domain and then log on as that id - the computer will create a local profile but note that NUSSTU\ thing?? Well that actually means its NOT LOCAL. The server is still needed to authenticate your credentials. Basically when you join domain your laptop is not a laptop anymore but a workstation - so yes even your friends can log on to your computer like any other computer once its on domain.

But after a while of usage you store all your documents, pictures, and other x rated stuff on your profile - making it local - or at least you treat it that way. It's all good and seamless except when you no longer can access your server.

I know what your thinking -but Shaz my lan point wasn't working and I could still log on and yes that's true that's due to this setting in Windows XP Pro that allows you to log on by default 10 times without a server. Refer to (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q172931/) for more info.

So yes if you read that article you can set that limit to 50. That's good but its not unlimited. What if you're away on extended stay then how the hell do you access your documents and other important stuff. There are two ways I know of:

• Log on as the local administrator i.e. instead of selecting NUSSTU from domain, select ComputerName and type the administrator logon credentials. As an administrator you have access to all files on your computer - of course this isn't seamless and it's not a good idea to use your administrator account (the admin account is normally used to troubleshoot problems with the computer and other accounts as its usually the least affected by spyware and such if it's not used).

• This is the way I discovered while overseas. Believe it or not its VPN!! Yes it makes perfect sense after all VPN does stand for Virtual Private Network - which essentially means even though you're physically not on the same network, you can be virtually. So I can be out of NUS and be connected to NUS - note I said out of - so theoretically you can be anywhere with an internet connection!

So how does one go about setting it up? First go download a copy, even if you're on domain.

Start it up and navigate to Options and then Windows Logon Properties.

Check the checkbox that says Enable start before logon

That's it. Next time you restart overseas this app will begin and you're good to go :D :)

shahzadsk