Recently I had the opportunity to upgrade my computer desktop from 2 Gigs of RAM to 8 Gigs of RAM. This required that I reinstall Windows 7 to replace by 32bit OS with a 64bit OS.
This presented me with a problem as I work from home full time and I have to VPN in. You see we use a Cisco VPN router as our VPN server so I can’t use the standard Windows VPN client which allows you to VPN in from the login screen. You have to log into Windows before you can start the VPN client.
So I could login to my computer with a local account, VPN in, then add my computer to the domain. But when it becomes time to login with my domain account. I can try and login with my domain account but I can’t access the domain. I can login with my local account and start a VPN tunnel, but if I log out then the VPN tunnel will be closed, preventing me from logging in with my domain account.
The solution that I came up with was to login with my local account which was created when my Windows 7 was installed. I then granted my domain account admin rights to my workstation (so that I can install software). I then remote desktoped into the workstation from my laptop and logged in with my domain credentials. This triggered by local account to log out, but not before the domain account was authenticated. I then rebooted my desktop and was able to log into my newly formatted desktop using my cached domain credentials.
Windows then built my new profile just like it normally would. After the desktop appeared I was able to VPN back into the office and begin installing the needed software.
Denny
