Local Account and Domain

[gunner154]

I've recently gotten a laptop for campus use (Vista Business), and it's been configured to connect to the campus Domain. However, I'm also told that I can set the laptop to connect to a Local Account beyond the Domain by keying my username as <computername>Username. Switching back to connect to the Domain would require the username to be in the <DOMAIN>UserID format.

Problem is, each time I switch the computer on, I see the "Ctrl+Alt+Del to log in" screen, but upon hitting Ctrl+Alt+Del, I don't get a response. The available log in options (ie <computername>Username, Switch User) only appear about a minute after arriving at the screen.

Upon checking the Event Log, it appears that the computer was attempting to connect to the domain controller during this period. I think that this is causing the delay. It seems to make 2 failed attempts before giving up. It's obvious that the computer would fail to connect to the Domain because I'm not anywhere on campus (right?).

Thus my question(s) are: How can I set it up properly such that it attempts to connect to the Domain only after I decide to log in as <DOMAIN>UserID and not before I've made any decision? If this is not possible, how can I reduce the number of attempts it makes to connect to the domain controller before giving up, perhaps potentially reducing the delay?

Also, using the Local Account (<computername>Username, no Domain), it appears I still am connecting to the Domain, according to Control Panel --> System. Is this normal even though I'm currently on a Local Account?

Thanks.

[gryphon]

In short, you can not stop it from querying the domain or any domain controller it can think of. Depending on the setup you can use a local account when you don't have a connection to your schools network. Then again they could also enable you to use your domain account even when no domain controller is present.

Anyway, as it's a domain computer I am not going to help you circumvent any login restrictions the network admins might have deliberately set for it.

[gunner154]

Well they did give me a slip of paper to teach me how to log on to a Local Account when not on the Domain. The computer still checks for a Domain before this even occurs however.

[gryphon]

The computer still checks for a Domain before this even occurs however.

Not much of an answer, but it is designed that way and there is nothing wrong with it. they can speed up the process though.

[gunner154]

Oh well, looks like there's nothing I can do about it I guess.