Windows guest customization fails to join deployed virtual machine to Active Directory domain

Products

VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

When performing guest customization via the vCenter Server, the Windows Guest Operating Systems (Guest OS) fail to join Active Directory. The affected Guest OS-s are as follows, but not limited to:

Windows Server 2008
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003 R2
Windows 7
Windows 8/8.1

When deploying a virtual machine from a Windows template and using a guest customization, it fails to join to the Active Directory (AD) domain.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 4.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 5.5.x
VMware vCenter Server 5.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 5.1.x
VMware VirtualCenter 2.5.x

Cause

Guest customization of a Windows Server 2008/Windows 7 operating systems and later uses the sysprep functionality built into the Windows operating system. Using a NETBIOS name when joining a Windows Server 2008/Windows 7 to an AD domain is no longer supported.

If the NETBIOS name of the AD domain is specified in guest customization, the virtual machine does not join the AD domain.

Resolution

Guest customization of a Windows Server 2008/Windows 7 operating systems and later uses the sysprep functionality built into the Windows operating system. Using a NETBIOS name when joining a Windows Server 2008/Windows 7 to an AD domain is no longer supported.

If the NETBIOS name of the AD domain is specified in guest customization, the virtual machine does not join the AD domain.

To resolve this issue, use the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the AD domain in guest customization and switch the domain login from down-level style log-on (domain\user) to user principal name (user@FQDN_of_domain.local).

Use the following in the vCenter Guest Customization Wizard:

In Windows 2003/XP operating systems

Username: MYDOMAIN\myusername
Domain: MYDOMAIN
For Windows Server 2008/Windows 7 and later operating systems use:

Username: [email protected]
Domain: mydomain.local