I know this topic was posted some time ago but I could not find an answer.

I have a portable PC which is connected to a domain at work. I also have a wireless network set up at home with a workgroup in order to share a printer that is connected to another PC on that network. I was unable to connect to my home network using my work ID/PW which is associsted with the work domain but logging in as administrator I could access the workgroup and share the printer. I understand that it wouldn't be possible to switch from workgroup to domain and back without altering the setting on the portable to one or the other. Is this true and is there any way around this so I can use the same portable for connecting to both work domain and home workgroup without having to reconfigure it every time?

Not very good when it comes to this area, but I recall seeing computers that have a domain drop down box where they enter the username and password. Do you have another field beneath the password box called Domain? If so, click on the drop down arrow and see if you see your company domain listed. Also see if you spot an entry with your computer name and next to it with (this computer). For example, say your work domain is DEPT1 and your computer name is tamsinPC. Check the Domain drop down menu and see if you can see these:

DEPT1
tamsinPC (this computer)

I see these a lot on laptops and desktops for the company I work for. If I'm correct, selecting tamsinPC (this computer) should be your home login account. That should log you straight in without changing any other settings to share the printer.

The domain was shown in the drop down box before but since I included the laptop in the home workgroup, the option is no longer available and the box has disappeared. It seems I need to delete the workgroup in order to connect back to the domain. If there is a better way, please let me know.

Not sure if there is a way to remove the workgroup, but does the laptop still allow you to login with your username for the domain at work?

As far as I know, the method I mentioned earlier should be very simple (if there was that drop down domain menu there).

No, after specifying the workgroup the laptop doesn't allow me to login with my ID for the domain at work and the box with the domain name is no longer there.

Yeah, that's because you can only be a member of a domain or workgroup. I have a domain setup at home and one of my computers is attached to it. Another computer in my house isn't a part of it and just on the workgroup called WORKGROUP. This computer also has the network printer. A laptop is connected to the workgroup MSHOME. All of them access the shared printer in the WORKGROUP workgroup.

At home, you should just be able to hit the options button on the Windows login screen and then select that you want to login to your local workstation. It isn't practical to keep removing and then adding the domain everytime you come home and go back to work.

[N]F

As of now, it sounds like the domain is removed by you already. You can still login using your home username and password right? You might have to get your system administrator at the company to put this laptop back on the domain. That should put that Domain field back when you start it up next time. Just make sure to select the local computer when you are at home (usually has "this compute" after the Workgroup name) and put it back to the domain when logging in from the company.

Once the laptop is reconected to the domain just select "this computer" from the drop down box on the login screen instead of your domain.

This works because I set up a domain and you can still view the other computers on your lan.