I finally discovered how to do it:
Create Incoming VPN on Server
First, create the VPN as an incoming connection on the server:
- Navigate to the Network Connections control panel (run "
control netconnections
")
- The menus, if not shown, can be accessed with Alt + F.
- Select
New Incoming Connection...
- Select the users that will be using the new connection.
- Make sure
Through the Internet
is checked.
- The next screen lets you select which networking software can connect. The default TCP/IP v4, File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks, and QoS Packet Scheduler should work, but you may want/need to add TCP/IP v6.
- Finish by clicking
Allow access
Port Forward
Next, you may need to create a port forward if you have a firewall. The default port is TCP 1723
(also called PPTP).
Create Outgoing VPN on Client
Now, set up the VPN connection on the client computer:
- Start from Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center
- Click
Set up a new connection or network
- Select
Connect to a workplace
- Select
Use my Internet connection (VPN)
- Enter the Internet address and give it a Destination name (the name is just for your reference). Check
Allow other people to use this connection
.
- Enter the User name, Password, and Domain. I used the domain administrator credentials. The domain might be something like
mydomain.local
; the server will show this under Computer properties.
- Click
Connect
. If all goes well it should authenticate and connect.
Join Domain, Log In
Finally, my goal was to join the client computer to the domain and log in as an existing user, which creates the user profile folders and allowed me to start customizing software and the environment for that user.
- With the VPN connected, go to the Computer Properties and click
Change settings
under "Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings"
- Click
Change
near "To rename this computer or change its domain..."
- Select
Domain
and enter the domain. Click OK
and you'll be prompted for the domain admin credentials.
- Restart the computer as directed.
- Reconnect the VPN using the local admin user account you were on previously.
- Switch users (rather than log out, to keep the VPN connection active) and use the credentials and domain of the user in question. The user account folder is created and can be used for installing or customizing software, etc.
Conclusion
This may not be the best-practice method to do this, but it worked for my purposes, which was to migrate a user to a new computer and transfer data and settings.