Problem accessing domain controller

WinXP 32 SP3 - fresh rebuild of Dell 320 from recovery disks

When I login I get an Application Event Log ID 1054 - Windows cannot obtain the domain controller name for your computer network. (The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted). Group Policy processing aborted.

If I use GPRESULT at a command prompt I get: The user XXXX does not have RSOP data.

So - this PC is not applying group policies.

Everything else works fine. I can connect to file shares, etc, no problem. Internet access fine.

I have tried all the suggestions I could find searching for the two symptoms above.

I have tried the standard stuff:
0 leave, re-join the domain
0 drop the Computer from the domain, re-add (same name)
0 turned off firewall (now back on)
0 tried DHCP and manual IP properties.
0 used Network repair

It must be something basic - does anyone recognize the problem?

 

I did a gpupdate /force and got rid of the 1054 errors.