Microsoft KB Archive/199909

= DNS May Not Respond to Queries After Applying SP4 =

Article ID: 199909

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

-

APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4
 * Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4

-



This article was previously published under Q199909



IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry



SYMPTOMS
After applying Service Pack 4 to a Windows NT 4.0 DNS Server, the server will appear to stop resolving queries for hosts in certain remote domains. The first query for a host in one of these domains will succeed, but subsequent queries for other hosts in the same domain will fail.



CAUSE
The DNS code in Service Pack 4 was updated to support Ranking Data as defined in RFC 2181 section 5.4.1. After an answer from an authoritative NS has been cached, Windows NT DNS discontinues querying referrals to non-authoritative NSs. The authoritative NS is cached. If the authority does not have an associated glue record for the additional NSs, DNS will not be able to resolve the HOST RR for the other NSs, thus causing subsequent queries to fail.



WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, do the following:
 * Contact an administrator of the remote domain to verify that the name server in question has associated glue records for all authoritative NSs.
 * To change the behavior of the DNS server, acquire the latest DNS hotfix from Microsoft Product Support Services.



RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or the individual software update. For information on obtaining the latest service pack, please go to:


 * http://www.microsoft.com/windows/servicepacks/ -or-


 * 152734 how to obtain the latest windows nt 4.0 service pack

For information on obtaining the individual software update, contact Microsoft Product Support Services. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information on support costs, please go to the following address on the World Wide Web:

http://support.microsoft.com/directory/overview.asp



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Windows NT version 4.0 SP4. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT version 4.0 Service Pack 5.



MORE INFORMATION
After the hotfix has been acquired, add the following value to the registry:

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\system\CurrentControlSet\Services\DNS\Parameters

Value Name: NoCacheRanking Data Type: REG_DWORD Value: 1

