Microsoft KB Archive/214467

= Windows NT 4.0 DNR Only "Devolves" Two Domain Suffixes =

Article ID: 214467

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition

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This article was previously published under Q214467



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
When a user tries to connect a Windows NT 4.0 client computer to a server that is more than two levels higher in the domain name tree structure, the user may find it necessary to type the full domain name to connect. This is caused by the client computer domain name resolver component (DNR) only "devolving" two domain suffixes.

For instance, if you have a client named

mycomputer.subdomain3.subdomain2.subdomain1.example.microsoft.com

the domain suffix is

subdomain3.subdomain2.subdomain1.example.microsoft.com

If you want to ftp to a server named "myserver.example.microsoft.com," it is necessary to type the full name "myserver.example.microsoft.com." to connect.

If you type only "myserver", the client queries the DNS for the following:

myserver.subdomain3.subdomain2.subdomain1.example.microsoft.com

myserver.subdomain2.subdomain1.example.microsoft.com (one level of devolution)

myserver.subdomain1.example.microsoft.com (two levels of devolution)



CAUSE
The DNR component was designed to only devolve two levels up the domain suffix.



Service pack information
To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Windows NT 4.0. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

152734 How to obtain the latest Windows NT 4.0 service pack

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:

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.

With the default settings, it continues to devolve only two levels. However, this hotfix supports the new MaxDomainsSearchListSize registry value to make the devolution behavior configurable:

Registry value:

Value Type: REG_DWORD

Default: 3 (including the first query with no devolution)

Range:1-12 (decimal)

CautionSetting this value higher than necessary can cause delays in name resolution, as more attempts to locate the name are made.



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

Additional query words: 4.00

Keywords: kbhotfixserver kbqfe kbbug kbfix kbqfe KB214467

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