Microsoft KB Archive/158829

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Domain Validation May Not Work Across Dial-on-Demand Routers

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Q158829

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows 95

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IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, you should first make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat). Both are hidden files in the Windows folder.

SYMPTOMS
When you try to log in across a dial-on-demand router with a Windows 95 client, domain validation may not work. When this occurs, you receive the following error message:

No domain controller is available to validate your session.

You may not be able to gain access to some network resources.

CAUSE
Windows 95 issues netlogon mailslots to the domain name to find a domain controller for validation. Windows 95 issues a mailslot three times with a default delay of three seconds for a response to each mailslot. If a response is not received after three attempts (roughly nine seconds), validation fails and the error message is displayed.

Validation may fail if the domain controllers are located across a dial- on-demand router, the router is not connected when the client begins sending the netlogon mailslots, and the router requires longer than nine seconds to connect. The result of the router connection delay is that the mailslots time out and the client displays the error message.

RESOLUTION
This issue is resolved by the following updated file for Windows 95 and OSR2, and later versions of this file:

  MSNET32.DLL  version 4.00.953  dated 11/5/96  61,440 bytes

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall Windows 95. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

NOTE: For information about how to edit the registry, view the Changing Keys And Values online Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe). Note that you should make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat) before you edit the registry.

The updated Msnet32.dll file has been modified to allow the response delay to be user configurable in the registry. To change the default delay of theree seconds, add a DWORD value named ExpectedDialupDelay to the following registry key:

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netlogon\ Parameters Set the value of the ExpectedDialupDelay value to a decimal number (in seconds) from 1 second to 6000 seconds.

STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Windows 95 and OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2). An update to address this problem is now available, but is not fully regression tested and should be applied only to computers experiencing this specific problem. Unless you are severely impacted by this specific problem, Microsoft does not recommend implementing this update at this time. Contact Microsoft Technical Support for additional information about the availability of this update.

This issue is resolved in Microsoft Windows 98.

MORE INFORMATION
Note that the problem described in this article can also occur if the router is not available (offline). This can be verified by a Network Monitor trace. To resolve this issue, bring the router back online.

For additional information about issues resolved by updates to this component, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q161051 Windows NT Shares Inaccessible with Net Use in Login Script

Q150589 Windows 95 Logon Script Is Not Processed

For additional information about Windows 95 updates, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

"Q161020 Implementing Windows 95 Updates" Additional query words: w95qfe

Keywords : kberrmsg kbnetwork msnets win95

Issue type : kbprb

Technology : kbWin95search kbWin95