Microsoft KB Archive/145593

= Windows 95 and WFW Err Msg: No Domain Server Was Available... =

Article ID: 145593

Article Last Modified on 11/17/2004

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.5
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.5
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
 * Microsoft Windows 95
 * Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11

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This article was previously published under Q145593





SYMPTOMS
When you use Windows 95 Dial-up Networking client or Windows for Workgroups Remote Access Service (RAS) client and connect to a Windows NT Server domain, the following error message appears:

No domain server was available to validate your password.

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

Ping, Net Use or Net View commands cannot locate any remote network computers.



CAUSE
Although the domain name specified during network logon is valid and the domain server is available, this problem occurs if the Windows 95 or Windows for Workgroups computer name is in use on the remote network. See For other causes for this error, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 123423:

You receive the "No domain server was available to validate your password" error message when you try to log on to a Microsoft Windows NT or a Microsoft LAN Manager domain

When a Windows 95 Dial-up Networking client tries to register a duplicate computer name on the network, it fails to register the name and to initialize the workstation service.

Consequently, NetBIOS application dependent on the workstation service such as NET USE or NET VIEW does not work. In this scenario, the duplicate name error message is expected to occur prior to the error message above. The expected duplicate name error is:

The computer name you specified in already in use on the network. To specify a different name, double-click the network icon in control panel.

Windows 95 Dial-up Networking client fails to display the duplicate name error message. Instead, it just displays "no domain server available" error message. WFW shows the same behavior as Windows 95. The Windows NT RAS client properly shows the duplicate name error message.



WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, log on to the remote network with a different computer name.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows 95 and Windows for Workgroups version 3.11. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Keywords: KB145593

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