Microsoft KB Archive/256509

= RAS Client Authentication Causes "Error 5: Access Is Denied" Error Message =

Article ID: 256509

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6
 * Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6a
 * Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6
 * Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6a
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition

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This article was previously published under Q256509



SYMPTOMS
The Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Remote Access Services (RAS) client may not succeed in being authenticated on a RAS server, and may return the following error message:

Error 5: Access is Denied

This behavior can occur in the following circumstances:
 * The client is running Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6 or later.
 * You enter a blank space in the Domain box when you log on.
 * The server that is authenticating the client does not make use of domain names for authentication.



RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, place the mouse pointer in the Domain box, and then press BACKSPACE all the way to the left to ensure that the box is cleared of blank spaces.



STATUS
This behavior is by design.



MORE INFORMATION
This behavior occurs starting with Service Pack 6 and is by design for security reasons. The Windows NT 4.0 RAS client passes authentication credentials differently in this circumstance starting with Service Pack 6. Before Service Pack 6, if a blank space is left in the Domain box, the domain name is ignored and only the user name is passed. With Service Pack 6 and later, the domain name is passed, even if a blank space exists in that box.

Some authentication methods do not use a domain name for authentication. This is typical in scenarios in which RAS users are validated by using a product such as Secure ID. When using such a security product, a user is typically not required to type a domain name but is validated by means of a user name and a number (or secure ID). In this scenario, a blank space in the Domain box may not be noticed. The credentials are passed with the blank space as the domain name, a backslash, and then a user name: \. Authentication methods that do not make use of domain names in this way may not succeed in this circumstance.

The following sample information is from a sample Ppp.log file. This example shows how credentials are passed in Service Pack 6 and later when the Domain box contains a blank space. In this example, the user name is "Alfred": Authenticating phase started <PPP packet sent at 03/06/2000 11:51:07:100 <Protocol = PAP, Type = Protocol specific, Length = 0x1b, Id = 0x0, Port =1 <C0 23 01 00 00 19 09 20 5C 73 70 6F 6E 61 6B 65 |.#..... \alfred| <0A 31 31 33 33 35 35 35 37 37 37               |.111111111111     |

Packet received or line went down in bucket # 1 RasGetInfo returned 0 hPort=1, RI_ConnState=2 RI_LastError=0 Received packet Bytes received in the packet = 46 Posting listen on address e90624 RasPortReceive returned 600 PPP packet received at 03/06/2000 11:51:08:923 Protocol = PAP, Type = Protocol specific, Length = 0x22, Id = 0x0, Port=1 C0 23 03 00 00 20 1B 50 61 73 73 77 6F 72 64 20 |.#... .Password | 76 61 6C 69 64 61 74 69 6F 6E 20 66 61 69 6C 75 |validation failu| 72 65                                          |re              | The following sample information demonstrates the behavior prior to Service Pack 6 when the Domain box contains a blank space. The user name is "Alfred": Authenticating phase started PPP packet sent at 03/07/2000 14:54:08:366 Protocol = PAP, Type = Protocol specific, Length = 0x19, Id = 0x6, Port = 2 <C0 23 01 06 00 17 07 73 70 6F 6E 61 6B 65 0A 31 |.#.....alfred.1| <31 33 33 35 35 35 37 37 37                     |111111111       | The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.

Additional query words: rras logon sp6 sp6a access pap chap

Keywords: kberrmsg kbnetwork kbprb KB256509

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