Knowledge Base

Your computer stops responding when you try to access a DFS shared folder in Windows 2000

Article ID: 832494

Article Last Modified on 10/26/2006

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server

SYMPTOMS

When you try to access a Distributed File System (DFS) shared folder, your Microsoft Windows 2000-based computer may stop responding (hang). To recover, you must restart the computer.

CAUSE

This problem may occur after you create a cyclical link with a domain-based DFS shared folder that is located on a Windows 2000 server. If you try to access the DFS shared folder, all the threads in the critical work queue on your computer are blocked, because the cyclical link causes the Multiple UNC Provider (MUP) to loop endlessly when it tries to locate the shared folder. When this problem occurs, CPU usage increases to 100 percent and remains there until you restart your computer.

RESOLUTION

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that this article describes. Apply it only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem.

To resolve this problem, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Note In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

Prerequisites

This hotfix requires Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 (SP3) or later.

Restart requirement

You must restart your computer after you apply this hotfix.

Hotfix replacement information

This hotfix does not replace any other hotfixes.

File information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

   Date         Time   Version            Size    File name
   ---------------------------------------------------------
   09-Dec-2003  22:11  5.0.2195.6881      90,896  Dfssvc.exe

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

MORE INFORMATION

You may accidentally create a cyclical link if you create a domain root DFS shared folder and then add a link to this shared folder that refers back to itself. For an example of this scenario, follow these steps, where Data and Photos represent sample folders on your Windows 2000 DFS server:

Create a shared folder that is named Data, and then create a subfolder that is named Photos.
Create a domain DFS root that points to the Data shared folder.
Create a DFS link that points to the \\ServerName\Data\Photos folder.

When you try to access the Photos folder in the \\ServerName\Data shared folder, your computer stops responding.

If you try to create a DFS cyclical link after you apply this hotfix, you receive an error message. For additional information about how hotfix packages are named, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

816915 New file naming schema for Microsoft Windows software update packages

For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

824684 Description of the standard terminology that is used to describe Microsoft software updates

Keywords: kbhotfixserver kbqfe kbbug kbfix kbqfe kbwin2000presp5fix KB832494

Microsoft KB Archive/832494

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