Microsoft KB Archive/904946

Knowledge Base

You experience intermittent communication failure between computers that are running Windows XP or Windows Server 2003

Article ID: 904946

Article Last Modified on 9/8/2006

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APPLIES TO

• Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32-bit x86)
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86)
• Microsoft Windows XP Professional
• Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

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Important This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows registry

SYMPTOMS

If the following conditions are true, you may experience intermittent communication failure between computers that are running Microsoft Windows Server 2003 or that are running Microsoft Windows XP:

• The network adapter is configured to use checksum offloading.
• Windows Firewall is turned on.

WORKAROUND

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

To work around this problem, turn off checksum offloading on the network adapter. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters

3. In the right pane, make sure that the DisableTaskOffload registry entry exists. If this entry does not exist, follow these steps to add the entry:
   1. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
   2. Type DisableTaskOffload, and then press ENTER.
4. Click DisableTaskOffload.
5. On the Edit menu, click Modify.
6. Type 1 in the Value data box, and then press ENTER.
7. Exit Registry Editor.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about the DisableTaskOffload registry entry, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/reskit/regentry/94176.mspx?mfr=true

Keywords: kbtshoot KB904946

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