DOCUMENT:Q137565 08-AUG-2001 [winnt] TITLE :System Error 53 When Connecting to a FQDN PRODUCT :Microsoft Windows NT PROD/VER:winnt:4.0 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS:kbnetwork kbWinNT400sp4fix ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 - Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0 - Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SYMPTOMS ======== When you attempt to connect to a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) from a Windows NT computer, you may receive the following error message: System error 53 has occurred. The network path was not found. NOTE: You may also receive this error if you misspell the name of the remote computer. CAUSE ===== When you attempt to establish a NetBIOS over TCP/IP connection (such as a file share or print share) to a remote computer, your computer must: - Locate the IP address for the remote computer. - Establish a TCP/IP connection to the remote computer. - Establish a NetBIOS session to one of the NetBIOS names registered on the remote computer. Windows NT 4.0 computers use the following logic when using a FQDN for this process: (for example, when you type "net use \\host1.domain2.com\public") - Use a DNS or hosts file to locate the IP address for host1.domain2.com. - Establish a TCP/IP connection to that IP address. - Try to establish a NetBIOS session to the NetBIOS name "host1". - If that fails, send an Adapter Status Query to the IP address, and parse the returned NetBIOS name table for the server name. - Establish a NetBIOS session to the server name. For cases when the hostname does not match the NetBIOS (server) name, this process relies upon the Adapter Status Query, which is a UDP datagram sent to UDP port 137. In some cases, such as certain firewall environments, the Adapter Status Query may fail. RESOLUTION ========== To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Q152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack An updated version of Rdr.sys offers a new registry parameter to slightly change the above logic: - Use a DNS or hosts file to locate the IP address for host1.domain2.com. - Establish a TCP/IP connection to that IP address. - Try to establish a NetBIOS session to the NetBIOS name "host1". - If that fails, try to establish a NetBIOS session to the NetBIOS name "*SMBSERVER ". Please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base for more information on the *SMBSERVER name and why it is registered on Windows NT servers: ARTICLE-ID: Q161431 TITLE : Connecting to NetBIOS Resources Using DNS Names or IP Addresses The new registry parameter that allows control of this behavior is: Value: FqdnUsesSmbServerName Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Rdr\Parameters Value Type: REG_DWORD - Boolean Valid Range: 0,1 (False,True) Default: 0 (False) Description: Setting this parameter to "1" causes your computer to try a NetBIOS session to the name "*SMBSERVER " instead of using an Adapter Status Query when the hostname part of a FQDN does not match the NetBIOS computername on the target system. STATUS ====== Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition Service Pack 4. Additional query words: 4.00 ====================================================================== Keywords : kbnetwork kbWinNT400sp4fix Technology : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400 kbNTTermServ400 kbNTTermServSearch Version : winnt:4.0 Issue type : kbbug Solution Type : kbfix ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2001.