Apparent Active Directory Problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter Edwin G. Castro
  • Start date Start date
E

Edwin G. Castro

I have some symptoms that seem related and seem related to
active directory. I am running Windows XP Professional
Version 2002 Service Pack 1.

I used to be able to access a server using the following
names:

\\hostname.localnet.com
\\hostname
\\alias.localnet.com
\\alias

Recently, whenever I use the short names (\\hostname or
\\alias) things seem to work correctly. But if I use the
long names (\\hostname.localnet.com or
\\alias.localnet.com) I get errors. Following are some of
those errors:

* If I type \\hostname.localnet.com in the Run dialog box
I receive the following error: "No network provider
accepted the given network path."
* If I run "net view \\hostname.localnet.com" from the
command line I receive the following error: "System error
53 has occurred. The network path was not found."
* If I try to map a network drive using
\\hostname.localnet.com\share\dir as the folder I
get: "The drive could not be mapped because no network was
found."

In each case above I receive the same errors using
\\alias.localnet.com, but they all work correctly is I use
the shorter names (\\hostname or \\alias).

Another interesting symptom I discovered is that if I use
\\hostname in the Run dialog box an explorer window
correctly opens showing me all the shares on that server.
If I click "Search Active Directory" on the left side of
the window, in the Network Tasks pane, I receive the
following error: "The Directory Service is currently
unavailable."

I only see this behavior on my machine. All other
computers on the network work correctly. I had another
user log on to see if he experienced the same problem and,
sure enough, he did. I started noticing the problem
yesterday after having the Windows XP Internet Connection
Firewall turned on during the weekend. I have turned it
off since then but the problem still remains.

Any help anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Please let me know if more information is required.
Thanks!!

--Edwin G. Castro
 
Dear Edwin,

Thank you for your posting.

According to your post, "network path was not found" error will occur when
accessing with full computer name.

If I have misunderstood your concern please don't hesitate to let me know.

1. Please enter CMD mode, and then type "Ping computername" command. For
example, if your computer's name is Edwin, the command is "Ping Edwin".

You are to receive instruction like "Pinging from Edwin.corp.....hp.com",
that's the correct FQDN(fully-qualified domain name) name.

If the Ping result is successful, please then ping the listed FQDN name,
and then paste the \\"FQDN" in Run box to test the situation.

2. If the FQDN name cannot be Pinged, please run "Tracert" command and then
contact me with the result. In the meantime, please ensure that ICF has
been disabled completely, rather than partly enabled.

Sincerely,

Seaver Ren

Product Support Services
Microsoft Corporation

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
 
Edwin G. Castro said:
I have some symptoms that seem related and seem related to
active directory. I am running Windows XP Professional
Version 2002 Service Pack 1.

I used to be able to access a server using the following
names:

\\hostname.localnet.com
\\hostname
\\alias.localnet.com
\\alias

Recently, whenever I use the short names (\\hostname or
\\alias) things seem to work correctly. But if I use the
long names (\\hostname.localnet.com or
\\alias.localnet.com) I get errors. Following are some of
those errors:

* If I type \\hostname.localnet.com in the Run dialog box
I receive the following error: "No network provider
accepted the given network path."
* If I run "net view \\hostname.localnet.com" from the
command line I receive the following error: "System error
53 has occurred. The network path was not found."
* If I try to map a network drive using
\\hostname.localnet.com\share\dir as the folder I
get: "The drive could not be mapped because no network was
found."

In each case above I receive the same errors using
\\alias.localnet.com, but they all work correctly is I use
the shorter names (\\hostname or \\alias).

Another interesting symptom I discovered is that if I use
\\hostname in the Run dialog box an explorer window
correctly opens showing me all the shares on that server.
If I click "Search Active Directory" on the left side of
the window, in the Network Tasks pane, I receive the
following error: "The Directory Service is currently
unavailable."

I only see this behavior on my machine. All other
computers on the network work correctly. I had another
user log on to see if he experienced the same problem and,
sure enough, he did. I started noticing the problem
yesterday after having the Windows XP Internet Connection
Firewall turned on during the weekend. I have turned it
off since then but the problem still remains.

Any help anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Please let me know if more information is required.
Thanks!!

--Edwin G. Castro
Click to expand...


Sounds like DNS failure.
Name resolution sequence works like this:
('long name' = FQDN )

FQDN? Y-> submit to DNS. -> resolved or failure.->end.
|
N
|
Single Label? -> Append DNS suffix -> submit to DNS-> resolved or failure.
|
If last step failed, Last resort:
<16 characters? -> Submit to NetBIOS.


When you give a FQDN, if DNS fails, thar's the end of the line.

When you specify the short name, after DNS fails,
it can fall back on NetBIOS name resolution, which works.

All the Active Directory problems flow from the DNS failure.

Go to a command prompt, and do an IPCONFIG /ALL.
Check the DNS server listed is the same as the good machines.

**It ought to be pointing to your Internal DNS server only.**
** Not an external ISP'd DNS server!! **

Check you can ping the internal DNS server.

Run NSLOOKUP from the command prompt.
Ensure it is using your local DNS server as the default server.
Enter a local machine's FQDN and see what happens.
 
"ping hostname.localnet.com" works. The machine responds.
"ping alias.localnet.com" works.
"ping hostname" and "ping alias" also work.

In the run dialog box \\hostname and \\alias work but
\\hostname.localnet.com and \\alias.localnet.com do not.

How do I verify that ICF is completely disabled?
 
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