XP SP2 and DFS link to local share

[Guest]

Hey all,

I have DFS setup in our domain, mostly used to provide a single access point
to shares which reside on different workstations. There is no replication
involved. The DFS Root is a share setup to contain the DFS links and nothing
else. The DFS Root is on a Windows 2000 Server that's up to date.

For consistency/ease of use for my users, the name of the link in the DFS
Root is the same as the actual share name it's pointing to.

The DFS Root is mapped as a network drive during a user's logon.

Since SP2, DFS continues to work, except when it comes to accessing a share
that is on the local machine. A network path not found error is returned.

For example

\\DFS Root\<local share name>\ - will return the network not found path
error.
Browsing to the location through the network to the DFS Root or the mapped
drive gives the same result.

But
\\<local computer name>\<local share name> - still works okay to access the
same share.

Additionally, if one checks the properties on the link to the local share in
the DFS root and checks the DFS tab everything appears okay, and "check
status" will even return that the link is "Okay". Even after having Windows
confirm the link is "Okay" the local client is not able to access it.

This issue only appears to occur on XP SP2, SP1 still works properly, as do
Windows 2000 SP4 workstations. I have experienced this on numerous different
XP Pro workstations.

I had originally thought it may just have been an issue with the new Windows
firewall, but I was unable to find any dropped packets related to this in the
logs, and even completely disabling the firewall did not correct the problem.

Thanks for any input you can offer.

 

[Jonathan Yantis]

I am having the same exact problem here too. Ever since I installed
SP2 for XP, I can not access local shares from their DFS location
exactly like you describe. Can anyone else out there test this. The
only thing different I might have running is IPv6...

Thanks

 

[Guest]

As a follow up,

I don't have IPv6 installed here, so that shouldn't be the issue.

After I posted originally I saw MS had released this article relating to the
first hotfix for SP2

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];884020

The article states that SP2 changed the way it handles the loopback range
(127.0.0.0/8) in that it now only allows connections to 127.0.0.1. Apparently
this doesn't apply to ICMP as I can still ping any address in the range and
get a response from 127.0.0.1.

This range is almost certainly used when accessing the local host through
DFS, but I am unable to determine if it's using 127.0.0.1 or something else.

The only thing I have to confirm the loopback usage is a repeatable (by
trying to access the share through dfs) eventlog error (systemlog - 3019 from
MRxSMB) saying "the redirector failed to determine the connection type",
which makes sense since there is no auto-negotation by the loopback device.

Unfortunately I havent been able to find anything (free) I can use to sniff
the loopback traffic since it's a pseudo device. All the traffic that
actually hits the wire looks okay.

I'd try the aforementioned hotfix, but I'd rather have my users cope with
the immense burden of having to access the local folder some other way.

 

[Guest]

I am have the same problem. I have an XP Pro SP2 workstation, where I store
all my programming projects, 5 other XP Pro SP2 workstations and a Windows
2003 Server. I have created a share to the main project folder and it is
linked in DFS. I then use a domain login script so that all of my
workstations get the same drive letter for that share via the DFS link. This
enables me to use any workstation to edit and compile source code that
contains static paths using the shared drive letter. The catch is, as you
say, the workstation that houses the actual share can't access the link in
DFS, however, the other workstations have no problem accessing it. This may
not be a problem for big businesses that are not using XP workstations for
sharing via DFS, but it is really a big problem for me.

If anyone from Microsoft is paying attention, please respond to this message
chain with some encouraging news

As a follow up,

I don't have IPv6 installed here, so that shouldn't be the issue.

After I posted originally I saw MS had released this article relating to the
first hotfix for SP2

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];884020

The article states that SP2 changed the way it handles the loopback range
(127.0.0.0/8) in that it now only allows connections to 127.0.0.1. Apparently
this doesn't apply to ICMP as I can still ping any address in the range and
get a response from 127.0.0.1.

This range is almost certainly used when accessing the local host through
DFS, but I am unable to determine if it's using 127.0.0.1 or something else.

The only thing I have to confirm the loopback usage is a repeatable (by
trying to access the share through dfs) eventlog error (systemlog - 3019 from
MRxSMB) saying "the redirector failed to determine the connection type",
which makes sense since there is no auto-negotation by the loopback device.

Unfortunately I havent been able to find anything (free) I can use to sniff
the loopback traffic since it's a pseudo device. All the traffic that
actually hits the wire looks okay.

I'd try the aforementioned hotfix, but I'd rather have my users cope with
the immense burden of having to access the local folder some other way.

I am having the same exact problem here too. Ever since I installed
SP2 for XP, I can not access local shares from their DFS location
exactly like you describe. Can anyone else out there test this. The
only thing different I might have running is IPv6...

Thanks

 

[cang]

*Hey all,

I have DFS setup in our domain, mostly used to provide a singl
access point
to shares which reside on different workstations. There is n
replication
involved. The DFS Root is a share setup to contain the DFS links an
nothing
else. The DFS Root is on a Windows 2000 Server that's up to date.

For consistency/ease of use for my users, the name of the link in th
DFS
Root is the same as the actual share name it's pointing to.

The DFS Root is mapped as a network drive during a user's logon.

Since SP2, DFS continues to work, except when it comes to accessing
share
that is on the local machine. A network path not found error i
returned.

For example

\\DFS Root\<local share name>\ - will return the network not foun
path
error.
Browsing to the location through the network to the DFS Root or th
mapped
drive gives the same result.

But
\\<local computer name>\<local share name> - still works okay t
access the
same share.

Additionally, if one checks the properties on the link to the loca
share in
the DFS root and checks the DFS tab everything appears okay, an
"check
status" will even return that the link is "Okay". Even after havin
Windows
confirm the link is "Okay" the local client is not able to acces
it.

This issue only appears to occur on XP SP2, SP1 still works properly
as do
Windows 2000 SP4 workstations. I have experienced this on numerou
different
XP Pro workstations.

I had originally thought it may just have been an issue with the ne
Windows
firewall, but I was unable to find any dropped packets related t
this in the
logs, and even completely disabling the firewall did not correct th
problem.

Thanks for any input you can offer. *

:what... yeah, I got the exactly same problem with DFS after update t
SP2.

I've tried to apply that KB884020 fix from MS also, even disabl
Windows Firewall and ICS Service but there's no help.

Please help...

Thanks and regards


-
can

 

[Guest]

Good news,

I found a thread from a few days ago on
microsoft.public.windows.server.dfs_frs about this same issue. The suggested
solution was to add a value (REG_DWORD) named "EnableDfsLoopbackTargets" to
HKLM/System/CurrentControlSet/Services/Mup/Parameters and set it to 1.

I tried this and it worked (reboot required).

Try it at your own risk, and for your own sanity, back up your registry
prior to editing it.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;322756

 

[cang]

*Good news,

I found a thread from a few days ago on
microsoft.public.windows.server.dfs_frs about this same issue. Th
suggested
solution was to add a value (REG_DWORD) name
"EnableDfsLoopbackTargets" to
HKLM/System/CurrentControlSet/Services/Mup/Parameters and set it t
1.

I tried this and it worked (reboot required).

Try it at your own risk, and for your own sanity, back up you
registry
prior to editing it.
http://tinyurl.com/bpov *

That's great, thanks bud

I don't really got the address, can you clarify it? I followed the onl
link on your post to an MS web site about something about backing u
REGISTRY.

But anyway, I'm trying to do it..


-
can

 

[Guest]

Heh,

Sorry, I didn't read the message though before I posted it and forgot to
include the link.

A link to the post i was refferring to is

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=...ff&selm=#[email protected]

It was posted in "microsoft.public.windows.server.dfs_frs"
and the subject was "Link to XP share fails"

The other link was incase you aren't comfortable with the registry.

Hope that helps.