"TDS Buffer Length Too Large" Error Connecting to SQL Server

• Microsoft Query for Windows, version 1.0

SUMMARY

When you use Microsoft Query, when you try to connect to an SQL Server database, you may receive an error message similar to the following:

   Connection Failed
   SQLState S1000
   SQL Error 65528
   TDS buffer length too large.

CAUSE

If the client workstation is running Microsoft Windows for Workgroups version 3.11 client (WFW 3.11) and the SQL Server is on a Microsoft Windows NT version 3.5 server, you may have a feature called "direct hosting" enabled. Direct hosting allows the virtual redirector on the client side and the network server on the server side to communicate directly with the underlying NWLink transport, bypassing NetBIOS, which provides faster performance. However, direct hosting can prevent existing WFW 3.11 clients from reliably connecting to the NT SQL Server.

This problem may occur after you upgrade the operating system on which SQL Server runs from Windows NT 3.1 to version 3.5. The typical symptom of this problem is that WFW 3.11 SQL Server clients are unable to connect to SQL Server on Windows NT 3.5 using named pipes over NWLink.

RESOLUTIONS

To correct this connection problem, you can use either of the methods below.

   NOTE: Although either of the following methods should work, the method 1
   is preferred because it provides a general maintenance upgrade along
   with a number of fixes and improvements.

          There are six updated Windows for Workgroups 3.11 system files
          that include a new version of the Windows for Workgroups
          redirector and other network support files that provide improved
          performance. These files are distributed on the Windows NT Server
          version 3.5 CD, in the CLIENTS\WFW\UPDATE directory. These
          updated files are the following:

             NDIS.386
             NET.EXE
             NETAPI.DLL
             NWNBLINK.386
             VNETSUP.386
             VREDIR.386

          These files should be used only for WFW 3.11. They will allow
          named pipe connections to work properly to Microsoft SQL Server
          over direct host IPX.

          To install these new files on a computer running WFW 3.11:

          1. Copy all the files from the CLIENTS\WFW\UPDATE directory on
             the Windows  NT Server CD into the local C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM
             directory of the Windows for Workgroups 3.11-based client.

             NOTE: Remember to use the Windows NT Server CD. The Microsoft
             SQL Server CD does not contain these files.

          2. On the Windows for Workgroups 3.11-based client, move the
             NET.EXE file from C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM to C:\WINDOWS.

          3. Restart the WFW 3.11 workstation.

          If you prefer not to apply the updated WFW 3.11 files as
          described above, you can avoid the named pipes connection problem
          by updating the SYSTEM.INI file on the WFW 3.11 clients.

          Using any text editor, edit the SYSTEM.INI file to set
          DirectHost=off in the [network] section as shown below:

             [network]  DirectHost=off

          You need to reboot your client workstation after this
          modification.

   ARTICLE-ID: Q121258
   TITLE     : PRB: Connect to SQL on NT 3.5 from WFW 3.11 via Named Pipes