DNS Server Fails to Start Due to Unavailable RPC Server Error

 Last reviewed: December 31, 1997
Article ID: Q171781
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

After your Microsoft Windows NT Domain Name Service (DNS) server starts, you may receive one or more of the following event log error messages: 

   Event ID: 157
   Source:   DNS
   Description: DNS Server is not root authoritative and no cache file
   specified. A cache file must be specified when the DNS server is not
   authoritative for the root domain. The cache file must contain NS
   record(s) for root DNS servers and corresponding A record(s) for the
   root DNS servers. Otherwise, the DNS server will be unable to contact
   the root DNS server on startup and will be unable to answer queries for
   names outside of its own authoritative zones.

   -or-

   Event ID: 7023
   Source: Service Control Manager
   Description: The Microsoft DNS Server service terminated with the
   following error: The system cannot find the file specified.

   -or-

   Event ID: 3
   Source: DNS
   Description: The DNS Server has shutdown.
You may also see your DNS server in the server list of the DNS Manager with a red X on it, indicating that the DNS service is unavailable and you may see the following message in the DNS Manager: 

   The RPC Server is unavailable.

CAUSE

The registry key that determines whether your DNS server initializes from a boot file or from the registry may not have been updated properly.

RESOLUTION

You will need to edit a value in the registry and, if your DNS server initializes from a boot file, you may need to copy a new boot file into the DNS folder.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious, system-wide problems that may require you to reinstall Windows NT to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use this tool at your own risk.

  1. Start Registry Editor (regedt32.exe) and locate the following subkey:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dns\Parameters

  2. Edit the following value for your specific needs:

    Value Name: EnableRegistryBoot Value Type: REG_DWORD 

       Data:       1 or 0  (1 for registry boot, 0 for boot file)

  3. Quit Registry Editor.

This value was set to 1 when the first zone was created, and by default the boot file's information was then migrated into the registry. When resetting this registry value back to zero, it then disables the DNS server from booting or initializing from the registry. If the DNS Server does not boot from the registry, then it must initialize from a boot file. A backup boot file can be found in the following location: 

   %SystemRoot%\System32\Dns\Backup
This file should be copied to the Dns folder and then start the DNS service.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 4.0. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available. 

Keywords          : kbbug4.00 ntnetserv NTSrv nttcp kbnetwork
Version           : WinNT:4.0
Platform          : winnt

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Last reviewed: December 31, 1997
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