Cannot Browse Network Neighborhood if PDC Is on Separate Subnet

ID: Q238853

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
Microsoft Windows 98
Microsoft Windows 95

SYMPTOMS

If your Microsoft Windows NT Server-based Primary Domain Controller (PDC) is on a separate subnet and you double-click Entire Network in the Network Neighborhood window, you may receive the following error message:

Network Neighborhood

Unable to browse the network.
The network is not accessible.
For more information, look in the Help Index at the topic "Network Troubleshooter".

Also, if you try to use the "net view" command at a command prompt, you may receive the following error message:

Error 6118: The computer(s) sharing resources in this workgroup cannot be located. The computer(s) might have been restarted. Wait a few minutes, and then try again. If the problem persists, make sure your network-adapter settings are correct.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because Windows 98 incorporates an update to the server component (Vserver.vxd) that is also available as a hotfix for Windows 95. This update addresses handling of null-session connections in a user-level security environment. When connecting to a Windows 98/95 Browse Master, the redirector always uses a null session; the Browse Master generates an Error 5 (Access Denied) if there is already an authenticated NetBIOS session open. If the browse master is a Windows NT-based computer, this does not occur, because the redirector issues the request on the existing, authenticated session.

RESOLUTION

A supported fix that corrects this problem is now available from Microsoft, but it has not been fully regression tested and should be applied only to systems experiencing this specific problem.

To resolve this problem, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information on support costs, please go to the following address on the World Wide Web:

http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/overview/overview.asp

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:


   Date     Time    Version   Size    File name Platform
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------
   09/29/99 02:00pm 4.00.1122 157,285 VREDIR.VXD Windows 95 (all versions)
   09/20/99 04:54pm 4.10.2150 165,461 VREDIR.VXD Windows 98 (retail)
   09/20/99 03:41pm 4.10.2226 165,461 VREDIR.VXD Windows 98 Second Edition

The Portuguese (Brazilian) version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:


   Date     Time    Version   Size    File name Platform
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------
   10/14/99 09:14pm 4.00.1122 157,285 VREDIR.VXD Windows 95 (all versions)
   10/14/99 07:39pm 4.10.2150 165,461 VREDIR.VXD Windows 98 (retail)
   10/14/99 09:14pm 4.10.2226 165,461 VREDIR.VXD Windows 98 Second Edition

NOTE: If this product was already installed on your computer when you purchased it from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and you need this fix, please call the Pay Per Incident number listed on the above Web site. If you contact Microsoft to obtain this fix, and if it is determined that you only require the fix you requested, no fee will be charged. However, if you request additional technical support, and if your no-charge technical support period has expired, or if you are not eligible for standard no-charge technical support, you may be charged a non-refundable fee.

For more information about eligibility for no-charge technical support, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q154871 Determining If You Are Eligible for No-Charge Technical Support

To work around this problem:

If there are no Windows NT-based computers on the subnet, move one into the subnet to act as the Browse Master.

If there is already a Windows NT-based computer on the subnet, move all of the Windows 98/95-based clients into a workgroup with the same name as the Windows NT domain

If the only enabled Browse Master is a Windows 95-based computer, configure it for share-level security.

If the only enabled Browse Master is a Windows 95-based computer, remove the update referenced in MORE INFORMATION below.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about the Vserver.vxd update, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q169841 "Access Denied" Accessing Windows 95 Share from Windows NT 4.0

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbenv kberrmsg kbnetwork kbtool win95 win98 win98se
Version : WINDOWS:95
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb