Windows NT Workstation Sends SMB Request Continuously

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.51, 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.51, 4.0

SYMPTOMS

A user with administrator privileges from the accounts domain logs on to a computer running Windows NT Workstation 4.0. The workstation is in the resource domain. If the user connects to a share on the Primary Domain Controller (PDC) of the resource domain through Windows Explorer or Network Neighborhood, right-clicks a directory in the share, selects the security tab and selects permissions, the workstation begins to loop. File Manager can be used to connect to the shared directory in question. Querying the security information will produce the same symptoms. This loop is not detectable through the UI of the workstation or the server. It is only detected through a network analyzer trace. The same packets are continuously sent between the workstation and server until the Windows Explorer dialog boxes are closed.

CAUSE

The workstation continuously requests a notify change for the shared directory that it connected to, and the server will respond with INVALID USER IDENTIFIER ERROR (91). The application, Windows Explorer, indicates that change notify completed successfully and resubmits a subsequent change notify request. The workstation continues to send the "notify change" request and the server continues to respond with the error message. This loop will continue until the user on the workstation cancels the operation by closing Network Neighborhood or Windows Explorer. This problem only occurs the first time that a user performs the operation in question. If the user shuts down Windows Explorer and tries again, the extra packets are not produced. The workstation must be restarted.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, explicitly establish a connection to the server through Net use \\servername\ipc$.

RESOLUTION

Obtain the fix mentioned below or wait for the next Windows NT service pack. Rdr.sys has been fixed. A failure indication is returned to the application, Windows Explorer, in the case of the change notify query. As a result, the application does not submit a subsequent change notify request.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 3.51. A supported fix is now available, but has not been fully regression-tested and should be applied only to systems experiencing this specific problem. Unless you are severely impacted by this specific problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Service Pack that contains this fix. Contact Microsoft Technical Support for more information.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 4.0. This problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 U.S. Service Pack. For information on obtaining the service pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

S E R V P A C K

Keywords : kbnetwork ntdomain kbbug4.00 kbfix4.00 kbfix4.00.sp2 NTSrvWkst
Version : 3.51 4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbbug