Replacing a Local WINS Database from a Replica Server

• Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.51, 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition version 4.0

SUMMARY

If a Microsoft Windows NT Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) database becomes corrupted, it may be necessary to rebuild its contents from the records of other WINS servers. This rebuilding can be done by starting the WINS service with a fresh database and bringing records from replication partners.

MORE INFORMATION

Normally, a WINS server will not receive records it owns from replication partners. If records are lost on a local database, it is difficult to replace these records, even if they exist in other WINS servers that are the local server's replication partners. This difficulty is because there are generally no records that exist on other servers that are higher than the local server's highest version ID. WINS servers use record version IDs to keep track of which records are new and need to be replicated to other WINS servers. Every record in a WINS database has an owner associated with it. This owner is generally the server that the WINS client originally registered with.

When the Microsoft WINS service is started with a blank database, it will replicate back records from other servers' records that are owned itself. This is because it starts with a fresh version ID.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).

On a WINS network with many records, a registry entry will keep the server from accepting queries or registrations until the database is reconstructed. This entry is configured by setting the following registry parameter to 1.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Wins\Parameters
\InitTimePause

NOTE: The above registry key is one path; it has been wrapped for readability.

Data Type : REG_DWORD
Range : 0 or 1

This registry entry is also documented in the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q135922 Windows NT Registry Parameters for WINS

Keywords :
Version : WinNT:3.51,4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbinfo