How to Create a Browser Election Log File

ID: Q234870

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

SUMMARY

This article describes how to create a browser election log file. Browser election traffic can be difficult to track; the standard event logs only state that an election took place, not who won or lost it. It may be useful to enable debug logging for the browser service to determine who is forcing elections and what their criteria is. By doing so, you are also able to monitor which servers and domains are added to the browse list. This log file is named Bowser.log, and is located in the %SytemRoot% folder.

NOTE: The file name is Bowser.log, not Browser.log.

MORE INFORMATION

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).
To enable browser debug logging to create a browser election log file:

Back up the original file to replace after troubleshooting by renaming %Systemroot%\System32\Drivers\rdr.sys to %Systemroot%\System32\Drivers\rdr.bak

If the new file is named Rdr.chk, rename it to rdr.sys.

NOTE: The browser service is implemented in the Rdr.sys file. Place the checked build of the Rdr.sys file in the %Systemroot%\System32\Drivers folder.

After you replace the original file with the checked version, use Registry Editor to add the following values to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Rdr\Parameters
Value: BowserDebugLogLevel
Type: REG_DWORD
Data: ffffffff
Radix: Hex

Value: BowserDebugTraceLevel
Type: REG_DWORD
Data: ffffffff
Radix: Hex

NOTE: The entries are named Bowser, not Browser. Also, setting these values to ffffffff (eight f characters) enables maximum logging, however the logs will not grow very quickly.

Sample Log output:

Bowser::Find_Master: Master not found, forcing election. = Could not find the master browser, so force an election.

Bowser: Last election long enough ago, forcing election on \Device\NetBT_El90x1 = Wait a little while to decrease the chance of a browser storm.

Send true election. = The need to force an election that we think we can win is seen.

Send dummy election. = Force an election that we are not hoping to win, for example, shutting down the browser or because we cannot find a backup browser. The criteria of the election is 0x0.

New server: CENTAUR. Periodicity: 240 = A new server (CENTAUR) was found in our domain that we need to remember.

#New domain: EXDOM. Periodicity: 900 = A new domain (EXDOM) was found to add to our list of domains.

Domain pass for \Device\NetBT_El90x1 = We are going to search for new domains on the transport \Device\NetBT_El90x1.

Received election packet on net \Device\NetBT_El90x1 from machine CENTAUR. Version: 1; Criteria: 20010fa8; TimeUp: 8750 = A computer (named CENTAUR) forced an election, on the network transport \Device\NetBT_El90x1, it is running Browser version 1, its criteria is 20010fa8, and it has been up for 8750 seconds.

We lost the election = There was an election and we lost it.

Dummy election request ignored during election. = There is an election in process so we can discard the election packets with the criteria of 0x0.

Bowser:elect_rcv: Better criteria, calling elect_master in 100 milliseconds. = We received an election packet but we have better criteria, send our criteria and if we are not beat we will win in XXX milliseconds. We need to win an election 4 times for it to count.

Bowser: Browser is exempt from election = We recently lost an election, so we will not participate in this one. (Within 12 seconds.)

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbnetwork kbtool
Version : winnt:4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbhowto