Problems Running Remote Registry and MSNDS (143398)

SYMPTOMS

When you try to use the Remote Registry service to remotely administer a computer running the Microsoft Service for NetWare Directory Services (MSNDS), you may receive one of the following error messages:

Unable to connect to <computer name>. Make sure that this computer is on the network, has remote administration enabled, and that both computers are running remote registry service.
Unable to connect to <computer name>. Make sure you have permission to administer the computer.

CAUSE

These errors can occur if any of the following conditions are true:

You attempt to use the Remote Registry service while you are logged on to a NetWare Directory Services (NDS) tree, and you are using a server for user-level security that is part of the same NDS tree.
You are logging on to an NDS tree and your password on the NDS tree is different than the password for your account on the server that is providing user-level security.
Bindery emulation is not set to the correct container on the NetWare 4.x server you are using for user-level security.

RESOLUTION

To connect to a remote workstation using the Remote Registry service with MSNDS, the following requirements must be met:

Both workstations must be set up for the Remote Registry service.
Both workstations must have Remote Administration set up correctly. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
141460 How to Install Remote Administration Services
User-level security must be installed and set to a bindery-based NetWare server that is not part of the NDS tree. The server can be either a NetWare 3.x server or a NetWare 4.x server with bindery emulation set for the container where user accounts reside. This server cannot be a member of the NDS tree you log on to.
Your password for the NDS tree must be the same as the password on the server you are using for user-level security.

NOTE: If your password for the user-level security server has been cached, it is possible to use a different password for logging on to the NDS tree.

MORE INFORMATION

The Remote Registry service requires the use of user-level security and is currently a bindery-based tool that does not understand NDS. Therefore, the server used for user-level security must not be part of the NDS tree you are logging on to.