MSDSS Does Not Migrate Group Membership (293405)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
This article was previously published under Q293405
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS

The Microsoft Directory Synchronization Services tool (MSDSS) may not migrate group membership when synchronizations are run. MSDSS migrates only members of "Security Equal To Me" by default.

CAUSE

This issue occurs because "Security Equal To Me" is the closest equivalent to how groups are used by Active Directory.

RESOLUTION

A supported fix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Apply it only to computers that are 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 about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

NOTE: In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later: 
   Date        Time   Size     File name   
   ----------------------------------------
   04/18/2001  18:30  40.2 KB  Ndsread.dll 
   04/18/2001  18:32  88.2 KB  Ndswrite.dll

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

After you install the hotfix, the following DWORD registry value is checked to determine if NDS "Members" should be used instead of NDS "Security Equivalent To Me" for group memberships:

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSDSS\Parameters\UseMemberAttribute

It the data value is set to 1, MSDSS uses the member attribute. If the data value is set to 0 or -1 (or does not exist), MSDSS uses the "Security Equivalent To Me" attribute.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:9/26/2005
Keywords:kbHotfixServer kbQFE kbbug kbfix kbQFE KB293405
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