Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me Dfs Clients May Not Display Files on a Dfs Share When You Use Second-Level Dfs Servers (300890)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 98
  • Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
  • Microsoft Windows 95
  • Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release 1
  • Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2
  • Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2.1
  • Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2.5
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 4.0
This article was previously published under Q300890

SYMPTOMS

If you create two different Microsoft Distributed file system (Dfs) shares (named \Good and \Bad in this example) on a Microsoft Windows NT 4.0-based root Dfs server (\\Dfs1) that point to two different second-level Dfs server shares (\\Dfs21\Test and \\Dfs22\Test, respectfully) that both point to the same network share (\\Server\Test), you may not be able to view files on this network share, depending on the second-level server that you use.

In this example, if you connect to \Bad from a Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me-based Dfs client, the \\Server\Test share may be empty. When you connect to \Good, you can correctly view the files in the share.

When you use a Windows NT or Windows 2000-based Dfs client, you can view the files from both shares.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because the Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me clients use the Dfs server function field from the Dfs Get Deferral answer from the server, and other Microsoft clients do not. In some cases, this field is invalid and causes the Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me client to incorrectly interpret the server share.

WORKAROUND

This problem is occurs only occasionally and may not occur if you create new share names on the secondary level of the Domain Name System (DNS) servers.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:12/20/2004
Keywords:kbenv kbnetwork kbprb KB300890
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.