SMSINST: "Access Denied" Error Message When You Try to Connect to a Shared Network Printer (162695)

SYMPTOMS

If you do both of the following on a Windows NT Workstation-based computer that connects to a network printer share

On the Start menu, point to Settings, and then click Printers.
Double-click the shared network printer icon.

you receive the following error message:

Access Denied: Unable to Connect

Therefore, the printer queue that is displayed is empty, and users cannot control (for example, delete or cancel) their own print jobs.

NOTE: You can still print from this computer even though you receive this error message.

CAUSE

Systems Management Server Installer cannot handle multiple REG_MULTI_SZ registry entries, but instead, only the first entry of such a registry entry is used in the package.

The problem may occur after you install a third-party product that added entries to the following registry keys:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlset\Services\LanmanServer
   \Parameters\NullSessionShares

-and-

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ CurrentControlset\Services\LanmanServer
   \Parameters\NullSessionPipes

In this case, when a Systems Management Server package was created, Systems Management Server distributed only the first of the REG_MULTI_SZ entries named above. All other entries (for example, spoolss) were lost under the NullSessionPipes key. This causes workstations to receive an "access denied" error message when connecting to the printer share.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use an external utility designed for editing multi-string registry values. Execution of such utilities can be accomplished within Systems Management Server Installer by using the Execute Program script item.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Systems Management Server Installer version 1.0, Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0, and Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information on Systems Management Server Installer and multiple REG_MULTI_SZ registry entries, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

174328 SMSINST: Repackage Does Not Capture REG_MULTI_SZ Changes

For more information on services using the system account and null sessions, see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

132679 Local System Account and Null Sessions in Windows NT

122702 Using the System Account as a Service in Windows NT 3.5

121281 LMHOSTS #Include Directives Requires Null Session Support