Automatically Changing the Node Type of a Windows NT Workstation (167640)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
This article was previously published under Q167640

SUMMARY

In network installations, where IP addresses are assigned statically (DHCP is not used), it is often desirable to change the NetBIOS name resolution node type of a computer. This is time consuming when large numbers of computers are involved because an administrator must edit the registry of each computer where the node type is to be changed.

This article describes one possible method of automating the change.

MORE INFORMATION

  1. Create the following two-line text file and save it in ANSI (Windows) or DOS text format. It will not work if saved as a Unicode file. 
       \Registry\Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Parameters
   NodeType = REG_DWORD 0x00000004

   NOTE: Use 0x00000008 for hybrid node or h-node
         Use 0x00000004 for mixed node or m-node
         Use 0x00000002 for point-to-point WINS or p-node
         Use 0x00000001 for broadcast node or b-node

    For additional information with descriptions of the various settings for this key, please see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

    ARTICLE-ID: 160177
    TITLE : Default Node Type For Microsoft Clients

    ARTICLE-ID: 120642
    TITLE : TCP/IP and NBT Configuration Parameters for Windows 2000 or Windows NT

  2. Save the file as M-NODE.INI (change the first letter for node types other than mixed).
  3. Copy this file and the file Regini.exe from the Windows NT "Resource Kit" to either a floppy drive or a network share.
  4. The following command, executed at a workstation from the path where Regini.exe and M-NODE.INI are stored, will change the node type to mixed. Changing to other node types is done in the same fashion.

    REGINI M-NODE.INI

  5. This could be automated further by enclosing it in a batch file, or a logon script:

    @ECHO OFF
    REM NODE.BAT
    IF /I "%1" == "h" REGINI H-NODE.INI & GOTO END
    IF /I "%1" == "m" REGINI M-NODE.INI & GOTO END
    IF /I "%1" == "p" REGINI P-NODE.INI & GOTO END
    IF /I "%1" == "b" REGINI B-NODE.INI & GOTO END
    ECHO USAGE: NODE X where X is the desired node type (H, M, P, OR B).
    :END

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:6/3/2003
Keywords:kbenv kbhowto kbnetwork KB167640
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