Computer Name Missing in the Browsing List When Server Comment More Than 48 Characters (231312)

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0

This article was previously published under Q231312

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

When the server comment is greater than 48 characters, the server name may disappear from the browsing list. The server comment may be set by typing the following command at an MS-DOS command prompt:

net config server /srvcomment:"text"

NOTE: This command does not allow you to specify a srvcomment greater than 48 characters. Nevertheless, the problem may exist if the srvcomment size is greater than 48 characters when it set directly in the registry (HKLM\System\CCS\Service\LanmanServer\Parameters).

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, ensure that the length of the server comment (srvcomment) is not greater than 48 characters.

MORE INFORMATION

The 48 characters limitation of srvcomment is a design limitation. When this symptom occurs, the browsing mechanism seems to work fine from a network capture point of view. The Host Announcement and Local Master Announcement are done normally. The full srvcomment is sent inside the network datagram (even if the length of srvcomment is greater than 48 characters). However, this kind of datagram is discarded by the master browser.

For information on how to type a comment in the Description Box of Windows 2000-Based Computer's Network Identification Properties, see:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q243/1/66.asp

Modification Type:	Major	Last Reviewed:	7/3/2003
Keywords:	kbprb KB231312