How to Remove and Reinstall the Workstation Service (248057)

MORE INFORMATION

To remove and reinstall only the Workstation service, use the following steps:

1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network.
2. On the Services tab, click the Workstation service. Make note of the other services that are installed on your computer at this time.
3. Click Remove, click Yes when you receive the warning message, and then click Close.
4. After the bindings re-configuration tasks are complete, restart your computer and log on locally with local Administrator privileges.
   
   NOTE: You may receive a logon message stating that a domain controller for your domain could not be located. If you receive this message, click OK.
5. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network.
6. Click the Services tab. Click Yes when the following message is displayed:
   Windows NT networking is not installed. Do you want to install it now?
7. Click the appropriate network connection (RAS or Wired connection).
8. Search for your network adapter. When you are finished, click Next.
9. Click the network protocol you want to use, and then click Next.
10. Click the Workstation service, and then click Next.
11. When the Ready to Install dialog box is displayed, click Next.
12. Specify the location of installation media or files, and then click Next.
13. When you receive a warning message stating that TCP/IP is already installed, click OK.
14. When you receive a warning message stating that the server already exists on the system, click OK.
15. When you receive a warning message stating that the NetBIOS interface already exists on the system, click OK.
16. You will receive similar warning messages for each of the remaining services you noted in step 2 when you removed the Workstation service. Click OK when you receive each warning message.
17. After you finish the installation, click Next twice.
18. Accept the defaults for the workgroup assignment.
19. Restart the computer, and then log on to the domain as normal.

You should use this procedure only as a last resort in getting the Workstation service to work properly. Because the Workstation service was the only service you removed, you receive warning messages for the other default Windows NT networking services that are installed during this process.

During a typical network services installation, you must provide detailed information about the Internet Protocol (IP), subnet mask, and so on. Because you did not remove any other services, when the binding configurations are applied after the reinstallation, all prior network-related services information remains intact. This is why it is possible to leave the computer in a workgroup in the final stages of the reinstallation. The original domain membership was applied in the binding configuration sequence.

You may have to use the procedure outlined in this article after you have exhausted all other options, and you may receive the following error message when you attempt to start the Workstation service: The following error messages are related to the Workstation service: Before you use the procedure outlined in this article, ensure the Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS) database on the network does not have an entry for the computer name. The procedure outlined in this article should be considered a last effort.