Issues Accessing or Using Network Resources in Windows Millennium Edition (272991)

SYMPTOMS

Any of the following symptoms may occur when you access or use network resources on Windows Millennium Edition (Me):

When you right-click your hard disk or a folder in Windows Me, the Sharing option may not be available even though you installed the Microsoft File and Printer Sharing feature and the feature appears to be configured correctly.

Additionally, when you start the Home Networking Wizard, you may receive the following error message on a blue screen:
VServer(01) + 00004d75 - Error: 0E: 0028:XXXXXX
When you try to access a network resource or when trying to browse the entire network in My Network Places, you receive a dialog box with the following message:
The Network is not present or not started.
When you try to connect to a network resource through UNC (for example, \\computername), you receive the following message:
\\computername
The network is not present or not started.
When you try to access a previously mapped drive in My Computer or Windows Explorer, you receive the following message:
The following error occurred while reconnecting to X: to \\computername\sharename
Permanent connection not available.
where X is the previously mapped drive letter, computername is the name of the server, and sharename is the name of the shared folder.
When double-clicking on a network resource that appears in My Network Places, you receive the following message:
Unable to browse the network.
Windows is unable to gain access to the network. This may be for a number or reasons.
For more information, click Help.
No dialog box for logging on to the Client for Microsoft Networks is presented.
You are not able to connect to remote computers via the SMB client.
Winsock programs do not function correctly.
If you run Nbtstat, you receive the following error message:
Failed to access NetBT Driver -- NetBT may not be loaded

RESOLUTION

To resolve this behavior, perform the following steps:

Check to see if the following registry key is missing:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\Vnetbios
If the preceding registry key is missing, rebuild it. The following default values for the key are:

(bin) NetClean: 01
(bin) Start: 00
(str) StaticVxD: vnetbios.vxd
Restart your computer.
If the problem still exists, download the fix described in the next paragraph.

A supported fix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Apply it only to computers that are experiencing this specific problem.

To resolve this problem immediately, download the fix by clicking the download link later in this article or contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

NOTE: In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

Download 272991usam.exe now

For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services

Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help to prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.

If You Cannot Apply the Fix

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To resolve this behavior if you cannot apply the fix, verify that the Vnetbios.vxd file is in the Windows\System folder, and then verify that there is a registry entry for the file:

Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click MS-DOS Prompt.
At the command prompt, type cd \, and then press ENTER.
Type cd windows, and then press ENTER.
Type cd system, and then press ENTER.
Type dir vnetbios.vxd /ah, and then press ENTER.

If the file is reported as found, verify that there is a correct registry entry for it. If you receive the "file not found" error message, click Extract File in the System Configuration Utility tool (Msconfig.exe), and then extract the file to the Windows\System folder.

For additional information about how to extract files with the System Configuration Utility tool, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

265371 How to Extract and Replace a Protected File in Windows Me

To manually re-create the registry key for the Vnetbios.vxd file, use Registry Editor and create the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VXD\Vnetbios

In the Vnetbios key, create the following values:

Value name: NetClean
Value type: Binary
Value data: 01

Value name: Start
Value type: Binary
Value data: 00

Value name: StaticVxD
Value type: String
Value data: vnetbios.vxd