Network Adapters Are Missing or Incorrect in Device Manager After You Run NTBackup to Restore System State Data (810161)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server SP3
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server SP2
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server SP1
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP3
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP2
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP1
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP3
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP2
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server SP1

SYMPTOMS

After you run the NTBackup utility (Ntbackup.exe) to fully restore the System State data, network adapters may be missing or have incorrect names in Device Manager. New wide area network (WAN) miniports (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol [L2TP]) that were not present before you ran the restore operation may now be present. You may not be able to remove the new adaptors that appear in Device Manager and reinstall the missing ones.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because only part of the Plug and Play database is being restored. Therefore, the Plug and Play database is in an inconsistent state.

RESOLUTION

To restore the System State data in future backups so that devices work properly, follow these steps.

NOTE: You must also apply this change to the Windows 2000 installation that will host the Ntbackup.exe restore process. Backups of System State data that are run before making this change will continue to cause the symptoms that are described in this article.
  1. Start Registry Editor.
  2. Locate and then click the following subkey:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\KeysNotToRestore
  3. Right-click the Plug & Play entry, and then click Modify.
  4. In the Value Data box, change the text from

    CurrentControlSet\Enum
    CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase

    to

    CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase

Service Pack Information

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Windows 2000. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

260910 How to Obtain the Latest Windows 2000 Service Pack

Hotfix Information

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. This fix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Windows 2000 service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, 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/contactus/?ws=support

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 typical support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.


STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was first corrected in Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about how to obtain a hotfix for Windows 2000 Datacenter Server, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

265173 The Datacenter Program and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server Product

For additional information about how to install multiple hotfixes with only one reboot, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

296861 Use QChain.exe to Install Multiple Hotfixes with One Reboot

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/11/2005
Keywords:kbHotfixServer kbQFE kbOSWin2000fix kbWin2kSP4fix kbWin2000preSP4Fix kbfix kbbug KB810161
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