DFS shares appear to be empty when they are accessed by client computers that are running Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows 98 Second Edition (819106)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
  • Microsoft Windows 95
  • Microsoft Windows 98
  • Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition

SYMPTOMS

  • Shared folders in a stand-alone Microsoft Distributed File System (DFS) structure may appear to be empty when the folders are accessed by client computers that are running Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, or Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition.
  • On client computers that are running Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows 98 Second Edition, you cannot save a document that was opened on a nested DFS share after the limit that is set in the Time to Live (TTL) value has expired.

    In some programs, you may receive the following error message:
    Title: \\ServerName_or_DomainName\dfsroot\link
    Text: Cannot find the file '\\ServerName_or_DomainName\dfsroot\link' (or one of its components). Make sure the path and file name are correct and that all required libraries are available.
    [ OK ]

CAUSE

These problems may occur if either of the following conditions is true:
  • You replaced a link target that was a normal share with a nested DFS root, but you did not delete the link target on the DFS root server and then re-create it in the same DFS root.
  • You implemented a nested DFS structure and restored the DFS namespace by using an outdated Dfsutil.exe tool.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, if you replaced a link target that was a normal share with a nested DFS root, delete the link target on the DFS root server, and then re-create it by using the Distributed File System Manager snap-in.

If you implemented a nested DFS structure and restored the DFS namespace by using the Dfsutil.exe tool, use either of the following methods, or use a combination of both.

Method 1

Use the Dfscmd.exe tool to save and to restore the DFS namespace. Make sure that you do not use the /restore option for nested root servers in your import script.

Method 2

Use this method if you have to restore TTL/Timeout settings.
  1. Use the dfsutil /import command to restore the DFS namespace.
  2. Use the graphical user interface (GUI) to manually delete and re-create the links to nested root servers.

The Dfsutil.exe tool that is included with Windows 2000 Support Tools provides no command-line option to specify that a DFS link points to a nested DFS root. You cannot rely on this version of Dfsutil.exe tool alone to import or restore a DFS structure that includes nested stand-alone DFS root servers.

An updated version of the Dfsutil.exe tool is now available in hotfix 834656. For additional information about this hotfix, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

834656 Dfsutil.exe does not exit correctly when you export DFS roots in Windows 2000

The main differences between the Dfsutil.exe tool and the Dfscmd.exe tool in this context are the following:
  • The Dfscmd.exe tool, like the GUI mode, checks for the existence of the target servers and queries them for their settings as long as you do not use the /restore option in the restore script.
  • The Dfsutil.exe tool only reads the import scripts and saves the settings without checking for the existence of the target servers.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, delete the DFS links to nested DFS roots, and then re-create them. If you want to make a link to a link target that will ultimately be a DFS root, first make the link target a nested DFS root.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

MORE INFORMATION

Definition of Type values for DFS servers

TypeMeaning
81domainroot
1 normal link to DFS member server
90link to nested DFS-root servers
To see the Type value for each DFS server, use the dfsutil /view /debug command.

Junctions to non-SMB volumes

The Windows 95-based DFS client can only negotiate referrals to other SMB (Server Message Block) volumes, such as those that are hosted by Microsoft Windows NT or by Windows 95. All other volumes, such as NFS and NetWare, will appear as empty directories to the Windows 95-based DFS client. Windows NT does not have this limitation. This limitation of Windows 95 is stated in the DFS client readme file.

Clients and stand-alone DFS access

If a client is running Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows 98 Second Edition, and if the client determines that the access is not to a domain DFS name because that name is missing from the special cache, it tries to determine if the access is to a stand-alone DFS. To do this, the client connects to the IPC$ share of the computer that is being accessed and sends a referral request for the share that is being accessed. If the share is a DFS share, the DFS server on the link target responds with a referral so that all future requests can be funneled through DFS.

Clients and domain-based DFS access

Clients that are running Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows 98 Second Edition behave somewhat differently than other Windows-based clients. Although all the clients ask the domain controller for domain, domainDC, and domain DFS root referrals, and although all the clients ask the root servers for link referrals, clients that are running Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows 98 Second Edition go to the domain controller for all referrals, including link referrals.

Original Directory Services Client for Windows 95 or for Windows 98

If the original Directory Services Client for Windows 95 or for Windows 98 is installed, the contents of the final link target shared folder directory will not be visible. The original version of the client is available only on the Windows 2000 Server setup CD.

REFERENCES

For additional information about this problem, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

269372 How to back up and restore the DFS structure in Windows 2000

322326 Error messages when you try to access a drive that is mapped to domain DFS root by using NetBIOS domain name

323466 Availability of the Active Directory client extension update for Windows 98

For additional information about the Dfsutil.exe tool that correctly exports the volume type, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

834656 Dfsutil.exe does not exit correctly when you export DFS roots in Windows 2000

For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

824718 The Distributed File System (DFS) utility incorrectly reports volume types when you use the EXPORT switch

For additional information about the Distributed File System, obtain the following white papers by visiting the following Microsoft Web sites:

http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/techresources/fileprint/dfs/DFSWP.asp

http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/007e4e66-af67-4bfe-bf70-780412aeed6f1033.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/howto/dfsguide.mspx

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:8/15/2006
Keywords:KB819106
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