You receive a client cannot list the server's data source error message when you add a system data source to a Web site in FrontPage 2003 (828893)

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

In Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003, when you use Web Settings on the Tools menu to add a system data source on a Web server as a database connection to your Web, if you click Browse to locate a data source, you receive the following error message:

Server error: This web server does not allow a client to list the server's data sources. Contact your system administrator for more information.

CAUSE

This problem may occur if the value 0 has been assigned to the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Web Server Extensions\All Ports\ListSystemDSNs

The value 0 makes the list of system data source names (DSNs) unavailable.

RESOLUTION

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 problem, change the value of the ListSystemDSNs key to 1. To do this, follow these steps.

Note After you complete the following procedure, all client users can view all DSNs. You may not want all client users to be able view all DSNs.

Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
Expand the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Web Server Extensions\All Ports
In the right pane, click ListSystemDSNs.
On the Edit menu, click String, type 1, and then click OK.
Quit Registry Editor.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, follow these steps:

On the client computer, start FrontPage 2003.
In the Getting Started pane, click Create a new page or site.
In the New pane, click One page Web site.
In the Web Site Templates dialog box, in the Specify the location of the new Web site box, type the location on the Web page, and then click OK.

Alternatively, you can click Browse, and then find the location of the new Web page.
In the Folder list, double-click Default.htm.
On the Tools menu, click Site Settings, and then click the Database tab.
Click Add, click Custom definition, and then click Advanced.
In the Connection string box, type the Data Source Name (DSN) that you want to use, and then click OK.

For example, type a Data Source Name that is similar to the following:
DSN=Northwind;DRIVER=(Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb))
In the New Database Connection dialog box, click OK, and then in the Web Settings dialog box, click Verify.
Click Apply, and then click OK.

MORE INFORMATION

When you create a database connection in FrontPage 2003, you can typically use Browse to locate the system data source that you want to use. However, sometimes when many Webs use the same server, and many system DSNs exist, you may not want to permit everyone who is working on a Web page to view all the system data sources on the server. To prevent users from browsing DSNs in FrontPage 2003, you can set the following registry key to 0: