I'm writing this post mostly to ask for confirmation of something I suspect. In my LAN, I've an computer whose name is, say ABC, with the implicite suffix, say example.com. Then I created a DNS alias, say XYZ, to point to ABC. In another computer in the same LAN, the instruction in command prompt, ping XYZ gives replies without problem. However, in Run dialog (ie using Win+R shortcut), the command \\XYZ returns error. I've tried in XP and Win7 but got the same error. So visibly \\<name> isn't using DNS. It's using WINS, right? Is there any trick to force it to look up in DNS?

It is using NetBIOS and can contact a WINS server to solve it. You can also use DNS service to solve NetBIOS names by configuring DNS suffixes. Let's suppose that you configured a DNS suffix which is example.com. In this case when you want to solve <name>, it will solve <name>.example.com so it will use DNS. This is a Microsoft article about how to configure the primary DNS suffix for a client computer: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc786695%28WS.10%29.aspx Try what is mentioned and check if your problem is solved or not. Best regards.

The computers are actually domain members. So, what's written in that web page is already there. But for the sack of testing, I've tried with a non-member computer: put the suffix in the indicated place and restarted the computer. However, \\xyz doesn't work. And for the sack of testing again, I tried \\xyz.example.com in both computers and once again, that didn't work. I really think that might be a bug. But I suppose Microsoft guy would reply me that's a feature :-/ Oh, moreover, the error message I get from \\xyz(.example.com) is really misleading. It's written like this: You were not connected because a duplicate name exists on the network. Go to System in Control Panel to change the computer name and try again. 8-/

And for the sack of testing again, I tried \\xyz.example.com in both computers and once again, that didn't work. Make sure you are using the correct DNS server to solve DNS requests for client computers. If your client computers are well configured, make sure that the A record for xyz is already existing on the DNS server.

You were not connected because a duplicate name exists on the network. Go to System in Control Panel to change the computer name and try again. You've already added a CNAME alias in DNS so that part's done. Now do this: Add the following value to the registry of the server: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\LanmanServer\Parameters > Add Value > Value name: DisableStrictNameChecking > Data type: REG_DWORD > Radix: Decimal > Value: 1 then reboot. Connecting to SMB Share on a Windows 2000-Based Server May Not Work with an Alias Name http://support.microsoft.com/?id=281308 Remark: Please register the current value of this registry before changing it.

But for the sack of testing, I've tried with a non-member computer: put the suffix in the indicated place and restarted the computer. However, \\xyz doesn't work. Make sure that NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled, to do it follow what is mentioned in this article: http://ecross.mvps.org/howto/netbt.htm Best regards.

Hi, Thanks for posting in Technet. The DNS records should be queried. Please see: Microsoft TCP/IP Host Name Resolution Order Can you access it with the real computer name ABC? Are you sure the record that was manually added is not scavenged? Manually entered DNS records are being scavenged The following article may be helpful. Managing DNS Records Arthur Xie TechNet Subscriber Support in forum If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.com.Please remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Make sure you are using the correct DNS server to solve DNS requests for client computers. If your client computers are well configured, make sure that the A record for xyz is already existing on the DNS server. Of course and of course, because I always check with ping result.

Make sure that NetBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled, to do it follow what is mentioned in this article: http://ecross.mvps.org/howto/netbt.htm This doesn't work. In case you ask: 1. I have made sure that "TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper" is started 2. I have tried both xyz and xyz.example.com without success 3. abc and abc.example.com works 4. all the tests are controlled with ping results 5. I've also tried to reboot the computer after enabling this option

Please try to use the nslookup command instead of ping. If you use nslookup xyz.example.com is there a returned IP address? Best regards.

And the winner is ....... MS helper! Connecting to SMB Share on a Windows 2000-Based Server May Not Work with an Alias Name http://support.microsoft.com/?id=281308 Wow, to be honest, this is too hard to find without prior knowledge of such limitation in SBM 1.0 server! I don't see why this value isn't applied by default for XP and 2003! Anyway, I think I'd better apply it to all domain members to get rid of this subtle problem. OK, in order to conclude this discussion, let me reply to other questions: Arthur Xie: Yes, computer can be accessed with the name ABC, as I've stated in the first post. And it's not a matter of scavenging as ping and nslookup returns correct IP address. And the order of resolution (DNS cache, hosts file, DNS, WINS) isn't the cause as everything is using default values for IP.

Glad to hear that the root cause has been found.Please remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.