KB167640 - Automatically Changing the Node Type of a Windows NT Workstation

Article ID: 167640

Article Last Modified on 2/26/2007

Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition
Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q167640

SUMMARY

In network installations, where IP addresses are assigned statically (DHCP is not used), it is often desirable to change the NetBIOS name resolution node type of a computer. This is time consuming when large numbers of computers are involved because an administrator must edit the registry of each computer where the node type is to be changed.

This article describes one possible method of automating the change.

MORE INFORMATION

Create the following two-line text file and save it in ANSI (Windows) or DOS text format. It will not work if saved as a Unicode file.

   \Registry\Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Parameters
   NodeType = REG_DWORD 0x00000004

   NOTE: Use 0x00000008 for hybrid node or h-node
         Use 0x00000004 for mixed node or m-node
         Use 0x00000002 for point-to-point WINS or p-node
         Use 0x00000001 for broadcast node or b-node

For additional information with descriptions of the various settings for this key, please see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

ARTICLE-ID: 160177
TITLE : Default Node Type For Microsoft Clients

ARTICLE-ID: 120642
TITLE : TCP/IP and NBT Configuration Parameters for Windows 2000 or Windows NT

Save the file as M-NODE.INI (change the first letter for node types other than mixed).
Copy this file and the file Regini.exe from the Windows NT "Resource Kit" to either a floppy drive or a network share.
The following command, executed at a workstation from the path where Regini.exe and M-NODE.INI are stored, will change the node type to mixed. Changing to other node types is done in the same fashion.
REGINI M-NODE.INI
This could be automated further by enclosing it in a batch file, or a logon script:
@ECHO OFF
REM NODE.BAT
IF /I "%1" == "h" REGINI H-NODE.INI & GOTO END
IF /I "%1" == "m" REGINI M-NODE.INI & GOTO END
IF /I "%1" == "p" REGINI P-NODE.INI & GOTO END
IF /I "%1" == "b" REGINI B-NODE.INI & GOTO END
ECHO USAGE: NODE X where X is the desired node type (H, M, P, OR B).
:END

Additional query words: prodnt DHCP registry REGINI how to

Keywords: kbenv kbhowto kbnetwork KB167640