Repairing a Corrupted WINS Database w/ Starting Version Count

This article explains how you may increase the Starting Version Count within WINS preferences to repair WINS database corruption.

To repair WINS database corruption, you may modify the Starting Version Count (also called Starting Version ID) within WINS preferences to increase the Highest Version ID of the Local Database. You may set this Starting Version ID only to a higher value than the existing Highest Version ID. After you set it to a higher value you may not lower it without deleting the databases.

NOTE: Although the terms Starting Version ID and Highest Version ID contain the word Version they do not refer to a particular released version of the product, but to the number of entries in the WINS database. Therefore, you may use any number that is a higher value than the current Starting Version ID. For additional information, refer to the EXAMPLES section below.

To modify the Starting Version ID in the registry:

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious, system-wide problems that may require you to reinstall Windows NT to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use this tool at your own risk.

1. Under the subtree HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, select the following subkey:
   \System\CurrentControlSet\Services\WINS\Parameters
   The following parameters for the Starting Version count appear:
   VersCounterStartVal_LowWord: REG_DWORD
   VersCounterStartVal_HighWord: REG_DWORD
2. Select the parameter you want to modify. If you are unsure about which parameter to select, read the EXAMPLES section below.
3. From the Edit menu, choose DWORD.
4. Type the higher hexadecimal value and choose OK.

EXAMPLES

A Starting Version ID of FF78 hexadecimal (hex) appears as: To increment this number, change the VersCounterStartVal_LowWord value to FF79.

As the number of database entries grows the VersCounterStartVal_LowWord value increases until it reaches 0xFFFFFFFF hex that is the maximum number for a double word hexadecimal value. If you want to increment this number by one, you need to start using the VersCounterStartVal_HighWord counter. For the starting Version ID of 100000000 hex, both parameters appear as follows: A Starting Version ID of 100000001 hex appears as: A Starting Version ID of 12FF6F782B3 hex appears as: