Backing up in-use WINS Database Files Can Cause Corruption

The Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) service stops replicating with its partners and the following error is logged in the system log:

Backing up in-use WINS database files on a Windows NT 3.5 or 3.51 system that is running the WINS Server service can cause the database files to corrupt.

There are two options to resolve this problem:

• If customers wish to protect their WINS databases, use WINSADMN.EXE at the WINS server to enable backups. The WINS database is backed up (by the service) in a consistent state to a subdirectory of the user's choice. A user could then backup the database files from this directory.
  
  -or-
• Windows NT Backup (NTBACKUP.EXE) will behave this way if Backup Files In Use is enabled. To disable it in NTBACKUP go into the registry under the HKEY_CURRENT_USER subtree under the following subkey:
  
  \Software\Microsoft\Ntbackup\Backup Engi
  
  Make sure that the following value name is set to the following value:
  
  

        Value Name:     Backup files inuse
        Value (REG_SZ): 0
  						

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT versions 3.50 and 3.51. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.