FP98: FrontPage may not Return Correct Host Name on Windows 95

When you start FrontPage Explorer, a message box that contains a different host name than the NetBIOS name or the DNS name assigned to your computer in the Network control panel appears.

Under certain circumstances, Windows 95 stores the computer's host name in the Windows registry under the following key. For example, this happens when you run the Internet Explorer Connector Wizard. If you later change the host name of your computer, the Windows registry may not be updated to reflect this change. Hence, when FrontPage queries the registry for the host name of your computer, it finds the incorrect name stored in the registry.

To resolve this behavior, erase the computer name from the Windows registry and restore the NetBios name to the TCP/IP name by using one of the following methods.

Method 1: Change the Computer Name by Changing Network Properties

To change the computer name by changing network properties, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the Network Neighborhood icon and then click Properties on the menu that appears.
2. Click the Identification tab.
3. In the Computer Name box, type a temporary name.
4. Click OK. If you receive a message asking you to restart Windows, click Yes.
5. Right-click the Network Neighborhood icon and then click Properties on the menu that appears.
6. Click the Identification tab.
7. In the Computer Name box, type the original computer name.
8. Click OK. If you receive a message asking you to restart Windows, click Yes.

Method 2: Change the Computer Name by Editing the Registry

To change the computer name by editing the registry, follow these steps:

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).

1. On the Windows Start menu, click Run.
2. In the Open box, type regedit.
3. Select the following registry key:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\ 
      MSTCP\Hostname
   						

4. On the Edit menu, click Delete.
5. On the Registry menu, click Exit.
6. Restart the computer.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.