HOW TO: Troubleshoot DNS Name Resolution on the Internet in Windows 2000

This article describes methods that you can use to configure Domain Name System (DNS) if queries that are destined for the Internet are not resolved properly, but local intranet name-resolution works correctly. The cache file on your Windows 2000-based server might be corrupted, missing, or out of date. You can replace the cache file with an original version of the cache file, or you can manually enter the correct root hints in the cache file from the DNS console.

To Enter the Root Hints in the DNS Console

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DNS.
2. In the console tree, double-click the server object to expand it.
3. Right-click the server object, and then click Properties.
4. On the Root Hints tab, click Add.
5. In the Server name box, type the name of the server that you are adding. In the IP address box, type the IP address for the server. Click Add, and then click OK.

NOTE: If the DNS server that you are configuring is a domain controller in a Windows 2000-based domain, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article for information about how to replace your root hints:

To Replace the Cache File

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
3. Stop the DNS service by typing net stop dns at the command prompt.
4. Type cd %systemroot%\system32\dns.
5. Rename your cache file by typing ren cache.dns cache.old.
6. Copy the original version of the cache file. If the backup Cache.dns file does not exist, you must create a backup file in the Backup folder. Type the following commands (where original_dns_cache_file is the name of your DNS cache file):
   cd backup
   copy original_dns_cache_file.dns cache.dns
   This creates a Cache.dns file in the Backup folder.
   
   Then, type the following commands:
   cd..
   copy backup\cache.dns.
   If the backup Cache.dns file does exist, type copy backup\cache.dns.
   
   
7. Start the DNS service by typing net start dns.

If name resolution to the Internet still does not work, repeat the procedure, but copy the cache file from your Windows 2000 source files.

To Copy the Cache File from Your Windows 2000 Source

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open text box, type cmd, and then click OK.
3. At the command prompt, type the following line (where drive is the drive that contains your Windows 2000 source files):
   expand drive:\i386\cache.dn_ %systemroot%\system32\dns\cache.dns

For additional information, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: