My Computer stops responding after you map a drive from an NFS share on a Windows Server 2003 R2-based computer

Consider the following scenario:

• On a Windows Server 2003 R2-based computer, you map a drive by mounting a Network File System (NFS) share from an NFS server.
• You try to open the My Computer window when the NFS share is unavailable.

In this scenario, My Computer stops responding.

This issue occurs because of an error in the NFS redirector.

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.

Prerequisites

To apply this hotfix, you must have Windows Server 2003 R2 Service Pack 2 installed.

Restart requirement

You must restart the computer after you apply this hotfix.

Hotfix replacement information

This hotfix does not replace any previously released hotfixes.

Registry information

To enable this hotfix, you must add the SoftMountPingtimeout registry entry. The value of this entry represents the wait time (in seconds) of the Nfsrdr service. To do this, follow these steps.

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Client for NFS\CurrentVersion\Default
3. On the Edit menu, click New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. Type SoftMountPingtimeout, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click SoftMountPingtimeout, and then click Modify.
6. In the Value data box, enter the wait time of the Nfsrdr service, and then click OK. For example, if you enter 3, the wait time will be set to 3 seconds. The optimal value is from 2 to 5 seconds.
7. Exit Registry Editor.

File information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time item in Control Panel.

Windows Server 2003 R2 with SP2, x86-based versions

Windows Server 2003 R2 with SP2, x64-based versions

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

For more information about the NFS command options, visit the following Red Hat Web site: Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.
The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, about the performance or reliability of these products.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: