Master Browser issues

Symptoms:

- My Computer or Network Neighborhood take a very long time to open on client computers
- Event logs on servers show many master browser election messages



Recent Scenario:

- An upgrade from Windows NT v4.0 Server to Windows 2000 Server with Active Directory
- A PDC role change on Windows 2000 Servers
- An installation of a new Active Directory (at any level)
- Installation of Samba Server on Linux / Unix machines




Cause:

The master browser election is being forced on more than one server causing confusion when clients attempt to find network resources.




Solution:

Stage one:

- Add, edit or modify the current registry key on the server you wish to be the Master Browser:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Browser\Parameters]
"IsDomainMaster"="TRUE"

- The most common scenario is that your DCs be the Master and Backup browsers. Preferrably the Master Browser being the server with the PDC role.

- Make sure that all other DC's in the domain either have no such entry or "FALSE" as the "IsDomainMaster" value.


Stage two:

1) Find the master browsers. In the Windows 2000 Resource Kit comes a tool called "Browser Monitor". (Browstat.exe for Windows 2003 Resource Kit) Use this tool to identify which machines are currently the master browser and backup browser.

2) Eliminate the unwanted master browsers: The tool will list all computers that can be elected for master. The blue icon will identify the current Master Browser, the red icons represent possible master or backup browsers.

3) If the blue icon is not the master browser you wanted, then you must remove it from the list. How? For Windows NT/2000/XP machine, simply Disable the Computer Browser service. For Samba servers, you must contact the administrator for the Samba machines (in other words, I don't know how.. hehe).

4) Restart the Computer Browser service on your PDC and start back at step one. Continue to do so until you've eliminated all the possible master browsers. When all the master browsers have been eliminated, the problem should go away.

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How to check if your server is winning the election: Restart the Computer Browser service and check the System event logs. It should state that an election was forced (Event ID 8015) because the start of a Windows 2000 server Master Browser.

Extra info:

The election works as follows: If your master browser goes offline, an election will be forced and the backup browser will win. If no backup browser is available, then a server or workstation will assume the role, depending on different factors. When the master browser comes back online, it calls an election and wins back the role. If there is more than one master browser, then which ever is the last to have requested an election will win the role. That is where the browsing trouble starts...

Additional info:

Some programs require the Computer Browser to operate, such as Arcserve and Event Notifiers. Once you have isolated the problem and the proper master browser is always elected, you may restart the Computer Browser services on those selected machines.