NETLOGON Event ID: 5781 - solved

[rws70]

I was getting a nagging event error: NETLOGON Event ID: 5781

Dynamic registration or deregistration of one or more DNS records failed because no DNS servers are available.

I also ran netdiag.exe from a command prompt and got a failure:
Failed to query SPN registration on DC 'DNS domain name'

(I am posting the solutions because it took me a while to find them)

I did two things:

1. My Windows 2000 Support Tools was an old version. I uninstalled the old version and installed the new version for service pack four downloaded from here:

URL:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/servicepacks/sp4/supporttools.mspx

2. I stopped the Netlogon service. Renamed netlogon.dns and netlogon.dnb to netlogon.dns.old and netlogon.dnb.old. (Located in C:\winnt\system32\config ) Restarted Netlogon service.

For more info see:
URL:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q311354

URL:

http://www.windowsitpro.com/Articles/ArticleID/23830/23830.html?Ad=1

URL:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297384