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Q103827: RAS and SFM Passwords Are Not Case Sensitive

Article: Q103827
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 3.1
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbnetwork
Last Modified: 08-AUG-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server, version 3.1 
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SYMPTOMS
========

Windows NT Remote Access Service (RAS) and Services for Macintosh (SFM)
passwords are not case sensitive.

CAUSE
=====

RAS and SFM do not use the Windows NT password authentication scheme. Instead,
these services use the same password authentication model that is used by
Microsoft LAN Manager. Unlike Windows NT passwords, LAN Manager passwords are
not case sensitive. Therefore, SFM and RAS client passwords ignore case.

Windows NT stores both a LAN Manager and Windows NT version of your password in
its Security Accounts Manager (SAM) database. RAS and SFM both have the option
to use Windows NT or LAN Manager password authentication. In Windows NT and
Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1, they always choose LAN Manager password
authentication even when connecting to another Windows NT computer.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT Advanced Server
version 3.1. We are researching this problem and will post new information here
in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION
================

For more information on user authentication in Windows NT, how passwords are
stored, RAS password authentication, and the differences between LAN Manager and
Windows NT, query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  authentication lan

Additional query words: prodnt

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbnetwork 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTAdvSerSearch kbWinNTAdvServ310 kbWinNT310Search
Version           : 3.1

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