KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q103828: RAS Password Authentication Failed

Article: Q103828
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 3.1
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbnetwork
Last Modified: 08-AUG-2001

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

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


SYMPTOMS
========

Windows NT Remote Access Clients cannot be validated if the password contains
extended characters. Extended characters have ASCII codes above 128.

CAUSE
=====

If your Windows NT RAS client password contains any Extended characters, RAS
client authentication will not properly convert their case (that is, uppercase
versus lowercase). This will cause Windows NT RAS authentication to fail. It
works fine for characters "a-z" and "A-Z."

RESOLUTION
==========

Until a bug fix is released, do not use extended characters in your Windows NT
passwords. This is especially true for Remote Access and Services for
Macintosh.


STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT and Windows NT
Advanced Server version 3.1. This problem was corrected in the latest U.S.
Service Pack for Windows NT and Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1. For
information on obtaining the Service Pack, query on the following word in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

  S E R V P A C K

REFERENCES
==========

- For more information about why RAS must convert the character case of
passwords, query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  RAS and LAN and Manager and Password and Authentication

- For more information about other Windows NT password authentication problems,
  query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Windows and NT and Extended and Character and Password and Problems

- For more information about Windows NT Authentication, query on the following
  words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  INF and User and Authentication and Windows and NT

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbnetwork 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTAdvSerSearch kbWinNTAdvServ310 kbWin3xSearch kbWinNT310Search kbZNotKeyword3 kbWin310
Version           : 3.1

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.