When WINS (Windows Internet Name Service) connects and communication fails, WINS error 4102 appears as a result. WINS is a vital component created by Microsoft to implement the NetBIOS Name Service (NBNS) in the Windows operating system. When Windows fails to run WINS servers, the error usually appears. As soon as you encounter this error, you should resolve the issue immediately to allow Windows to accurately register host names to the proper network addresses.
What is this error and what causes it?
Typically, you receive a WINS Event ID 4102 message due to WINS server configuration incompatibility during connection, which implies communication failure. The WINS server configuration can be a push or pull partner with a PC that is not configured as a partner of the initially used WINS server. You must ensure that the correct configuration is in place on all WINS servers. Another thing, if your computer is operating through a rouge WINS server, then WINS Event ID 4102 may also appear.
How to fix WINS error 4102
Fixing this error involves simple steps. First, you need to run a network monitor trace. This can be done by going to the WINS server event log of the computer where the WINS 4102 error occurred. Then look up the exact time the error occurred. After that, locate the TCP SYN/RESET frame instances that occurred during the time listed in the network monitor trace. Next, you need to locate the frames that have the TCP Flags property that contains “RESET the connection”. This indicates that there is a problem with the WINS service that may not be installed or operational on the computer that transmitted the TCP reset. After that, Sequence Number Synchronization (SYN) packets should be filtered out. Then look to see if the server responded to the frames found in the trace that has the TCP Flags property.
An unresponsive server is known as a stale replication partner, which is also the term for a server that transmits a TCP reset packet. The next important step to accomplish is to remove all the stale replication partners that are listed in the WINS server’s replication partners. If the steps on how to trace the network monitor are done correctly, there is a good chance that the communication error will not reoccur once WINS is reconnected. If for some reason the error messages still appear after completing all the steps mentioned above, the next step is to clean your registry.
The next step is to clean the Windows registry. The “registry” is a vital component of your system that can cause numerous issues and problems including Windows error 4102. The registry is a huge database where all important files, settings and options and information are stored. Windows needs to properly access these files in order to read the settings it requires to run smoothly. Oftentimes, the registry gets damaged, corrupted, infected, or clogged, causing your PC to run slower and inefficiently, or worse, have big problems like Windows error 4102. To make sure you fix this problem, run a registry cleaning tool on your computer. The registry cleaning tool is designed to help you have an error-free system and avoid problems in the future.