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Tech Tips / Windows XP / Networking

Microsoft NetBEUI support discontinued in Win XP

Like Windows 2000, by default, Windows XP uses TCP/IP, which has become a standard network protocol. With Windows XP, Microsoft decided to discontinue support of the NetBEUI (NetBIOS Extended User Interface) network protocol.

While Microsoft has done a great deal to make the configuration of TCP/IP as simple as possible, you can still install NetBEUI manually if needed (although this is not recommended by Microsoft). To install NetBEUI:

1. Go to the \Valueadd\MSFT\Net\NetBEUI folder on your Windows XP CD.
2. Copy Nbf.sys to the %SYSTEMROOT%\System32\Drivers folder.
3. Copy Netnbf.inf to the %SYSTEMROOT%\Inf folder. (Note that this folder is hidden.)
4. Open the Network Connections folder (Start | Control Panel | Network Connections).
5. Right-click the network card that you want to add NetBEUI to and click Properties.
6. Click Install on the General tab.
7. Click Protocol and then Click Add.
8. Select NetBEUI Protocol from the list and click OK.
9. Restart the computer.

Note: Although you can install NetBEUI from the Windows XP CD, Microsoft doesn't support this network protocol.