Error 53 when trying top map the F: drive

[Forum User_1]

I am trying to boot my server using PXE and everything works fine until it tries to map the F: drive. It took me awhile to realize what the problem was because the screen would just clear really quickly and leave me at an A:\ prompt. When I added some pause statements, I saw that when the client tries to map the F: drive, it returns an "Error 53: The Network Path was not Found". I have seen this happen in Windows before, but how do I fix this in DOS using PXE?

[Jeff Allen_5]

Error 53 occurs when the client did get a DHCP address, but failed to get a response from a PXE server. A few things could cause this:

1) PXE server is on a different network segment from the PXE client and no DHCP Proxy or helper address is installed (on the router).

2) PXE Serer service has stopped (apperently not in your case).

3) Your PXE server and DHCP server are on the same server and your DHCP scope option does not include the option 60 that it needs for this configuration. Re-add option 60 to the scope with the value of "PXEClient". If option 60 is not available to add, re-install the PXE service by running PXE.EXE from the RDP CD.

4) No Boofiles were created during setup. Open BootDisk creator and check that you have atleast 2 bootfiles (a managed and an Initial). In 1.4 they are called defpxemg and defpxenc, respectively. In 1.3, the images were created, but did not appear in boot disk creator. Re-create them to be sure.

See the "Implementing RDP and PXE" paper here:
ftp://ftp.compaq.com/pub/products/servers/management/rdp/plan-guide.pdf

[Jeff Allen_5]

Sorry - I saw another post about PXE-E53 and answered the wrong question.

Most commonly Error 53 while mapping a drive is caused when the RDP server has more than one NIC in it.

1) If the other NIC is not needed, simply disable it.

2) Try disabling Netbios over TCP (in the TCP/IP advanced properties) on the NIC not using PXE.

3) Add entries to the lmhosts file in the \net folder on the PXE bootfiles using Bootdisk creator. Make sure you re-create the PXE bootfile when you do.

4) Upgrade the Proliant System BIOS and, if available for your model, the PXE ROM.

5) If using EMM386, try NOT adding the NOEMS switch.

[Lars Aslaksrud]

I have experienced the same probleme... After some troubleshooting, I found out that the problem was name resolution. A shortcut to fix the problem - was to add an entry in the lmhosts file on the "initial boot disk" refering to the PXE server.