Running the Link Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD) responder update for Windows XP on Windows Server 2003

Q: How can I run the Link Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD) responder update for Windows XP on Windows Server 2003?

A: The LLTD responder update lets XP computers appear in Windows Vista’s Network Map feature. By default, you can’t run the LLTP responder update under Windows 2003; Windows 2003 servers will show as unknown location devices. However, you can try to force the update to run by performing these steps:

1. Download the update from www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=4f01a31d-ee46-481e-ba11-37f485fa34ea.
2. Attempt to run the update on a Windows 2003 server, but don’t click OK to the error about updatebr.inf.
3. At the root of the C drive, you’ll see a folder name in the format 7be840d99a33259a5b77a0 a9; open this folder and copy the update folder to another location.
4. Click OK to the error message that displays.
5. In the copy of the update folder, right-click update.exe and select Properties.
6. Under the Compatibility tab, select Run this program in compatibility mode for and select Windows XP.
7. Click Apply, then click OK.
8. Execute update.exe

I’ve had mixed results with this working on all Windows 2003 servers, but it’s definitely worth a try.

—John Savill

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