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Enable DNS Alias Names to Access Windows Share

Purpose

This article explains the steps to enable DNS aliases or CNAME records to access Windows Server 2003+ SMB shares.  

Steps

1. Login to the Windows File Server

2. Open regedit

Allow other machines to access share using aliases

1. Change Disable Strict Name Checking in the registry  

   1. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\lanmanserver\parameters

   2. Add a DWORD named DisableStrictNameChecking

   3. Set value to 1

Allow File Server to access shares locally using aliases

1. Change Disable Strict Name Checking in the registry  

   1. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\lanmanserver\parameters

   2. Add a Multi-String named OptionalNames

   3. Set value to NETBIOS (Short-name) of all the aliases to allow

1. Reboot