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DBY2025's avatar
DBY2025
Copper Contributor
Oct 02, 2025

Unable to manage DFS namespace from DFS MMC

Error: The namespace cannot be queried. The specified domain either does not exist.

 

Hi,

I have an issue with DFS at our site. It has been working fine for years, but recently
the ability to manage it using the DFS MMC no longer works. DFS is still working for
the users fine and I can map to it manually, but the MMC tool no longer connects. I can create
new namespaces fine though.

The error is:

" The namespace cannot be queried. The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted. "

 

I can't risk recreating the namespace due to the impact on users, so anyone have any idea to fix this?

Many thanks

DB

Active Directory
DFS
dfs namespaces
DFS Services
management
windows server

1 Reply

  • LainRobertson's avatar
    LainRobertson
    Silver Contributor
    Oct 05, 2025

    Hi DBY2025​,

     

    Your screenshot is odd since the value of "\\4rail.mid\4rail" is showing up in the description bar. It ought to be the same value as the namespace.

     

    As to why you're only encountering this now after years of it being fine, my guess would be that you recently decommissioned something relating to 4rail.mid.

     

    What do you get if you run the following two commands from PowerShell?

    # Get the DFS root.
Get-DfsnRoot -Path "\\man.mid\gem" | Format-List -Property NamespacePath, Path;

# Get each DFS target.
Get-DfsnRoot -Path "\\man.mid\gem" | Get-DfsnRootTarget | Format-List -Property NamespacePath, Path, TargetPath;

     

    Example output

     

    Repeating what I said at the start, the value for NamespacePath and Path ought to be the same, but I anticipate they're not.

     

    There's no supported way to change these values either, meaning if they don't match, you would have to recreate the namespace.

     

    Cheers,

    Lain

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