What's the impact of having multiple Windows XP system having MaintainServerList = Yes - aside from the network traffic?Is it possible to have multiple MasterBrowser in a single Workgroup (using the MasterBrowser=Yes in Registry)? 1 person needs an answerI do too

A workgroup can only have one Master Browser at a time. There can be any number of Backup Browsers that can force a Master Browser Election and become the Master Browser if one can't be found. The default value of HLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Browser\Parameters\MaintainServerList is Auto. I don't think there's any practical difference between Auto and Yes in a workgroup. Here's how the value is defined in a domain, from Appendix E of the Microsoft Windows NT Browser White Paper :No, this server is not a browser. Yes, this server becomes a browser. It attempts to contact the master browser to get a current browse list. If it cannot find the master browser, it forces an election and is, of course, a candidate to become the master. In addition, setting MaintainServerList to Yes causes an election to be generated when the browser starts. Auto, this server becomes a browser if the master browser for the domain considers it appropriate for the server to be a browser.I'm not familiar with a registry key named MasterBrowser .Boulder Computer Maven Microsoft Most Valuable Professional

Steve,Thanks for the response.I guess the MasterBrowser register key is static and will change when any type of Election is force by the workgroup (current Master being out of commission). Since uptime and someone maintaining a Server List (MaintainServerList=Yes) are two of the criteria for being elected Master (and Backup, Preferred Master - among other things such as Windows type, Version, etc..), I wanted to make sure that I give my most stable systems the edge when my current Master goes down or rebooted and an Election is Force.My problem is since I have very similar desktop systems (both Machine, CPU, WinXP Pro and Version - SP3) and have more powerful Laptops (Vista, Win7) - the voting for Master and backup always goes the laptop way (voted as Master most of the time).My problem of having the laptops as Master or Backup are:1) Laptop goes to sleep mode to conserve battery causing the other systems to lose or wait for an Entire Network listing2) Laptop as my Master causes constant election when it goes to sleep and awaken since Sleep time is counted as uptime (plus being the more powerful systems)3) Laptop are most likely elected as both Master and Backup for the same above reasonsI wanted a way to force the election of Master and Backup to steer towards the desktop since they are more reliable. Is there anyway I can accomplish this?

The only way I know of to prevent a particular computer from becoming the Master Browser is to set MaintainServerList to No .Boulder Computer Maven Microsoft Most Valuable Professional

According to Microsoft, there is a "IsDomainMaster " registry entry that should all but guarantee that a given computer will win an election, but in my experience this flag does not work. I agree with Steve when he refers to setting the MaintainServerList entry to "No" (equivalently, stopping the "Computer Browser" service from running -- which is what setting MaintainServerList to "No" really does) is the best approach.See "Appendix C – Computer Browser Service" <http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb726989.aspx >Then search for "IsDomainMaster".HTH, JW

The IsDomainMaster registry entry is for use in a domain network. I don't think it has any effect in a workgroup network, like the one that we're discussing.Boulder Computer MavenMicrosoft Most Valuable Professional