Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune

Key Takeaways:

  • Ensures that computers ignore NetBIOS name release requests
  • Helps prevent malicious or accidental name release requests from non-WINS sources
  • Ensuring only trusted WINS servers handle name release requests
  • Apply legacy networking controls in modern device management scenarios

Let’s discuss Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune. This policy setting allows other users on the network to connect to the computer and is required by various network protocols that include Server Message Block (SMB)-based protocols, NetBIOS, Common Internet File System (CIFS), and Component Object Model Plus (COM+).

Table of Contents

Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune

Imagine a disgruntled employee running a simple script on their laptop. This script floods the network with NetBIOS name release requests targeting the Domain Controller or the Primary File Server.

How to Start Policy Creation

As an Admin, you can quickly configure this policy on your organisation. To start the Policy Creation, open the Microsoft Intune Admin center. Then go to Devices > Configuration >+ Create > +New Policy.

Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune - Fig.1
Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune – Fig.1

Profile Creation

Profile creation is the necessary step that helps you to assign the policy to appropriate platform and Profile. Here I would like to configure the policy to  Windows 10 and later platform and settings catalog profile. Then click on the Create button.

Patch My PC
Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune - Fig.2
Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune – Fig.2

Filling the Basic Tab

Naming the policy is the primary step that help admins to identify the policy later. This is important and necessary step that allows you to know the purpose of the policy. Here is Name is mandatory and description is optional. After adding this click on the Next button.

Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune - Fig.3
Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune – Fig.3

Configure MPR Notification

With Settings Picker, you can use the Configuration Settings Tab. On this tab, you can click on the +Add Settings hyperlink to get the Settings Picker. The settings picker shows huge number of settings. Here, I would like to select the settings by browsing by Category. I choose Administrative Templates > MSS (Legacy) > MSS: (NoNameReleaseOnDemand) Allow the computer to ignore NetBIOS name release requests except from WINS servers.

Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune - Fig.4
Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune – Fig.4

Disable NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except

Organizations Disable (or leave it unconfigured) only when they rely on high-mobility environments or ancient WINS-less setups. Disable is the default value of this policy.

Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune - Fig.5
Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune – Fig.5

Enable NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except

Organizations Enable this policy to prevent a specific type of Denial of Service (DoS) and Spoofing attack. To enable this policy, click on the next button to continue.

Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune - Fig.6
Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune – Fig.6

Scope Tags

With scope tags, you create a restriction to the visibility of the MPR Notifications. It helps to organise resources as well. Here, I would like to skip this section, because it is not mandatory. Click on the Next button.

Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune - Fig.8
Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune – Fig.8

Assignments Tab for Selecting Group

To assign the policy to specific groups, you can use the Assignment Tab. Here I click, +Add groups option under Included groups. I choose a group from the list of groups and click on the Select button. Again, I click on the Select button to continue.

Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune - Fig.8
Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune – Fig.8

Review + Create Tab

Before completing the policy creation, you can review each tab to avoid misconfiguration or policy failure. After verifying all the details, click on the Create Button. After creating the policy, you will get a success message.

Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune - Fig.9
Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune – Fig.9

Monitoring Status

The Monitoring Status page shows whether the policy has succeeded or not. To quickly configure the policy and take advantage of the policy sync the assigned device on Company Portal. Open the Intune Portal. Go to Devices > Configuration > Search for the Policy. Here, the policy shows as successful.

Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune - Fig.10
Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune – Fig.10

Removing the Assigned Group from Settings

If you want to remove the Assigned group from the policy, it is possible from the Intune Portal. To do this, open the Policy on Intune Portal and edit the Assignments tab and the Remove Policy.

To get more detailed information, you can refer to our previous post – Learn How to Delete or Remove App Assignment from Intune using by Step-by-Step Guide.

Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune - Fig.11
Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune – Fig.11

How to Delete MPR Notifications

You can easily delete the Policy from the Intune Portal. From the Configuration section, you can delete the policy. It will completely remove it from the client devices.

For detailed information, you can refer to our previous post – How to Delete Allow Clipboard History Policy in Intune Step by Step Guide.

Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune - Fig.12
Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune – Fig.12

Windows CSP Details

This policy allow the computer to ignore NetBIOS name release requests except from WINS servers. This policy is applicable for Windows 10, version 1803 [10.0.17134] and later versions.

NameValue
NamePol_MSS_NoNameReleaseOnDemand
ADMX File Namemss-legacy.admx
Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune - Fig.13
Enable Computer to Ignore NetBIOS Name Release Requests Except from WINS Servers using Intune – Fig.13

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Author

Anoop C Nair has been Microsoft MVP for 10 consecutive years from 2015 onwards. He is a Workplace Solution Architect with more than 22+ years of experience in Workplace technologies. He is a Blogger, Speaker, and Local User Group Community leader. His primary focus is on Device Management technologies like SCCM and Intune. He writes about technologies like Intune, SCCM,  Windows,  Cloud PC,  Windows, Entra, Microsoft Security, Career, etc.

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