Review DFS Namespaces Client Requirements
Updated: October 16, 2013
Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2
The following operating systems include full support for DFS Namespaces, including support for client failback to the preferred folder target:
Windows 8.1
Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows 8
Windows Server 2012
Windows 7
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Server 2008
Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Ultimate
Windows Server 2003 R2
Windows Storage Server 2003 R2
Windows Server 2003 with SP2, or SP1 and the Windows Server 2003 client failback hotfix
Windows XP Professional with SP3, or SP2 and the Windows XP client failback hotfix
These hotfixes are described in article 898900 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=53202).
Users who are running the following operating systems can access namespaces, but if a folder target becomes unavailable and then later comes back online, the computer will not fail back (return) to the preferred folder target.
Windows Storage Server 2003
Windows XP Professional
Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE)
(Windows PE can access stand-alone namespaces, but it cannot access domain-based namespaces.)
Windows 2000 Server
Windows 2000 Professional