Most Common Questions and Answers About Microsoft WFWG 3.11 (106275)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11
This article was previously published under Q106275 SUMMARY
The following is the complete text of the Most Common Questions and
Answers about Microsoft Windows for Workgroups that was included as a
single sheet of paper in the shipped product.
MORE INFORMATIONQ: What network adapter information do I need to configure Windows for
Workgroups 3.11?
A: You will need to know the following:
- Network adapter brand and model
- Interrupt or IRQ
- I/O port address
- Base memory (RAM) address
For more information about determining these settings, see the section
"Configuring Your Network Card" in Appendix C "Installing Network
Hardware," in the Microsoft Workgroup Add-On for Windows User's Guide.
When Setup is run, it attempts to detect what network adapter (card)
is installed on the computer, and how it is currently configured. You
should verify the adapter brand and model as well as the adapter
settings that Setup detects. If Setup cannot detect a network
adapter, you should select the correct adapter and settings from the
list of available drivers. If your adapter is not listed in the
Network Adapter dialog box, you must obtain the proper NDIS-compliant
or ODI-compliant driver from your network adapter manufacturer, or
select a driver that is compatible with your network adapter. Consult
your adapter documentation or manufacturer for more information about
the compatibility of your adapter with other adapter drivers that are
available in Windows for Workgroups 3.11.
If you are upgrading over Windows for Workgroups 3.1, Setup will
default to the adapter configuration used in that previous
installation. Before beginning the upgrade, please check in Control
Panel, Networks, Adapters, Setup and note the driver name and the
current adapter settings.
Q: What should I do if my machine hangs or locks up during Setup of
Windows for Workgroups 3.11?
A: This could mean Setup had difficulty recognizing your hardware, or
there is a conflict with a TSR or device driver loading in the
CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT. You first need to exit Setup by pressing
the F3 key. If this does not exit Setup, restart the machine. See
the section "Streamlining Your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT Files," in
Appendix E, "Troubleshooting," in the Microsoft Workgroup Add-On for
Windows User's Guide, for more information on creating a minimal
CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT. You will then need to run Setup again
and install Windows for Workgroups 3.11 into the same directory.
Setup will automatically turn off some of its hardware detection
capability to try to prevent a hardware detection problem from
occurring again. If you still encounter problems during Setup,
restart your computer and type the following at the MS-DOS command
prompt:
and press ENTER. This instructs Setup to disable all of its hardware
detection capability.
Q: After running Setup successfully, I am unable to start Windows for
Workgroups 3.11. What could be the problem?
A: If you have completed Setup but cannot start Windows for Workgroups
3.11, see the section "Windows won't start after a successful Setup,"
in Appendix E "Troubleshooting," in the Microsoft Workgroup Add-On for
Windows User's Guide. This section list the most common causes of not
being able to start Windows for Workgroups 3.11, and how to correct
these problems.
Q: When I start Windows for Workgroups 3.11, I cannot see other
computers on the network. What could be the problem?
A: Listed below are some of the most common problems:
- An IRQ, I/O port address, and/or base memory (RAM) address
conflict. See Appendix C, "Installing Network Hardware," in the
Microsoft Workgroup Add-On for Windows User's Guide for more
information on configuring your network adapter. See Appendix D
"Configuring Network Adapter Drivers, "for information on changing
the settings in Windows for Workgroups 3.11.
- A cabling or connector problem. See Appendix C, "Installing
Network Hardware," for more information about connecting cables.
You can also test your network cabling and adapter hardware by
running the Microsoft Network Diagnostics utility included with
Windows for Workgroups 3.11. For more information on using this
utility, see the section "Using Microsoft Network Diagnostics to
Troubleshoot Networking Problems," in Appendix E,"Troubleshooting."
Q: How do I configure Windows for Workgroups 3.11 to run with Novell's
ODI drivers?
A: Windows for Workgroups 3.11 can use the ODI drivers to communicate
with both Novell Netware servers and other computers using Windows
for Workgroups 3.11. Before setting up Windows for Workgroups 3.11,
you must have the ODI drivers loaded and configured properly for your
network adapter. You will also need to obtain support drivers that
Novell provides for Netware functionality within Windows operating
systems. Contact you local Novell reseller or Novell's CompuServe
forums for information on obtaining these drivers. When installing
support for Netware connectivity using the ODI drivers, Setup will
prompt you for these files. If you are upgrading over Windows for
Workgroups 3.1 or Windows 3.1, and had Netware connectivity enabled,
these support drivers will already exist in your Windows directory.
Setup will detect these files and will prompt you to choose to use
these files, or install the diskette from Novell. For more
information on configuring Windows for Workgroups 3.11 with the ODI
drivers, please refer to the NETWORKS.WRI file, located in your
Windows for Workgroups 3.11 directory. This file can be viewed with
the Write application in Windows for Workgroups 3.11
Q: What is 32-Bit File Access and how can I get it running on my
computer?
A: 32-BIT FILE ACCESS provides a faster way to read and write to the
disk cache in Windows for Workgroups 3.11 than SMARTDrive can provide.
It provides a much higher disk access performance boost on compatible
hard drive controllers when running Windows for Workgroups 3.11 by
utilizing a 32-bit cache as opposed to SMARTDrive's 16-bit cache.
However, SMARTDrive is still used for caching floppy drives with
Windows for Workgroups 3.11.
By default, 32-BIT FILE ACCESS is NOT enabled. For more information on
activating this disk performance enhancement utility, see the section
"Improving Performance," Chapter 8 of the Microsoft Workgroup Add-On
for Windows User's Guide.
Q: What are the PROTOCOL.CLN, SYSTEM.CLN, and WIN.CLN files in my
Windows for Workgroups 3.11 directory?
A: PLEASE NOTE: These files should only be used if Windows for
Workgroups 3.11 worked properly after its initial install.
The files listed above are created by Setup after it installs Windows
for Workgroups 3.11 onto your harddrive. They are to be used if, for
some reason, Windows for Workgroups 3.11 cannot start, or is not
functioning properly after a change was made to one of three files:
PROTOCOL.INI, SYSTEM.INI, and WIN.INI. To restore these files to
their original settings, you need to first make a backup copy onto a
floppy diskette of your PROTOCOL.INI, SYSTEM.INI, and WIN.INI files
from your directory. Next, copy the PROTOCOL.CLN, SYSTEM.CLN, and
WIN.CLN files in your Windows for Workgroups 3.11 directory to
PROTOCOL.INI, SYSTEM.INI, and WIN.INI respectively. This will
restore your files to their original settings.
Q: I have a Hercules Monochrome, CGA, or EGA video adapter, but this
driver is not available. Can I run Windows for Workgroups 3.11 with
this type of display adapter?
A: Yes. If you had a previous version of Windows 3.1 or Windows for
Workgroups 3.1, and had one of these video drivers installed, Setup
will recognized this and will keep this driver for use in Windows for
Workgroups 3.11.
Q: I have a computer that I only use for MS-DOS-based applications. Can
I still have access to my Windows for Workgroups 3.11 network from
MS-DOS on this computer?
A: Yes. You will need to purchase the Microsoft Workgroup Add-On for
MS-DOS package from Microsoft, and install a compatible network
adapter on the computer. This product allows you to connect to
Windows for Workgroups 3.11 computers and printers, and also allows
you to share your files with other computers on the network from
MS-DOS. For more information about this product, please call
Microsoft Sales Information Center (MSIC) at (800) 426-9400.
Q: In the Network Drivers dialog box, it lists "IPX/SPX Compatible
Transport," or "IPX/SPX Compatible Transport with NETBIOS" as a
protocol. Why is this installed and how is it used?
A: In the previous version, Windows for Workgroups 3.1, a Windows for
Workgroups computer communicated with other Windows for Workgroups
computers using the NetBEUI protocol by default. With Windows for
Workgroups 3.11, a second protocol, either IPX/SPX Compatible
Transport or IPX/SPX Compatible Transport with NETBIOS, is installed
along with NetBEUI, if the computer has six megabytes or more of RAM.
This allows Windows for Workgroups 3.11 to communicate with other
computers that use either the NetBEUI protocol or IPX/SPX Compatible
Transport. The benefit of the IPX/SPX Compatible Transport and the
IPX/SPX Compatible Transport with NETBIOS is that either of these
protocols can communicate across a router, whereas the NetBEUI
protocol cannot. Novell Netware servers can act as routers between
two different Windows for Workgroups 3.11 networks.
Modification Type: | Major | Last Reviewed: | 1/8/2000 |
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Keywords: | KB106275 kbAudDeveloper |
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