Search Mode Limitation in Client for NetWare Networks (129055)
The information in this article applies to:
This article was previously published under Q129055 SYMPTOMS
After installing Windows 95 and changing from the Novell NetWare NETX or
VLM client to the Windows 95 client for NetWare networks (NWREDIR.VXD),
you may not be able to run network tools or applications that you did
before you installed Windows 95. In particular, when you try to run an
application from a NetWare server you receive error messages indicating
that an auxiliary file needed by the application cannot be found.
CAUSE
The search mode functionality provided by the Windows 95 client for NetWare
networks differs from that provided by the Novell NetWare VLM and NETX
clients. These differences can cause the Windows 95 client for NetWare
networks to be unable to find auxiliary files needed by applications, even
though the VLM or NETX clients could locate them.
STATUS
This behavior is caused by the fact that the Windows 95 client for NetWare
networks does not provide the same functionality as the Novell NetWare VLM
and NETX clients, not by a problem in Windows 95.
MORE INFORMATION
The VLM and NETX clients use a default search mode of 1, which means that
these clients search any drives mapped as search drives when attempting to
find auxiliary files needed by applications. However, the Windows 95 client
for NetWare networks uses a default search mode of 0, which means that the
client does not search drives mapped as search drives when attempting to
find auxiliary files.
The fact that the Windows 95 client for NetWare networks uses a search mode
of 0 can cause problems when you attempt to run applications that require
one or more auxiliary files. For example, assume that you have the
following drive mappings, where SERVER is a Novell NetWare server:
Drive Q mapped to SERVER/SYS:
Drive Z mapped as a search drive to SERVER/SYS:PUBLIC
If you are using the Windows 95 client for NetWare networks, and you
attempt to run the FILER.EXE file management tool from drive Q, you
receive an error message similar to:
The system message file "SYS$MSG.DAT" could not be opened.
Program Initialization Failure - Execution Terminated.
The FILER tool cannot run because it requires the auxiliary file
SYS$MSG.DAT that is normally located in the PUBLIC directory on the Novell
Server. Because the Windows 95 client for NetWare networks uses a search
mode of 0, it does not search drive Z for auxiliary files and cannot find
the file needed by the FILER tool.
NOTE: The search mode value used by the Windows 95 client for NetWare
networks is stored in the following registry location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\NWRedir
Changing this value from 0 to 1 will not change the behavior of the client
because doing so is not possible given the structure of the Installable
File System Manager (IFSMGR.VXD) included with Windows 95.
The third-party products discussed in this article are manufactured by a
vendor independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise,
regarding these products' performance or reliability.
| Modification Type: | Major | Last Reviewed: | 12/17/2000 |
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| Keywords: | KB129055 |
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