Windows Err Msg: Unable to Start Enhanced Mode... (Networks) (75711)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows 3.0
- Microsoft Windows 3.0a
- Microsoft Windows 3.1
- Microsoft Windows 3.11
This article was previously published under Q75711 SYMPTOMS
If you run Windows in 386 enhanced mode on a workstation without a
hard disk (a "diskless" workstation) over a Novell or DEC Pathworks
network, Windows may generate the following error:
Unable to start Enhanced Mode Windows due to invalid path
specification for EMM386
CAUSE
Some networks, such as Novell and DEC Pathworks, set up diskless
workstations by using a DOSGEN program that generates a system startup
profile for each workstation. This profile is based upon the system
configuration contained on the workstation's startup (boot) disk. Once
generated, the profile is stored on the network server. However, if
Windows is running on a diskless workstation under such a network, it
has difficulty finding the EMM386.EXE and WINA20.386 files and
therefore cannot run in 386 enhanced mode.
WORKAROUND
You can alleviate this problem by correcting some settings in the
CONFIG.SYS and SYSTEM.INI files.
To correct the problem, you need to use two features of MS-DOS version
5.0 or 6.0 in the boot disk that is used to generate the startup image
for the diskless workstation, and you need to add an additional line
needs to the SYSTEM.INI file in the Windows directory.
On the boot disk used for generating the startup image, the CONFIG.SYS
file must contain the /Y parameter on the EMM386.EXE line specifying
the path to EMM386.EXE and the switches=/W line, as follows:
device=emm386.exe /y=u:\emm386.exe noems
switches=/w
where "u" is the net drive letter.
The path to the network server location of the WINA20.386 file must be
specified in the [386Enh] section of the SYSTEM.INI file, as follows:
device=U:\wina20.386
NOTE: Be sure to verify that the AUTOEXEC.BAT file used to boot the
diskless workstation does not have a path that mentions drive A. If
the AUTOEXEC.BAT points to drive A, the workstation attempts to map to
that drive and is unable to boot. To correct this problem, remove any
such portion of a path statement that points to drive A.
Once these are correctly specified, the diskless workstation startup
image can be generated, and Windows should run in 386 enhanced mode.
MORE INFORMATIONNovell Networks
On Novell networks only, this error can be alleviated by mapping the
original disk drive letter that the disk image NET$DOS.SYS was created
from to a public directory containing EMM386.EXE. For instance, if the
NET$DOS.SYS file was created from a floppy disk in drive A, remapping
drive A to a public directory containing EMM386.EXE allows Windows to
find it.
The products included here are manufactured by vendors independent of
Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these
products' performance or reliability.
| Modification Type: | Minor | Last Reviewed: | 7/7/2005 |
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| Keywords: | KB75711 |
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