Setup Leaves Windows .INI Files in Root of the Novell Server (96541)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.0
This article was previously published under Q96541

SYMPTOMS

If you run MS-DOS 6 Setup when you are logged onto a Novell server, Setup may leave your Windows initialization (.INI) files in the root directory.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when all the following conditions are exist:

  • You are logged on as a supervisor or a user with full access privileges to the root of the file server.
  • You are using a shared installation of Windows (installed with the SETUP /N command).
  • Your Windows initialization files are in a user directory that is being accessed with a search drive.
  • You have installed the Windows-based optional utilities.
If these conditions exist, MS-DOS 6 Setup leaves the following initialization files in the root of the Novell file server: 
   PROTMAN.INI
   SYSTEM.INI
   WINFILE.INI
Setup also leaves the backup (.BAK) files for those files in the root of the Novell file server.

WORKAROUND

Use one of the following techniques to correct this situation:

  • If this is the only installation of MS-DOS 6 you plan to perform when you are logged in as supervisor, you can simply move these six files back to the user directory.
  • If you plan to do multiple installations of MS-DOS 6 when you are logged in as supervisor, temporarily override the search drive before beginning the MS-DOS 6 Setup on each subsequent computer. For example, if your Windows initialization files are accessed on Search drive W:\USER\JOEB. Before beginning the MS-DOS 6 Setup type these two commands at the MS-DOS command prompt:

    map del w:
    map w:=sys:user\joeb

    When MS-DOS 6 Setup prompts you for the location of Windows directory, use W:\USER\JOEB for the path.

    NOTE: If desired, you may substitute the second command above with the following:

    map root w:=sys:user\joeb

    When MS-DOS 6 Setup prompts you for the location of Windows, use W:\ for the path.

MORE INFORMATION

Do not use a search drive to specify the location of your Windows initialization files. A search drive represents its drive letter as "<drive>:." instead of "<drive>:\<pathname>." MS-DOS 6 looks at "<drive>:.", changes to the root of the drive, and then looks for the current (.) directory. This is why MS-DOS 6 writes the files to the root of the server.

If you are logged on as a user without write access privileges to the root of the file server (as is generally the case with a user on a Novell network), the same approach as described in the second technique applies. If you don't have privileges in the root directory, the temporary initialization files (.$$$) are written to your user directory. No changes are been made to your original initialization files. You can safely delete these .$$$ files. Use the second technique and then restart the MS-DOS 6 Setup program.

The following three .$$$ files may be left in your user directory: 
   __SYS__.$$$
   __PGI__.$$$
   __WFI__.$$$
If Setup detects that it did not need to modify one or more of the initialization files, you may not have all three of these in your user directory.

NOTE: This information applies to both the SETUP and SETUP /E commands. (SETUP /E is used to install the optional components.)
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/22/1999
Keywords:KB96541
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