Reasons Why WFWG Workstations Can't Browse LM Servers (99100)




This article was previously published under Q99100

SUMMARY

This article supplements Chapter 8 of the "Windows for Workgroups Resource Kit," which discusses integrating WFWG clients into LAN Manager domains. Page 8-7 of the Resource Kit states:

Once a Windows for Workgroups workstation is a member of the LAN Manager domain, this workstation will distribute the names of the LAN Manager servers defined in the domain to other Windows for Workgroups workstations on the network.

This article discusses conditions that prevent a WFWG workstation from browsing a LAN Manager domain.

MORE INFORMATION

Here are some reasons why a WFWG workstation defined in a LAN Manager domain might be unable to act as browsemaster for that domain:

  • The workstation has been explicitly disallowed from becoming a browsemaster by setting the MaintainServerList= parameter in the [network] section of SYSTEM.INI to NO. The default value for this parameter is AUTO. If RAS 1.0a has been installed on the workstation, the RAS Setup program sets MaintainServerList=NO.
  • The browser service has been disabled by removing VBROWSE.386 from the network= line of the [386Enhanced] section of SYSTEM.INI. The most common reason for this is that the "Sharing Enabled" checkbox in the Network Control Panel has been unselected, removing both VBROWSE.386 and VSERVER.386 from the network= line. VBROWSE.386 cannot be loaded if VSERVER.386 is not present, so a machine with sharing disabled cannot act as browsemaster.
  • The workstation is running the real mode redirector instead of the protected mode redirector (VREDIR.386). This can occur because:

    • The machine in question is an 80286.
    • The real mode redirector was started before entering Windows (by issuing a NET START WORKSTATION command) and was not stopped before entering Windows. This issues a warning dialog when Windows is started.
    • Windows for Workgroups has been started in standard mode. This issues a warning dialog if the real mode redirector has NOT been started before entering Windows.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Windows for Workgroups Resource Kit," Chapter 8: "Network Integration with Microsoft LAN Manager and Novell NetWare"
Modification Type: Major Last Reviewed: 7/30/2001
Keywords: KB99100
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.