Troubleshooting Windows 95 Using Novell NetWare Clients

This section describes some common problems that might occur when running a Novell-supplied client with Windows 95.

As a general troubleshooting step, make sure that the NETWARE.DRV file version 3.03.94.280 or later for VLM is present, plus version 2.02 or later for NETX. If necessary, restore this file from the Novell-supplied installation source.

Setup requires Novell Workstation Shell Installation Program.

If, during installation, Setup fails to load Novell drivers and displays a message that it requires the Novell Workstation Shell Install Program for installing the VLM network client with Windows 95, follow the instructions presented in "VLM Technical Notes" earlier in this chapter.

You cannot attach to the NetWare file server after installing Windows 95.

Verify the frame type being used by the NetWare server. If the NetWare server is using a different frame type from the one configured for the computer running Windows 95, the user cannot see the server. The Novell-supplied IPXODI protocol binds only to the first logical board, which is the first frame type in the link driver ODI_driver section in NET.CFG.

To correct this problem, manually edit NET.CFG so that the correct frame type is first in the link driver ODI_driver section.

You cannot see other computers running Windows 95 or NetWare server.

You cannot access the login drive after installing Windows 95.

A common misconception is that users must log on to their NetWare server using the drive letter F. However, this is not true. For a client computer using the NETX workstation shell, the NetWare login drive is the next drive letter available after the LastDrive= statement in the Registry.

You can alter the LastDrive= statement to change the login drive, but you must leave enough drives before the LastDrive= that Windows 95 can use for its own connections.

Computer doesn't run after installing VLM support under Windows 95.

If a message says that the system cannot find a device file needed to run Windows, make sure that the VLM client has been installed using the Network option in Control Panel. This step ensures that the correct VLM information is placed in SYSTEM.INI. (The Novell-supplied installation program for VLM sets the path in SYSTEM.INI to the Windows SYSTEM directory rather than to VMM32.)