No Network Drives Visible in File Manager or at MS-DOS Prompt

Last reviewed: May 9, 1995
Article ID: Q112366

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows for Workgroups version 3.11

SYMPTOMS

When you are using an IBM OS/2 LAN Server, Microsoft LAN Manager, or Artisoft LANtastic network in conjunction with Microsoft Windows for Workgroups version 3.11, one or more of the following symptoms occur:

You receive the following error message when you try to view files on a network drive from either File Manager or the MS-DOS command prompt:
```
      An error occurred reading drive <x>
```
You are not be able to print from MS-DOS-based applications to network printers.
No files are listed in File Manager for the network drive.
Directory listings are incomplete.
Directory listings appear to be corrupted in File Manager.
You are able to run programs from the network drive only when you specify the full path and filename in the File menu Run dialog box.

CAUSE

If you select the "Support for the Following Network Only" option in the Networks dialog box of Network Setup and then choose one of the following

   100% MS-Net Compatible
   Artisoft LANtastic (any version)
   IBM OS/2 LAN Server (any version)

the device for IFSHLP.SYS may not be removed from the CONFIG.SYS file, resulting in the above error message. This file conflicts with the proper running of Windows when any one of these three network choices is selected.

RESOLUTION

To correct this problem, remove IFSHLP.SYS from the CONFIG.SYS file.

NOTE: Because IFSHLP.SYS is the real-mode component for the 32-bit file system, removing this file takes away the ability to use 32-bit file access. The only workaround is to adjust the WindowsMemSize value for SMARTDrive, which should be referenced in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. (For more information, type "help smartdrv.exe" [without the quotation marks] at the MS-DOS command prompt.)

To remove this line from the CONFIG.SYS file, open the CONFIG.SYS file in an ASCII text editor, such as Windows Notepad, and change

   device=c:\windows\ifshlp.sys*

   to:

   REM device=c:\windows\ifshlp.sys

KBCategory: kbnetwork kb3rdparty kberrmsg
KBSubcategory: wfw wfwg
Additional reference words: 3.11 permissions r r/w rw directories DOS LAN
requestor

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Last reviewed: May 9, 1995
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