Problems After Modifying Maximum Connections or Sockets Value

• Microsoft Windows 95

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, you should first make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat). Both are hidden files in the Windows folder.

SYMPTOMS

When you are using the Microsoft Client for NetWare Networks, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms:

• You receive the following error message:

        Error loading protocol 0, error 254
  

• You are not prompted to log on to your preferred NetWare server when you start Windows 95.
• You are unable to connect to NetWare servers.
• You are unable to print to NetWare printers, causing the printers to go offline.
• You are unable to log on to NetWare servers using Dial-Up Networking.

CAUSE

These problems can occur when you choose to specify a value for Maximum Connections or Maximum Sockets on the Advanced tab in the IPX/SPX- Compatible Protocol Properties dialog box. If you specify a value that is lower than the normal default value, the problems described above may occur.

RESOLUTION

NOTE: For information about how to edit the registry, view the Changing Keys And Values online Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe). Note that you should make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat) before you edit the registry.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall Windows 95. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To work around this problem, configure Windows 95 so that the default values for Maximum Connections and Maximum Sockets are used, or modify the values that you specified so that they are equal to or greater than the default values. To configure Windows 95 so that the default values for Maximum Connections or Maximum Sockets are used, follow these steps:

1. In Control Panel, double-click Network.

2. Click IPX/SPX-Compatible Protocol, and then click Properties.

3. Click the Advanced tab.

4. Click Maximum Connections in the Property box, and then click Not Present.

5. Click Maximum Sockets in the Property box, and then click Not Present.

6. Click OK.

7. Use Registry Editor to remove the Maxconnect and Maxsockets values in the following registry key:

         Hkey_Local_Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\Nwlink
   

1. In Control Panel, double-click Network.

2. Click IPX/SPX-Compatible Protocol, and then click Properties.

3. Click the Advanced tab.

4. Click Maximum Connections in the Property box, click Value, and then type a value of at least 16 in the Value box.

5. Click Maximum Sockets in the Property box, click Value, and then type a value of at least 32 in the Value box.

6. Click OK.

MORE INFORMATION

If you do not specify Maximum Connections and Maximum Sockets values, Windows 95 uses the default values of 16 for Maximum Connections and 32 for Maximum Sockets. When you click Maximum Connections or Maximum Sockets in the Property box and then click the Value option button, the default values that appear in the Value box are 1 for Maximum Connections and 2 for Maximum Sockets. If you do not modify these values so that they are greater than or equal to the default values, the problems described in this article may occur.

For information about other problems that may prevent the NetWare logon dialog box from appearing when you start Windows 95, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q141858
   TITLE     : No Windows or Network Logon Dialog Box at Startup