Cannot Run NDS Tools Without Running Nwadmin.exe

 Last reviewed: January 22, 1996
Article ID: Q142773
The information in this article applies to:
  • 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 attempt to run a NetWare Directory Services (NDS) tool on a computer running Windows 95 configured with the Microsoft Service for NDS, you may receive one of the following error messages:

  • Invalid Context
  • Unknown Object Type
  • Cannot read object's information
  • Program Error Your program is making an invalid dynamic link call to a .dll file

CAUSE

The Novell NetWare Administrator program (Nwadmin.exe) has not been run. Therefore, the following dynamic link libraries (DLLs) are not loaded in memory:

  • Nwcalls.dll
  • Nwlocale.dll
  • Nwipxspx.dll
  • Nwnet.dll
  • Nwgdi.dll
  • Nwpsrv.dll

RESOLUTION

You can edit the registry using System Policy Editor (Poledit.exe) or Registry Editor (Regedit.exe). Check with your network administrator before you make any changes to the registry.

System Policy Editor (Poledit.exe) is available in the Admin\Apptools\ Poledit folder on the Windows 95 CD-ROM. Use the Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel to install System Policy Editor.

NOTE: System Policy Editor is not included in the floppy disk version of Windows 95. You can download Policy.exe, a self-extracting file containing Poledit.exe, from online services. Please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base for information about downloading Policy.exe: 

   ARTICLE-ID: Q135315
   TITLE     : CD-ROM Extras for Microsoft Windows 95 Upgrade
Use the following steps to edit the registry with System Policy Editor to ensure that the necessary NetWare DLLs are automatically loaded when Windows 95 starts:

  1. Click the Start button, and then click Run.

  2. Type "poledit" (without quotation marks) in the Open box, and then click OK.

  3. On the Options menu, click Template.

  4. Click Open Template, type the full path for the Maple.adm file that is included with the Microsoft Service for NDS, click Open, and then click Close.

  5. On the File menu, click Open Registry, and then double-click Local Computer.

  6. Double-click Network, and then double-click Service For NetWare Directory Services.

  7. Click the Load NetWare DLLs At Startup check box to select it, and then click OK.

  8. Save the changes to the registry, exit System Policy Editor, and then restart Windows 95.

After you complete the above steps, the following DLLs are loaded automatically each time you start Windows 95:
  • Nwcalls.dll
  • Nwlocale.dll
  • Nwnet.dll

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 cause the Nwipxspx.dll, Nwgdi.dll, and Nwpsrv.dll DLLs to be loaded automatically each time you start Windows 95, you must create a new string value for each DLL that you want to be loaded under the following registry key: 

   Hkey_Local_Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Nwnp32\
   NetworkProvider\PreloadDlls
The name of each new string value should be the name of the DLL that you want to be loaded automatically. For example, if you want the Nwipxspx.dll DLL to be loaded automatically, the name of the new string value that you create should be "Nwipxspx.dll" (without quotation marks). The new registry values that you create should not be assigned any data.

MORE INFORMATION

For information about how to obtain the Microsoft Service for NetWare Directory Services, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

   ARTICLE-ID: Q138709
   TITLE     : Microsoft Service for NetWare Directory Services Available
For information about problems that may occur when you attempt to run Nwadmin.exe on a computer running Windows 95 configured with the Microsoft Client for NetWare Networks or the Microsoft Service for NDS, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

   ARTICLE-ID: Q124712
   TITLE     : NetWare Administrator Does Not Work with NWREDIR Loaded
For information about how to merge the Microsoft Service for NDS policy file (Maple.adm) with the Admin.adm policy file included with Windows 95, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

   ARTICLE-ID: Q142178
   TITLE     : How to Use Maple.adm with System Policy Editor

KBCategory: kbnetwork kbenv kberrmsg
KBSubcategory: win95 3rdpartynet
Additional reference words: 95

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Last reviewed: January 22, 1996
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