If you are administering a NetWare network, the move to Windows 95 will involve incremental planning, testing, and gradual implementation of Windows 95 on many computers on the network. Typically, the administrator will take awhile to complete the following tasks:
This task includes experimenting with the typical applications used at your site and working over the network to assess the performance, reliability, and robustness available under Windows 95.
To support Novell NetWare integration with Windows 95, any computer on which you are installing Windows 95 should be connected to a NetWare server when you start Windows 95 Setup. This requires that the computer be configured with either an ODI driver (recommended) or the monolithic IPX driver, in addition to either NETX or VLM to access resources on a NetWare server.
Windows 95 Setup detects whether a Novell NetWare workstation shell is running on the computer. If Setup finds at least version 3.26 of NET*.COM, it automatically configures networking for NetWare networks. During the detection phase, Windows 95 Setup also tries to determine whether the computer is using real-mode TSRs that cannot be replaced (such as DOSNP.COM, TCP/IP client software, or 3720 emulators).
After detection is complete, Windows 95 Setup prepares to install protected-mode networking support based on Client for NetWare Networks, unless detection has found incompatible software components or the user specifies that network support should be based on Novell-supplied components. The new Windows 95 protected-mode components are not installed automatically if detection finds the following:
To install Client for NetWare Networks and other protected-mode networking components, Setup might perform the following actions:
The actions for software detection and installation of new networking components are defined in a file named NETDET.INI in the Windows directory. Installation actions are defined in NETDET.INI for the software listed in the following table. For a complete and current list, see NETDET.INI in your Windows directory.
Software detected | Windows 95 Setup default action |
Btrieve® (BREQUEST.EXE) | Installs Client for NetWare Networks, with all protected-mode components |
DOSNP.EXE | Keeps the real-mode IPX protocol in place |
LAN Workplace® | Installs Client for NetWare Networks, but keeps the real-mode ODI network adapter and IPX protocol in place |
Novell NetBIOS TSR | Installs the Microsoft IPX/SPX-compatible protocol and enables NetBIOS support |
NACS/NASI (NASI.EXE) | Retains all existing Novell-supplied networking components |
For information about the format of entries in NETDET.INI and how to customize this file, see Chapter 5, "Custom, Automated, and Push Installations."
Windows 95 Setup automatically configures settings for network adapters and protocols. The specific issues for configuring drivers and protocols depend on whether the computer is using Client for NetWare Networks or a Novell-supplied workstation shell.