Logon, Browsing, and Resource Sharing: The Issues

This section summarizes the issues you need to consider when planning to use logon, browsing, and resource sharing features in Windows 95.

The network logon issues include the following:

• To use unified logon, a logon server (such as a Windows NT domain controller or a NetWare preferred server) must be available on the network and contain user account information for the user (unless, of course, the user is logging on as a guest).
• The Windows 95 logon processor can parse most statements in the NetWare login scripts. However, any statements loading TSRs must be removed from the scripts and loaded from AUTOEXEC.BAT. Because the Windows 95 logon processor operates in protected mode, it is not possible to load TSRs for global use from the login script. These TSRs should be loaded from AUTOEXEC.BAT before protected-mode operation begins, or using other methods described in "Using Login Scripts" later in this chapter.

  In some cases, login scripts load backup agents as TSRs. In such cases, protected-mode equivalents built into Windows 95 can be used, making it unnecessary to load these TSRs.

The network browsing issues include the following:

• You can plan ahead to configure workgroups for effective browsing by using WRKGRP.INI to control the workgroups that people can choose. For information about configuring WRKGRP.INI, see Chapter 5, "Custom, Automated, and Push Installations."
• If your enterprise network based on Microsoft networking is connected by a slow-link WAN and includes satellite offices with only Windows 95, then workstations in the satellites cannot browse the central corporate network. Consequently, they can connect to computers outside of their workgroups only by typing the computer name in a Map Network Drive dialog box. To provide full browsing capabilities, the satellite office must have a Windows NT server.
• You can use system policies, such as Hide Drives In My Computer or Hide Network Neighborhood, to limit or prevent browsing by users. For information, see Chapter 15, "User Profiles and System Policies."

The resource sharing issues include the following:

• If you want to configure a computer to share its files or printers, the choice of which File and Printer Sharing service you install depends on whether users who will be browsing for shared resources are running Microsoft or NetWare network clients.
• If you want to use File and Printer Sharing for NetWare Networks, there must be a NetWare server available on the network. This peer resource sharing service uses only user-level security, not share-level security, so a NetWare server must be available to validate user accounts. Also, the NetWare server must include a Windows_Passthru account (with no password) in its user accounts database.
• If you plan to use File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks with user-level security, then a Windows NT server or domain must be available to validate user accounts.
• If you plan to use Net Watcher to remotely monitor connections on a computer running File and Printer Sharing services, that computer must have the Microsoft Remote Registry service installed. This is also true if you want to use Registry Editor or System Policy Editor to change settings on a remote computer. For information, see Chapter 16, "Remote Administration."
• If you are configuring a user's workstation to act as a peer server, you might also want to specify that this computer cannot run MS-DOS – based applications (which take exclusive control of the operating system, shutting down File and Printer Sharing services). To do this, you can set the system policy named Disable Single-Mode MS-DOS Applications.