Search Mode Limitation in Client for NetWare Networks

ID: Q129055

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows 95

SYMPTOMS

After installing Windows 95 and changing from the Novell NetWare NETX or VLM client to the Windows 95 client for NetWare networks (NWREDIR.VXD), you may not be able to run network tools or applications that you did before you installed Windows 95. In particular, when you try to run an application from a NetWare server you receive error messages indicating that an auxiliary file needed by the application cannot be found.

CAUSE

The search mode functionality provided by the Windows 95 client for NetWare networks differs from that provided by the Novell NetWare VLM and NETX clients. These differences can cause the Windows 95 client for NetWare networks to be unable to find auxiliary files needed by applications, even though the VLM or NETX clients could locate them.

STATUS

This behavior is caused by the fact that the Windows 95 client for NetWare networks does not provide the same functionality as the Novell NetWare VLM and NETX clients, not by a problem in Windows 95.

MORE INFORMATION

The VLM and NETX clients use a default search mode of 1, which means that these clients search any drives mapped as search drives when attempting to find auxiliary files needed by applications. However, the Windows 95 client for NetWare networks uses a default search mode of 0, which means that the client does not search drives mapped as search drives when attempting to find auxiliary files.

The fact that the Windows 95 client for NetWare networks uses a search mode of 0 can cause problems when you attempt to run applications that require one or more auxiliary files. For example, assume that you have the following drive mappings, where SERVER is a Novell NetWare server:


   Drive Q mapped to SERVER/SYS:
   Drive Z mapped as a search drive to SERVER/SYS:PUBLIC

If you are using the Windows 95 client for NetWare networks, and you attempt to run the FILER.EXE file management tool from drive Q, you receive an error message similar to:

The system message file "SYS$MSG.DAT" could not be opened. Program Initialization Failure - Execution Terminated.

The FILER tool cannot run because it requires the auxiliary file SYS$MSG.DAT that is normally located in the PUBLIC directory on the Novell Server. Because the Windows 95 client for NetWare networks uses a search mode of 0, it does not search drive Z for auxiliary files and cannot find the file needed by the FILER tool.

NOTE: The search mode value used by the Windows 95 client for NetWare networks is stored in the following registry location:


   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\NWRedir

Changing this value from 0 to 1 will not change the behavior of the client because doing so is not possible given the structure of the Installable File System Manager (IFSMGR.VXD) included with Windows 95.

The third-party products discussed in this article are manufactured by a vendor independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.

Keywords :
Version :
Platform :
Issue type :