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Q83033: Novell NetWare: Error Message on Printer Reconnections

Article: Q83033
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 95.x Retail Product
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.1,3.11
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 06-DEC-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows versions 3.1, 3.11 
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SUMMARY
=======

Microsoft Windows version 3.1 has a feature called persistent network
connections. When you start Windows, it attempts to reestablish the network
connections that were in use when you closed your last Windows session. This
applies to both network servers and printers.

When you have persistent printer connections and are running Novell NetWare, if
the print queue no longer exists, you receive an error message when Windows
starts up. The NetWare driver is attempting to reconnect your system to a print
queue that no longer exists. You continue to be presented with this error
message every time Windows is started until the port in question is connected to
another network print queue.

There are three solutions to this problem; see below for more details.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Resolve the problem with one of the following methods.

Method 1: Making Permanent Connections
--------------------------------------

By making your new connections permanent, you will overwrite the information for
the nonexistent print queue in the WIN.INI file with your new permanent
connection information. Next time you start Windows, it will reconnect you to
your new printer connections and not display error messages.

Method 2: Connecting from the MS-DOS Prompt
-------------------------------------------

If you do not want to create a permanent printer queue connection in Windows, you
can connect all the LPT ports to a NetWare print queue from the MS-DOS prompt
before entering Windows.

If you do this, the next time you start Windows the NetWare driver will prompt
you to find out if you want to override the existing connection with the
connection as specified in the WIN.INI file (which is invalid). This message
occurs because the printer connection definitions in the WIN.INI file are
invalid (no print queue by that name exists), and the associated LPT port has
already been redirected (in MS-DOS prior to starting Windows). Choose the No
button.

You will then be prompted with another message:

  Do you want to remove this printer connection definition from WIN.INI?

Choose the Yes button. This removes the invalid entry from your WIN.INI file. The
next time you start Windows, you won't get any error messages about your invalid
print queues.

Method 3: Editing the WIN.INI File
----------------------------------

You can edit the WIN.INI file with an MS-DOS-based text editor or with Notepad to
remove the invalid information and replace it with valid information.


Additional query words: 3.10 3.11 kbnetwork net ware novell

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbWin3xSearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbWin310 kbWin311
Version           : WINDOWS:3.1,3.11

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