Q90387: Information on Network Card Detection (NCD)
Article: Q90387
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 3.x Retail Product
Version(s): 1.0,3.1,3.11
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s):
Last Modified: 19-FEB-2002
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The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows for Workgroups versions 3.1, 3.11
- Microsoft Workgroup Connections, version 1.0
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SUMMARY
=======
Hardware detection in Windows for Workgroups Setup has been extended from
Microsoft Windows operating system version 3.1 to include network card detection
(NCD).
MORE INFORMATION
================
NCD occurs between the MS-DOS-based and Windows-based portions of Windows for
Workgroups Setup and is finished by the time you see your first dialog box. If
Setup detects a network adapter, it writes any information it can detect plus
information from the NETWORK.INF file to the NCDINFO.INI file in the Windows for
Workgroups directory (C:\WINDOWS by default). Setup later uses this information
when it suggests a network adapter for you to install.
If your computer has multiple network cards, NCD does not detect all cards; it
stops after it detects the first one. Since very few machines use more than one
card, multiple card detection was not built into NCD. You can configure Windows
for Workgroups to use additional network cards by running Control Panel (if you
are running Windows for Workgroups 3.1) or by running Network Setup (if you are
using Windows for Workgroups 3.11).
Like Windows hardware detection, NCD can be skipped by running Setup with the /I
option (SETUP /I). You may need to use this switch if NCD prevents Setup from
completing your Windows for Workgroups installation.
NOTE: When you select a network adapter from Control Panel, NCD does not run. The
settings displayed in the Networks option are factory defaults taken from the
NETWORK.INF file. You need to supply the correct adapter configuration
information.
WHEN NCD IS USED
----------------
Because Setup may fail during NCD, under the following circumstances, Setup does
not perform NCD:
- Workgroup Connections is installed, detected by the presence of WRKGRP.SYS in
the CONFIG.SYS file.
- Windows for Workgroups is installed, detected by the presence of the
network.drv=wfwnet.drv statement in the SYSTEM.INI file.
- Setup with the /I option is run.
- Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) provided network adapter information is
in the NCDINFO.INI file in the Windows for Workgroups target directory. OEMs
may put network adapter information in the [OEMDetected] section with the key
name, NETCARD1=.
- Setup failed during a previous installation, detected by the presence of the
Ignore_HW_Detect= statement in the SYSTEM.INI file. Just before Setup starts
NCD, Ignore_HW_Detect= is added to the SYSTEM.INI file under the [boot]
section. If Setup sees this flag, it assumes that the last installation
failed due to NCD problems. Setup then skips NCD and clears the statement
when it has successfully completed installation.
NOTE: Setup may suggest a network adapter to you even if NCD was not run because
Setup may be able to determine what the network adapter was from a previous
installation of Windows for Workgroups, Workgroup Connections, or Microsoft LAN
Manager.
NCD FAILURE
-----------
NCD can fail in any of the following ways:
NCD Fails to Detect the Network Adapter
---------------------------------------
The Unlisted Or Updated Network Adapter selection is selected in the Network
Identification list box.
Solution: You must manually select your network adapter. Make sure the hardware
settings for your adapter are correct.
NCD Detects the Adapter, But Not All the Necessary Settings
-----------------------------------------------------------
Your network adapter is selected in the Network Identification list box. When you
choose the OK button, hardware settings are displayed.
NCD detects as many settings as possible, but may not detect them all. For
example, Setup may not be able to detect the interrupt request line (IRQ) used
by the adapter. If this happens, Setup displays the factory default for the
particular setting it cannot detect.
Unfortunately, Setup does not inform you if a particular setting was not
detected. Some of the displayed settings are factory defaults while others were
properly detected settings. Also, the factory defaults may not match the actual
settings on the network adapter. If you do not know the correct settings, and
accept Setup's suggestions, the network drivers will fail to initialize.
Solution: You must select the correct adapter settings during Setup, or change
the settings in Control Panel after Windows for Workgroups is installed.
NCD Detects the Wrong Network Adapter
-------------------------------------
This is usually due to some incorrect or old information left on your hard drive.
Causes include:
- Old or incorrect versions of Microsoft LAN Manager drivers.
- Old or incorrect IPX.COM in the PATH or the root directory of the boot drive.
- Old or incorrect EISA Setup information.
- Old or incorrect information from an earlier Windows for Workgroups or
Workgroup Connections installation.
Solution: During Setup (or from Control Panel) change the incorrect network
adapter to the correct one, making sure the hardware settings are correct.
NCD Interferes with the Hardware, Failing Installation
------------------------------------------------------
One of several things may happen:
- Your machine can stop responding (hang) or restart when Setup informs you
that it is going into Windows.
- Setup can cause a general protection (GP) fault or hang or restart your
machine just before the Virtual Memory dialog box displays.
- If you are running Setup over a network, the network adapter may be reset or
disabled (until you restart your computer), making Setup unable to copy files
from the remote drive.
Solution: Run Setup again. Windows for Workgroups does not perform NCD if it
failed the first time. However, if your computer hangs again, use the /I switch
with Setup.
HOW NCD WORKS
-------------
NCD attempts to detect the network adapter many different ways. It runs detection
methods that are least likely to fail Setup first. It then goes to more
sensitive detection methods. A brief summary of detection methods (in order of
sensitivity):
- Use the OEM provided information in the [OEMDetected] section of NCDINFO.INI.
- Look for Micro-Channel Architecture (MCA) adapters in an MCA machine. (Only
finds adapters known by their MCA identifications as of the release of
Windows for Workgroups.)
- Look for adapters in Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) machines
using the built-in EISA configuration capabilities. (Only finds adapters
known by their EISA identifications as of the release of Windows for
Workgroups.)
- Try to extract information from Novell's IPX.COM. (Successful only if: IPX is
running, NETx is running, IPX.COM is in the path or in the root directory of
the boot drive and IPX.COM has been created for an adapter known by its IPX
identification as of the release of Windows for Workgroups.)
- Attempt to identify the network adapter by communicating with the physical
hardware and seeing if it reacts in a characteristic manner.
HOW AND WHERE NCD INFORMATION IS STORED
---------------------------------------
When Setup detects a network adapter, it writes the information in the file,
NCDINFO.INI, under the [LastDetectedFromSetup] section. All values that cannot
be detected are marked -1 or 0xffff. For example:
NETCARD1=301,-1,0x300,16,0xffff,-1,0xffff,-1,-1,0,-1, 0xffffffff,1,0x1b67
Explanation of Values
---------------------
NETCARD1 - Key name.
301 - Network adapter number. Assigned and used
internally by Microsoft, this is the same
number used in the NETWORK.INF and
OEMSETUP.INF files. In this case it is the
Intel EtherExpress 16.
-1 - IRQ.
0x300 - Base Input/Output (I/O) address.
16 - Number of I/O ports used.
0xFFFF - Base RAM address (in paragraphs).
-1 - Kilobytes of address space used by RAM.
0xFFFF - Base ROM address (in paragraphs).
-1 - Kilobytes of address space used by ROM.
-1 - DMA Channel used.
0 - Bus type (0=ISA, 1=MCA, 2=EISA, 3=TURBO,
4= PCMCIA).
-1 - Slot number.
0xFFFFFFFF - MCA/EISA identification.
0x1b67 - CRC-16 Check-Sum of the above information.
1 - Card specific information. In this case it
stands for IOCHRDY=LATE.
Additional query words: 1.00 gpf 3.10 wc 3.11
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Keywords :
Technology : kbAudDeveloper kbWFWSearch kbWFW310 kbWFW311
Version : :1.0,3.1,3.11
Issue type : kbinfo
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