KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q129055: Search Mode Limitation in Client for NetWare Networks

Article: Q129055
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 95.x Retail Product
Version(s): 
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 17-DEC-2000

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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          :  
Technology        : kbWin95search kbZNotKeyword3

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.