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This section contains Win2NCS software troubleshooting information that is divided into two categories:
NOTE: Online help for Win2NCS provides you with an overview of its functionality, installation instructions, and information about using Win2NCS. Additional troubleshooting issues and tips are also included.
You can change the way configuration files are handled at any time by changing the networked entry in the configuration section of the USER.INI file as follows:
0 = Config files in installed directory1 = Config files based on Logged-In name (includes context).2 = Config files always on drive C.3 = Config files in Windows directory.4 = Config files based on User name (ignores context).
These changes will take place the next time you start Win2NCS.
You can use the Win2NCS Mapping Utility to change the mapping of a COM port, even if the port is presently redirected and active. However, the mapping only applies to the next time the COM port is used; it will not cause the present connection to be redirected.
This section discusses various symptoms of common problems related to Win2NCS connections and the potential solutions.
You do not see Win2NCS messages when using the Win2NCS Mapping Utility or an application that communicates with the COM port through Win2NCS.
When you are using Windows NT, the cursor might not be restored correctly to the Communications Application window after a Win2NCS redirectional message is displayed. In most cases, Windows NT ignores the System Modal capability of the Win2NCS directional message. This response causes the communications application to run at the same time as the redirectional message. If the communications application changes the window while the redirectional message is displayed, the focus is restored to the incorrect window.
Although this can be a benefit, it can also be a disadvantage because the user must manually restore the focus to the Communications Application window.
At large sites that have many NetWare® servers, it might take a long time to find available modems (acquire a service) when using Win2NCS Redirection. For example, there are four available services on two NCS servers from a network containing 20 NCS servers. Because the Redirector does not know on which server the services you require reside, it must contact each server to request services information. If the servers you require are some of the last to be contacted, the wait can be quite long, especially if some of the servers are on routers. Two possible solutions are as follows:
Communication ports are not assigned to Win2NCS if all COM ports (1 through 8) are already assigned to hardware. If you have an eight-port COM board in your system, COM1 through COM8 have probably been assigned to that board. To assign a COM port to Win2NCS, complete the following steps:
Manually remove some of the COM port assignments using the Windows 95 Control Panel (system icon).
Run Win2NCS Setup again.
Map the chosen COM ports to Win2NCS.
If you experience a problem with Windows 95 that is unrelated to Win2NCS and decide to reinstall, port assignments might be changed. The reason is that when Windows 95 is reinstalled, the device manager searches for all available hardware. Because Win2NCS does not use any hardware, the device manager assumes that the ports were configured incorrectly and reassigns them as standard COM ports. To reassign the COM ports, complete the following steps:
Run Win2NCS Setup.
Win2NCS recognizes the reassigned ports as not attached to hardware and prompts you to unassign the ports so that they can be reassigned.
Click Yes.
The ports are reassigned.
Modem disconnects are most often caused by either bad lines or incorrect modem selections. Make sure that you select the correct modem type. If you are using a pool of modems and if you used a wildcard selection (asterisk and question mark) with the Win2NCS Mapping Utility, make sure that all possible ports in the wildcard selection have modems that are identical.
To determine whether the modem is the source of the problem, complete the following steps:
Map a unique service to a COM port using the Win2NCS Mapping Utility.
In Windows 95, select the correct modem type (parameter path: Select Settings > Control Panel > Modems).
Run the application to determine whether its performance is improved.
If your Map Communications Ports option is usually fast, but it has recently become slower and is displaying a Searching Server message, your network might have an NCS server that is broadcasting into the network but will not allow Win2NCS to contact it. Ask your system administrator to put a filter on the router to stop the broadcasts into the network. You can also set the Query Service Timeout in Global Options to a lower value to terminate the search earlier.
While Win2NCS is initializing (for example, acquiring ports), you cannot switch to another application.
Wait until initialization is completed before switching applications. While Win2NCS is acquiring ports, it runs exclusively. Other processes cannot be started during the few seconds that the Win2NCS is taking place.
If the Win2NCS Redirector does not direct the COM port to NCS and you do not see any information messages from the Win2NCS Redirector when you start the application, first make sure that Win2NCS Redirection is enabled. If Win2NCS Redirection is enabled, make sure that the COM port is mapped correctly and that Redirector Informational Messages is enabled in Global Mapping Options of the Win2NCS utility.
Remove support for Microsoft Networking by removing the IPX/SPX compatible driver selection in Windows for Workgroups 3.11.
To remove support for Microsoft Networking permanently, complete all the following steps. If you plan to use Microsoft Networking later, complete only Step 1 through Step 5.
Double-click the Network icon in the Program Manager or Control Panel in Windows 95.
Double-click Network Setup.
Click Drivers.
In the Drivers box, select IPX/SPX Compatible Transport with NetBIOS.
Click Remove and follow the instructions.
Stop here and restart windows if you do not want to remove support for Microsoft Networking permanently.
In the Network Setup window, select Networks.
At the bottom of the window, select the radio button labeled Install Windows Support for the Following Network Only.
Use the scroll bar to locate Novell NetWare (Workstation shell 4.0 and later).
Click OK on both windows.
Restart Windows for the changes to take effect.
Windows for Workgroups should support the same applications as Windows 3.1 Enhanced Mode if the Microsoft IPX/SPX Compatible Transport Driver is not installed. When the Microsoft driver is not installed, the Novell IPX/SPX driver is used. With the Novell driver, NetBIOS packets are not routed.
If the Microsoft driver is used, the Mapping Utility and Redirector might not operate properly. This is due to incompatibilities in the SPX implementation in the Microsoft driver.
The Win2NCS Mapping Utility displays all services associated with the user, whether or not the services are busy. This allows the user to map any service for possible future use. However, the Win2NCS Redirector only displays services that are presently not being used by someone else. In this case, probably all the services are in use by others.
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