Knowledge Base

Most Common Questions and Answers About Microsoft WFWG 3.11

Article ID: 106275

Article Last Modified on 1/8/2000

APPLIES TO

This article was previously published under Q106275

SUMMARY

The following is the complete text of the Most Common Questions and Answers about Microsoft Windows for Workgroups that was included as a single sheet of paper in the shipped product.

MORE INFORMATION

Q: What network adapter information do I need to configure Windows for Workgroups 3.11? A: You will need to know the following:
  • Network adapter brand and model
  • Interrupt or IRQ
  • I/O port address
  • Base memory (RAM) address
For more information about determining these settings, see the section "Configuring Your Network Card" in Appendix C "Installing Network Hardware," in the Microsoft Workgroup Add-On for Windows User's Guide. When Setup is run, it attempts to detect what network adapter (card) is installed on the computer, and how it is currently configured. You should verify the adapter brand and model as well as the adapter settings that Setup detects. If Setup cannot detect a network adapter, you should select the correct adapter and settings from the list of available drivers. If your adapter is not listed in the Network Adapter dialog box, you must obtain the proper NDIS-compliant or ODI-compliant driver from your network adapter manufacturer, or select a driver that is compatible with your network adapter. Consult your adapter documentation or manufacturer for more information about the compatibility of your adapter with other adapter drivers that are available in Windows for Workgroups 3.11.

If you are upgrading over Windows for Workgroups 3.1, Setup will default to the adapter configuration used in that previous installation. Before beginning the upgrade, please check in Control Panel, Networks, Adapters, Setup and note the driver name and the current adapter settings. Q: What should I do if my machine hangs or locks up during Setup of Windows for Workgroups 3.11?

A: This could mean Setup had difficulty recognizing your hardware, or there is a conflict with a TSR or device driver loading in the CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT. You first need to exit Setup by pressing the F3 key. If this does not exit Setup, restart the machine. See the section "Streamlining Your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT Files," in Appendix E, "Troubleshooting," in the Microsoft Workgroup Add-On for Windows User's Guide, for more information on creating a minimal CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT. You will then need to run Setup again and install Windows for Workgroups 3.11 into the same directory. Setup will automatically turn off some of its hardware detection capability to try to prevent a hardware detection problem from occurring again. If you still encounter problems during Setup, restart your computer and type the following at the MS-DOS command prompt:

SETUP /I

and press ENTER. This instructs Setup to disable all of its hardware detection capability.

Q: After running Setup successfully, I am unable to start Windows for Workgroups 3.11. What could be the problem?

A: If you have completed Setup but cannot start Windows for Workgroups 3.11, see the section "Windows won't start after a successful Setup," in Appendix E "Troubleshooting," in the Microsoft Workgroup Add-On for Windows User's Guide. This section list the most common causes of not being able to start Windows for Workgroups 3.11, and how to correct these problems.

Q: When I start Windows for Workgroups 3.11, I cannot see other computers on the network. What could be the problem? A: Listed below are some of the most common problems:
  • An IRQ, I/O port address, and/or base memory (RAM) address conflict. See Appendix C, "Installing Network Hardware," in the Microsoft Workgroup Add-On for Windows User's Guide for more information on configuring your network adapter. See Appendix D "Configuring Network Adapter Drivers, "for information on changing the settings in Windows for Workgroups 3.11.
  • A cabling or connector problem. See Appendix C, "Installing Network Hardware," for more information about connecting cables. You can also test your network cabling and adapter hardware by running the Microsoft Network Diagnostics utility included with Windows for Workgroups 3.11. For more information on using this utility, see the section "Using Microsoft Network Diagnostics to Troubleshoot Networking Problems," in Appendix E,"Troubleshooting."
Q: How do I configure Windows for Workgroups 3.11 to run with Novell's ODI drivers?

A: Windows for Workgroups 3.11 can use the ODI drivers to communicate with both Novell Netware servers and other computers using Windows for Workgroups 3.11. Before setting up Windows for Workgroups 3.11, you must have the ODI drivers loaded and configured properly for your network adapter. You will also need to obtain support drivers that Novell provides for Netware functionality within Windows operating systems. Contact you local Novell reseller or Novell's CompuServe forums for information on obtaining these drivers. When installing support for Netware connectivity using the ODI drivers, Setup will prompt you for these files. If you are upgrading over Windows for Workgroups 3.1 or Windows 3.1, and had Netware connectivity enabled, these support drivers will already exist in your Windows directory. Setup will detect these files and will prompt you to choose to use these files, or install the diskette from Novell. For more information on configuring Windows for Workgroups 3.11 with the ODI drivers, please refer to the NETWORKS.WRI file, located in your Windows for Workgroups 3.11 directory. This file can be viewed with the Write application in Windows for Workgroups 3.11

Q: What is 32-Bit File Access and how can I get it running on my computer?

A: 32-BIT FILE ACCESS provides a faster way to read and write to the disk cache in Windows for Workgroups 3.11 than SMARTDrive can provide. It provides a much higher disk access performance boost on compatible hard drive controllers when running Windows for Workgroups 3.11 by utilizing a 32-bit cache as opposed to SMARTDrive's 16-bit cache. However, SMARTDrive is still used for caching floppy drives with Windows for Workgroups 3.11.

By default, 32-BIT FILE ACCESS is NOT enabled. For more information on activating this disk performance enhancement utility, see the section "Improving Performance," Chapter 8 of the Microsoft Workgroup Add-On for Windows User's Guide.

Q: What are the PROTOCOL.CLN, SYSTEM.CLN, and WIN.CLN files in my Windows for Workgroups 3.11 directory?

A: PLEASE NOTE: These files should only be used if Windows for Workgroups 3.11 worked properly after its initial install.

The files listed above are created by Setup after it installs Windows for Workgroups 3.11 onto your harddrive. They are to be used if, for some reason, Windows for Workgroups 3.11 cannot start, or is not functioning properly after a change was made to one of three files: PROTOCOL.INI, SYSTEM.INI, and WIN.INI. To restore these files to their original settings, you need to first make a backup copy onto a floppy diskette of your PROTOCOL.INI, SYSTEM.INI, and WIN.INI files from your directory. Next, copy the PROTOCOL.CLN, SYSTEM.CLN, and WIN.CLN files in your Windows for Workgroups 3.11 directory to PROTOCOL.INI, SYSTEM.INI, and WIN.INI respectively. This will restore your files to their original settings.

Q: I have a Hercules Monochrome, CGA, or EGA video adapter, but this driver is not available. Can I run Windows for Workgroups 3.11 with this type of display adapter?

A: Yes. If you had a previous version of Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups 3.1, and had one of these video drivers installed, Setup will recognized this and will keep this driver for use in Windows for Workgroups 3.11.

Q: I have a computer that I only use for MS-DOS-based applications. Can I still have access to my Windows for Workgroups 3.11 network from MS-DOS on this computer?

A: Yes. You will need to purchase the Microsoft Workgroup Add-On for MS-DOS package from Microsoft, and install a compatible network adapter on the computer. This product allows you to connect to Windows for Workgroups 3.11 computers and printers, and also allows you to share your files with other computers on the network from MS-DOS. For more information about this product, please call Microsoft Sales Information Center (MSIC) at (800) 426-9400.

Q: In the Network Drivers dialog box, it lists "IPX/SPX Compatible Transport," or "IPX/SPX Compatible Transport with NETBIOS" as a protocol. Why is this installed and how is it used?

A: In the previous version, Windows for Workgroups 3.1, a Windows for Workgroups computer communicated with other Windows for Workgroups computers using the NetBEUI protocol by default. With Windows for Workgroups 3.11, a second protocol, either IPX/SPX Compatible Transport or IPX/SPX Compatible Transport with NETBIOS, is installed along with NetBEUI, if the computer has six megabytes or more of RAM. This allows Windows for Workgroups 3.11 to communicate with other computers that use either the NetBEUI protocol or IPX/SPX Compatible Transport. The benefit of the IPX/SPX Compatible Transport and the IPX/SPX Compatible Transport with NETBIOS is that either of these protocols can communicate across a router, whereas the NetBEUI protocol cannot. Novell Netware servers can act as routers between two different Windows for Workgroups 3.11 networks.


Additional query words: 3.11 Q&A

Keywords: KB106275


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