Login form Workstation only check box function

[perryarrow]

I am trying to solve a problem I am having with my Laptop running NT. Problem description follows. I need to determine if the problem is Novel related or Microsoft related or ...
The Novel login form I get states the following;
Novel Client V4.70 NT/2000

What is the Workstation only check box functions?


Has anyone ever experienced the following.
I have a laptop running NT SP6. At my desk I connect to the company's network either docking station or PCMCIA net work card. Our network uses Novel.
When I boot up I have the choice of Docked or undocked. Then I get the Novel sign on screen. If I am undocked and have no intentions of using the network I select workstaion only at the Novel sign on.
Here is the problem. I am logged in as undocked, workstaiton only.
When I open certain software, microsoft stuff particularly, I will get the software's splash screen then nothing will happen for minutes. While I am waiting for the application to finish opening I can go to other software and open or work.
To me it appears as if the software is trying to access something on the network when opened and the delay is the wait for no network connected time out.
This even happens on the simple program like Wordpad. If, after the first Wordpad finally opens, I open another Wordpad session it will open immediately. However if I wait a long time to open the second session of Wordpad it will go through the same long open routine.
The other odd thing about this is that when I first was issued this laptop this problem did not exist. It appeared to happen after about a year. I asked our IT group if they had done anything via the network and they said no. Their solution is to reload everything.
I would like to avoid reloading.
Any ideas??

 

[TheLad]

The typical answer is always to reload everything. Hopefully, someone (maybe me) will provide you with an easier solution to tell your IT group.

When logged in as undocked and workstation only, look in 'My Computer' to see whether there is any disconnected drives. These will be drives with a red X by them. If there is, right-click on these and disconnect them.

Also check to ensure that the default save directory in your packages is not set to a network drive.

Does your laptop run ZENworks?

I have seen configurations which allow for Docked, undocked, and a home configuration which does not load any network drivers at all. This would probably be ideal, but impractical for you to setup.

Last question, does your laptop have a PCMCIA modem in it? If so, power down, remove the PCMCIA modem, power up and try again. -----------------------------------------------------
"It's true, its damn true!"
-----------------------------------------------------

 

[perryarrow]

Thanks very much for the info.
I checked the My Computer when undocked and did not see what you said. Non of the network drives were visible.

I did set up another profile, unDocked unNet, and this has gotten me closer.
The default save directory option for wordPad is not something I could find.

I do not see the program Zenworks on my laptop.

Another interesting thing is our IT group recently changed our network from assigned IP address to DHCP.
Now I get the dialog DHCP Client could not Obtain an IP address even though I am connected to the network and every thing is working. I also get it when I am undocked and have selected workstation only. I still got it when I configured the 3rd profile with the UnDocked unNet. If I choose Yes on the dialog the dialog will pop up every so often, timeout I guess. If I select no the dialog will not pop up but I have to assume that the function is still trying in the back ground.
I also see that with the 3rd profile the Novell drivers' hwr profile are all set to enabled for all three profiles.
I need to know more about these so I know which ones I should enable/disable for the different profiles.

I do have a PCMCIA modem and a network card. I have not done the remove reboot thing. I feel that I should not have to remove a card to disable a function. Or am I in fantasy land thinking like that?

Oh ya, what is the intentions of the Novell login form workstation only check box?

Again thanks for the info.

 

[TheLad]

What do you mean by 'intentions of the Novell login form workstation only check box'? Not too sure what you mean by that.

Anyway, the way I see it is that you should have three hardware profiles. These are as follows:

1. Docked
---------

This profile is configured to use the docking station - network point and all. PCMCIA drivers are disabled, login normally.


2. Undocked
-----------

This profile is configured to use the PCMCIA network card rather than the docking station network point. Login normally.


3. Home (or equivalent name)
----------------------------

This profile does not have any network drivers associated with it, however this is a good profile to include your modem to. As a result, either one of two things will happen: a) the NetWare Client will appear as normal and you select the 'Workstation Only' check box and login normally, or b) the Microsoft Client will appear, type login name and password as normal.

With all three profiles, you should not see any DHCP error messages. If you currently do with your network profiles, talk to your support people as this is not right. Run a CMD from the Start/Run bar and then IPCONFIG /ALL and see if an IP address is allocated.

-----------------------------------------------------
"It's true, its damn true!"
-----------------------------------------------------

 

[perryarrow]

Once again I thank you for the information.
Yes you did see this posted also in the Windows NT forum.
I did bring this issue up with my support people and I basically got the reload everything etc... passing the buck.
That is why I am trying to fix this myself or rather through this forum. Besides I would like to know this stuff anyway.
I will try what you said.

As far as assigning which profile to the devices in the ControlPanel\devices dialog, there are a lot of devices and some of the names are not very descriptive as far as what program they are associated with. Is there some reference somewhere where I can look to figure out what they do so I can attempt to make an intelligent decision on what profile I want to enable them in?
Also, the Novell devices are all set enabled for all 3 profiles is this right?

The Workstation only question isssss..
What does checking this box do? What did Novell intend this for? Does it only tell Novell stuff that it is not connected to the network? Does it set some flag that other programs can look at to determine weather there is a network or not?

TTFN

 

[LyallJ]

If I am not mistaken, and correct me if I am wrong thelad, when you check the workstation only box it will not look for the network. It should just ask for your profile name and password. Novell did this, so that if your network is down, or you can not access it for some reason, you would still be able to work and access your local drives. Also it help's IT to trouble shoot a PC, like ruling out a network problem, so on. On my lap top, when I check the workstation only box, it will take a while to load. But what I have noticed is that NT will look for drives that YOU have mapped through Explorer. Not your login script that you would get from the NDS. The best way to map a drive, for a pc that is not hardwired to the network, is to make sure that the box "reconnect at login" is not checked. I wish I worked for your IT group, then I could pass the Buck, here I am the IT Group!!

 

[TheLad]

LyallJ - you are correct. By ticking the 'Workstation Only' check box means that you only log into NT rather than NT and Novell. As you have stated, drives mapped as static drives within Explorer will still try and connect, and also any programs that look for a network drive (either in save preferences etc..) will still have that setting.

However, we are still no closer to solving the original problem. I remember seeing this when the product was installed from the network. Although it is installed locally, there are still references to the network that it keeps. Obviously when the network is not there, it has problems. I noticed in your other post that you mentioned getting DHCP errors when off the LAN. If you configure a profile not to use any network drivers, I am sure that your problems will go away. I have noticed (particularly on laptops) that when a machine cannot get a DHCP IP address, the machine hangs whilst trying. This would explain your 'hanging on splash screen' problem.

Give it a go, and if it works you can submit a technical report to the 'rebuild' guys in your IT Department. -----------------------------------------------------
"It's true, its damn true!"
-----------------------------------------------------

 

[perryarrow]

Gentlemen, once again I am in debt to you.
I am intent on fixing this thing. AAAANd as you said look forward to showing my IT guys that there are other ways besides reloading everything to fix a problem. In this case I doubt that reloading would fix anyway.
For your databanks here is the current conditions.
I did set up the third profile in which I copied my undocked profile and checked the Network disabled checkbox.
When I run this profile and check the workstation only at the Novel login the following is true;
I still get the DHCP message about not obtaining an IP address. Of course selecting no to the 'do you want to see this message again' and it goes away.
Again I must point out that even when I am logged in and connected to the network either Docked profile or Undocked profile and I AM connected and have access to network drives etc. I STILL get the not able to obtain an IP address.

Opening Wordpad no more delay. The only delay with Word is I get the dialup dialog when I start it and then all I have to do is select do not dial and then Word opens.
This is a much better situation that what I had previously.
Waiting minutes for an application to open was painful.

I did the IPConfig from the CMD line as you stated when I was docked and I did see several IP addresses.
Under Windows NT IP configuration -> DNS Servers there are 2 listed.
Under Ethernet adapter nnnn -> IP address has one and DHCP server has one

Again thanks for the info.