Windows 98 Novell Client Bug or Intentional?

[Arsynic]

We have a network mixed with Win2K and Windows 98 computers. All of them have their respective Novell Clients installed. When the Windows 98 users want to shut their computers down for the day, they select "Log Off" and then when they see the Client dialog box, they cancel it thus returning to Windows (albeit not connected) and then select "Shut Down". However, before they can select "Shut down" the computer either hangs or just crashes. In some instances, Windows disables the network adapter thus not even allowing the Novell Client dialog to pop up again when they select "Log Off". Is this intentional?

I have informed them that this issue can be completely avoided if they just select "Shut Down" if no one else is going to use the machine. However, they are determined to log off first and then shut down because they're used to doing it that way. So this means that it worked fine at one time. They were logging off, canceling the dialog, reentering windows and then shutting down with no problem before, so this must be a problem that just started. Is this a bug or did a file or something get corrupted? This completely blows my mind because on one computer when the Novell Client dialog doesn't pop up and I look at the Network adapter, it's enabled. But when I click on the red "N" in the tray, select the dialog and try to login, I get "tree and server not found" although the network adapter is definately working. It's a real head scratcher.

Please tell me what's going on.

 

[terry712]

98 was riddled with shutdown issue
nothing to do with netware client
it was just traditionaly crap programming from ms

i must confess though i would always just shut down never
logoff then shutdown

 

[ckgibson]

You could disable the ability to 'skip the login' by adding the following reg hack.

In HKLM \Network \Logon
Add a new dword value "MustBeValidated"
Set the value to '1'

This will force users to login to netware, thus preventing users from logging out, hitting the cancel button on the client login screen and getting to the windows desktop. It will force the behavior, and you can tell them it is an improved feature!

I have found that Win98's network connections are pretty tenious at best. You may also want to look at some of the network time out setting in the client. I'm at home, so I don't have a Novell client machine in front of me to look, but check some of the advanced settings in the client.

The only downside is that you may at times need to get to the workstation without logging in yourself. On a Win98 machine you can always unplug the network cord and allow it to boot, or log in safe mode and rehack the registry setting.

 

[pappy1271]

Make sure that the Win98 fast shutdown is disabled in MSconfig. Fast shutdown for win98 caused loads of problems and when Client32 is installed the issue is just compounded.

As for the process you described, I do not understand the reasoning. If the user is shutting down the computer just click Start | Shutdown | Shutdown. This will automatically logout the system and shut it down. Now if you just want to logout, I would not recommend that due to the reason that Win98 manages memory and memory leaks poorly. Just do a Shutdown restart with the Shift key held down until you see the DOS screen then release the Shift key. This will instigate a "Fast" restart by not allowing the computer to go all the way to POST and just unloading and reloading Windows.

 

[Arsynic]

Pappy, I'm sure you also realize how difficult it is to get non-technical users to change the way they do things. I repeatedly tell them to just select "Shut Down" to shut the thing down, but they insist that since it worked before, they shouldn't have to change. I try to see it from their point of view as only being as literate about computers as they need to be to use their patient information system.

To add to matters, I think the network adapter is dead too, so we just chucked the whole system and replaced it with a brand new Win 2K system. Why didn't we do it before? Well, we're a non-prof and money is tight so we just can't go around giving out new computers without something being totally wrong. That one computer took up about 75% of my week. When you have an old computer, and old OS and lots of silly programs on that computer, it makes it very difficult to troubleshoot. I could not start with a known variable because there was none. I couldn't say, "Well, this is a brand new system so it's not likely that it's a hardware problem."

The replacement works fine. I had to reboot the server because the cache was clogged with a bunch of crap. Everything's smooth...for now.

 

[pappy1271]

I completely understand, I am a gov sys admin. Getting somebody in gov to do something a little over the call of duty (like save everything to the server!!!!) is like pulling eye teeth. You did the best thing, hope all goes well.
pappy