XP accessing Netware 2.1 files

[rmcleskey]

Our small company is utilizing an old version 2.1 Netware. Our accounting software is running on it. The software company has been promising upgrades to a Windows version for years. It works fine; it’s on a server by itself. Any workgroup computers I setup is able to access it fine with Windows 95, 98 and 2000, all through a gateway set up on an NT 4.0 server in another part of the office. We have our Windows based programs on this server.
I recently upgraded my machine to XP. I can map the NetWare drives and see all the files but when I try to access/modify any of the files, the permissions on all the files change to read only. I can change the permission but when I close then view the properties again, it's changed back. When I access these files and the permission changes, everyone else in the network cannot access the files until I go to a different machine and go to a command prompt and change the permissions there. I'm using my login name that I've always used, my last operating system was 2000 and it worked fine.
Totally confused on what might be causing this, any help would be much appreciated.
Roger

 

[terry712]

your going to struggle to get info on this
my gut feeling - just dont use xp

i havent seen a 2 server in the last decade and to be truthful remember very little about them

it's a good testiment to the NOS though - that it's still running as i assume it has less than 16 mb's of ram and will have lesser specs than most of your printers

 

[rmcleskey]

The server software is about 12 years old and handles the accounting software with ease. I've upgraded the machine once since then. It is a 386 with 32mb ram and is still working great.

 

[marvhuffaker]

My guess is also that it's an XP specific issue.. XP does some wierd stuff that 2000/9x don't do with file caching. I'm thinking your XP box might be scanning the files and trying to preview them and they get locked open.

Also go though your Explorer folder settings and turn everything off that has to do with previews or file handling. I would also scan some microsoft forums and see if you can find anything about file caching and opportunistic locking, and turning these settings off.

Also, when you say you are mapping from XP, are you mapping through the NT gateway or straight through to the novell server.

Marvin Huffaker MCNE, CNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[rmcleskey]

Marvin,
Thanks for replying. I will search out any of these settings and see what I can do.

I'm not sure about the mapping, I had some help a few years ago setting up the gateway on the NT server. At that time I was told that would be the only way we could see and access the program on the Novell server. So I'm assuming I'm mapping through the gateway to Novell.

Only after installing Client services for netware and setting the IPX/SPX frame type to 802.3 was I able to see the netware server and access the volumes and files.

I'll check on those settings you spoke of.
Thanks,
Roger

 

[iolair]

Are you running the Microsoft Netware client, or the Novell Netware client? I've had some similiar problems using the MS client, but things worked fine once I installed the Novell client.

Iolair MacWalter

 

[rmcleskey]

I'm running Microsoft's Netware client I believe, it's called Client Services for Netware and I installed it from my Local Area Connection properties.
How do I install a seperate Novell client like you did?
Thanks,
Roger

 

[iolair]

Your best bet would be to download the client from Novell. Try

http://support.novell.com

and there should be a link to the clients. However, I still think you're getting some kind of profile setting from your Windows server(s).

Iolair MacWalter

 

[terry712]

ok let me get my head around this

the nt server is running client services for netware - this means the server is making a connection to the netware box using ipx with the 802.3

from you pc you will have abormal ms client and you will connect to the nt box and you will see the netware box like any normal ms drive ?

you dont have any novell client or ms client for netware on pc as the server is making the connection and effectively shared

 

[rmcleskey]

From what your saying I believe you have a handle on it. The NT server had the Gateway installed to connect to the Novell box.

From my pc I'm not sure what you mean by "abnormal client" but I am able to see the Novell files through the Gateway set up on the NT box.

I've set up more than a dozen pc's to be able to access the Novell files without any problem. Now that I installed XP Pro on my machine, every time I try to access any of the files it swithces the atributes to Read Only.

Go figure. I'll be in the office tomarrow myself so I can play around some more with it and not lock other users out.

Thanks for the reply,
Roger

 

[terry712]

so i'm crap a typing - i meant "a normal client"

my knowledge of 2 is very ltd - i played a bit but 3 was really where i started to learn and my knowledge of the client services is limitied as well - afraid you will have guessed that the people speaking here think that the only place for microsoft is in history

i would be inclined not to put a novell client on the pc - although you could try - if you do this xp will assume an auto connection - you will need to cx this to 802.3 (xp might not like this )
also in the client there will be a setting to cache files this will need to be off

it's an awkward prob as i dont have an netware 2 server to try it on and i dont run xp as i'm trying to go more to the linux on desk - netware on the server - and m$suck in the bin

 

[marvhuffaker]

Roger, I think there needs to be some clarification. In your very first post, you mention that you are going through a gateway on the WinNT system.

When you do it this way, you do not use the Novell client. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, you use the Microsoft Client to map to a Microsoft share on the NT system. That in turn is logged into the novell server and it just passes you through. The NT machine is more or less a middle man.

When you use a Novell client, you go straight to the Novell server and bypass the nt gateway. for example, you would map a drive something like this: \\NOVELLSERVER\VOLUME\PATH

I've never liked the NT gateway, and I'm not even sure why you would need it for this application. But nonetheless, if that is what you are doing then I don't want to try to change your environment. But you might try just installing the Novell client on your XP machine and see if you can access the Novell server directly.

And I hope I didn't confuse the issue further.

Marvin Huffaker MCNE, CNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[rmcleskey]

Marvin,
Thanks for the input. I remember back 4-5 years ago when we first set it up. There was a network guy hear who said we have to set up the gateway on the nt server to make it work, that was the only way our pc's could use data bases off of the NT server and access the accounting software on the Novell server.
The only way I've been able to set it up on the pc's is by adding the "Client Services for Netware" in the network properties setup.
I've tried downloading the Netware cliet update from Novell that was suggested to me but each time I try it fails at the end.
Thanks for replying, I apreciate it.
Roger

 

[marvhuffaker]

Ok Roger, you can probably continue to use the Client Services for Netware and just map directly to the netware server. Also as someone mentioned, forcing IPX to 802.3 might be a good thing to do. And furthermore, you might need to manually force the frametype in the IPX settings.

http://www.redjuju.com/issues/windowsxp/index.htm

this link shows pics of what and where you need to set it. (Assuming the CONFIG command works on NW2.1)

Also, is this XP Professional we're talking about?

If you would like to try to use the actual Novell client, go to HTTP:\\DOWNLOAD.NOVELL.COM, and it will be one of the top 10 downloads. Do a custom install, select IPX ONLY, and choose BINDERY services (Instead of NDS). Follow the previous note to force frame type and net segment.

However, the newest client might not be your best bet. There is a note in the client release that mentions a problem with files being left open on NW4.11 server that require a patch on the server to fix. Obviously it doesn't mention your version, but if the same problem exists on NW2.x there will be no patch to fix it.






Marvin Huffaker MCNE, CNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[rmcleskey]

I can only map through the NT server to the Novell server because I need info off of both. As I mentioned earlier, I have been setting all pc's to 802.3 frameset. This has worked great for years.
This is XP Pro I'm trying to use.
I'll try again to download the newer client.
Thanks again,
Roger