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Troubleshooting the Login Process with the IntranetWare Client for Windows NT v4.0 and v4.1

Articles and Tips: tip

-- Novell World Wide Support, TID 2916856

01 Oct 1997


Microsoft designed Windows NT to be a secure system. Part of that security is the requirement that users must logon to the NT workstation itself before they can do anything else. The logon process is handled by the GINA (Graphical Identification and Authentication) module. Starting with Windows NT 3.51, Microsoft allowed other companies to write their own GINA modules to replace the default GINA that comes with Windows NT.

Novell includes a NetWare GINA module as part of the IntranetWare Client for Windows NT v4.x. This module, named NWGINA.DLL, allows Novell to control many aspects of the NT logon process. In order to get full functionality from an NT client in NetWare/IntranetWare environments, you need to use Novell's GINA interface. This NetNote addresses some of the problems that users have encountered when using Novell's GINA.

Welcome and Logon Please

When you initially start up a Windows NT 4.0 workstation that has the IntranetWare Client installed, you will see a Begin Login screen instructing you to press the Ctrl+Alt+Del keys simultaneously (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: The IntranetWare Client begin login screen.

Once you press these keys, you will see the Novell IntranetWare Client Services v4.x login screen, which is displayed by Novell's GINA (see Figure 2). This login screen has several tabs across the top: Login, IntranetWare, Windows NT, Script, and Variables. An RAS tab will also be displayed if the Remote Access Service is installed.

Figure 2: The IntranetWare Client main login screen.

Error Messages

"You must enter a valid credential set in order to login"

This error message means that no server or tree was specified on the IntranetWare tab on Novell's GINA. The GINA login process is different than in the DOS environment, where the NetWare Client software attempts to attach to the first server it finds on the network. Therefore, you need to supply a server name or a tree name. Click on the IntranetWare tab and enter the name of the server or tree you want to log in to.

"Failed to connect to a NetWare service.

Please check your cabling or the event log for a problem."

At the bottom of the initial login screen of Novell's GINA, you will normally see the network status entry change from "Services Starting" or "Disconnected" to "Ready." If the status entry never changes to "Ready," you are basically seeing a "file server not found" error message.

There are a number of possible causes for this problem. First, verify that the configuration information (server, username, context, and so on) is correct, and then try again. If you still cannot log in to a NetWare/IntranetWare server, you can log into the Windows NT workstation itself by going to the Windows NT tab and selecting Windows NT login only. This bypasses the NetWare/IntranetWare login and allows you to look at your adapter configuration.

Once you are logged in to the Windows NT workstation, bring up the Control Panel menu and double-click on the Network icon. Check the Adapters tab to ensure you have the correct driver loaded for the network adapter installed in the computer. Double-click on the installed adapter to check the adapter configuration information.

Check the Bindings tab to ensure the Novell IntranetWare Client for Windows NT is loaded and is using the NWLink IPX/SPX Compatible Transport. Check the Protocols tab to ensure the NWLink IPX/SPX Compatible Transport protocol is loaded and bound to a network board. Under the Services tab, check to see if the Novell IntranetWare Client for Windows NT is loaded.

If all of these settings are in place but your workstation still does not work, or if the workstation is having other problems (such as a blue screen that prevents you from logging in at all), you can try removing Novell's GINA and running the Microsoft GINA to see if the problem goes away. If the Windows NT system has a FAT-based hard disk partition, insert a bootable DOS diskette and reboot the workstation. Then find the GINA files located in the WINNT\SYSTEM32 directory. Make a backup copy of the NWGINA.DLL file, and then rename the MSGINA.DLL file to NWGINA.DLL. This will cause the MSGINA to come up when the machine reboots. You can then log in to the NT workstation to continue troubleshooting.

Note: If the NT system partition is NTFS-based, currently the only option is to use the Emergency Repair diskette to restore the registry to the state it was in before the IntranetWare Client was installed.

Once you are logged into the NT workstation, check the Event Viewer for any errors. (To do this, select Start, Programs, Administrative Tools, then Event Viewer.) If a network driver does not load or if one of the client files is corrupt or missing, you should see an error message added to the System or Application event log.

If this is the case, update the network driver to the latest one available, or try a different network driver that matches the type of network board installed. You can also try switching between an NDIS and an ODI driver to see which one works best for you. Novell has seen problems with many NDIS drivers as well as ODI drivers not working correctly with its client software. Contact your network adapter manufacturer to get the latest driver for Windows NT. Frequently other protocols such as TCP/IP will work fine, but the NetWare/IntranetWare client will not because of a bug in the network driver.

You will sometimes see these error messages because the client is receiving a bad RIP (Router Information Protocol) response. When the NT box boots, the NWLINK IPX/SPX stack performs a RIP request to determine the local network segment address. It then uses this network address for all the packets it sends out. If the device that gives the "first response" information (a router, workstation, or any other device that responds to a RIP request) has a bad address, the workstation will not connect. The best way to determine this is to use a protocol analyzer and perform a trace while the NT workstation is booting up.

You may also see these error messages if the workstation can't find servers that are running Novell Directory Services (NDS). This error usually happens when the administrator has set an internal network address on the NT workstation. Although Windows NT allows you to set an internal network address for the NWLINK IPX/SPX protocol, this action is not supported by Novell's client software. In fact, the only time it is needed is if the workstation is running as a Windows NT server that has two or more network adapters installed and one of the boards has a service installed that uses Service Advertising Protocol (SAP) to advertize its services.

"The tree or server cannot be found."

This error message results from the correct frame type not being listed first. Windows NT workstation allows you to either specify a frame type or auto-detect all frame types. The Windows NT server allows you to also select multiple frame types. Auto-detect may not find the correct frame type in use by the network, so you should specify the proper frame type. If the NT workstation specifies the wrong frame type or specifies a wrong frame type first, put the correct frame type first in the list.

"The NetWare redirector cannot find a network transport."

This error indicates that an adapter or protocol did not load properly. Check the Event Viewer to see what did not load. Also check the Windows NT workstation's network settings under the Network icon in the Control Panel. Since NetWare/IP is treated as a logical adapter by the Novell IntranetWare Client software, you will get this error if the NetWare/IP configuration is bad or a NetWare/IP server is not available.

AutoAdminLogon Issues

Currently, if you are using the AutoAdminLogon feature and a NetWare server is not available, you cannot log in to the NT workstation. This is because once AutoAdminLogon is set, the Windows NT tab disappears. Since this is the place where the "Windows NT login only" check box is located, it is impossible to set it once AutoAdminLogon is enabled.

Windows NT has a feature where you can hold the Shift key down while booting and it will let you bypass AutoAdminLogon and log in as someone else. However, this feature does not currently work with Novell's IntranetWare Client for Windows NT.

Multiple Tree Login/Attachment

To login or attach to multiple trees, place the following command in the login script: TREE treename\<full NDS name>, where <full NDS name> is the full object name in NDS (for example, user.support.novell). You can verify multiple NDS Tree connections by going to Network Neighborhood, right-clicking on the trees you are logged in to, and selecting WhoAmI from the resulting menu.

* Originally published in Novell AppNotes


Disclaimer

The origin of this information may be internal or external to Novell. While Novell makes all reasonable efforts to verify this information, Novell does not make explicit or implied claims to its validity.

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