Microsoft KB Archive/90210

= Contents of CONNECT.DAT, .PWL, and SHARES.PWL Files =

Article ID: 90210

Article Last Modified on 10/13/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.1
 * Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11

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This article was previously published under Q90210



3.10 3.11

WINDOWS

kbsetup kbusage



SUMMARY
The first time you run Windows for Workgroups after running the Setup program, the application creates three binary files in your Windows directory:


 * CONNECT.DAT
 * USERNAME.PWL (where USERNAME is your logon name)
 * SHARES.PWL

This article describes the purpose of these files.



CONNECT.DAT
CONNECT.DAT lists the connections that Windows for Workgroups automatically makes for you when you log on. When you make a new connection and select the Reconnect At Startup option, Windows for Workgroups adds that connection to CONNECT.DAT. When you disconnect from a share, Windows for Workgroups deletes that connection from CONNECT.DAT. The NET USE command, which you type at an MS-DOS command prompt, also manipulates CONNECT.DAT.

CONNECT.DAT uses a simple encryption scheme to prevent users from editing the file with a text editor. If you edit the file with a text editor, you receive the following error messages when Windows for Workgroups attempts to restore network connections:

An error occurred while trying to reconnect (local identifier) to (shared resource) SYSXXXX.

If you delete CONNECT.DAT, your automatic connections will not be restored the next time you log on. You must manually reconnect to each share.

USERNAME.PWL
USERNAME.PWL (where USERNAME is your logon name) is a password list file (PWL). It records passwords to resources on the network and uses them to reconnect to those resources so you don't have to type the password again. Whenever Windows for Workgroups prompts you for a password (except for your logon password, which secures the PWL file itself), the resource name and password are saved in your PWL file for future use. Windows for Workgroups stores passwords for shares on share-level security servers (including Windows for Workgroups machines); passwords for user-level security LAN Manager servers; and LAN Manager domain passwords (used if your logon is validated on a LAN Manager domain).

Because these passwords are sensitive information, the file is securely encrypted. If you delete this file, you must type the password for each password-protected resource next time you connect to it.

SHARES.PWL
SHARES.PWL is similar to other PWL files in internal file format. It contains information about all shares for which you select the Reshare At Startup option. SHARES.PWL contains the share names, the names of the shared directories, share comments, and share passwords. This file is securely encrypted, using the same top-level encryption method used to secure other PWL files.

If you delete SHARES.PWL, you must manually re-establish all your shares or restore SHARES.PWL from a backup copy of the file. Windows for Workgroups does no default sharing, so if you don't explicitly share a resource, nobody can access it on your machine). This means that no security breaches occur if you delete SHARES.PWL.

There is no limit to the number of shares you create, but SHARES.PWL is limited to a file size of 64K bytes. If you reach this limit, you cannot share any more printers or directories.

Additional query words: 3.10 3.11

Keywords: KB90210

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