Microsoft KB Archive/104551

{| = WW0863: Fixing System Hangs with MS-DOS Apps & Novell NetWare =
 * width="100%"|

Last reviewed: May 1, 1997

Article ID: Q104551 3.10 3.11 WINDOWS kbnetwork kbfile kbappnote kb3rdparty The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.1, 3.11

If you run Novell NetWare with Microsoft Windows or Windows for Workgroups, your system may stop responding (hang) when you start an MS-DOS-based application or an MS-DOS command prompt. Microsoft has an Application Note, "System Hangs When Running MS-DOS-Based Applications with Novell NetWare," that provides troubleshooting steps and files that may correct the problem.

You can obtain this Application Note from the following sources:


 * Microsoft's World Wide Web Site on the Internet
 * The Internet (Microsoft anonymous ftp server)
 * Microsoft Download Service (MSDL)
 * Microsoft Product Support Services

For complete information, see the "To Obtain This Application Note" section at the end of this article.

THE TEXT OF WW0863
Microsoft(R) Product Support Services Application Note (Text File) WW0863: SYSTEM HANGS WHEN RUNNING MS-DOS-BASED APPLICATIONS WITH NOVELL(R) NETWARE(R) Revision Date: 1/94 1 Disk Included The following information applies to Microsoft Windows(TM), version 3.1. | INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT AND ANY SOFTWARE THAT MAY   |
 * ACCOMPANY THIS DOCUMENT (collectively referred to as an Application|
 * Note) IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER    |
 * EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED    |
 * WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR     |
 * PURPOSE. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and  |
 * the use of this Application Note. This Application Note may be    |
 * copied and distributed subject to the following conditions: 1) All|
 * text must be copied without modification and all pages must be    |
 * included; 2) If software is included, all files on the disk(s)    |
 * must be copied without modification (the MS-DOS utility diskcopy is|
 * appropriate for this purpose); 3) All components of this          |
 * Application Note must be distributed together; and  4) This       |
 * Application Note may not be distributed for profit.               |
 * Copyright (C) 1993 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved     |
 * Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks and Windows is a   |
 * trademark of Microsoft Corporation.                               |
 * CompuServe is a registered trademark of CompuServe, Inc.          |
 * NetWire is a registered servicemark and NetWare and Novell are    |
 * registered trademarks of Novell, Inc.                             |
 * registered trademarks of Novell, Inc.                             |

Introduction
If you are running Novell NetWare when you start an MS-DOS-based application or an MS-DOS command prompt from Microsoft Windows or Windows for Workgroups, the screen may turn black and leave the cursor flashing in the upper-left corner. If you have configured a program information file (.PIF) so that your MS-DOS-based application starts in a window, the screen is completely black; the flashing cursor does not appear when the system stops responding (hangs).

Cause
The following factors can contribute to this problem (in order of probability):


 * Third-party device drivers or terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) programs
 * An incorrect system configuration
 * A problem in VIPX.386
 * A problem in the Windows 3.1 virtual timing driver (VTD)

This problem is uncommon and is difficult to reproduce since it is critical interrupt and/or timing dependent and generally occurs only on large networks with high traffic volumes, which generate many interrupts.

Resolution
To troubleshoot this problem, use the steps below. It is important to follow these steps in order and leave each change in place, even though one particular step alone may not correct the problem. Two or more independent problems may combine to cause the symptoms described above.

  Remove or comment out all unnecessary commands from your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files to prevent conflicts with third-party device drivers or TSR programs. (To comment out a line, type REM at the beginning of the line. After you make these changes, restart your machine.) Starting your machine with a minimal configuration is called a "clean boot." A clean boot is a basic troubleshooting step to test possible conflicts between Windows and various TSR programs and device drivers. NOTE: Once you implement all the steps in this procedure and correct the problem, you can begin to undo the changes you made to   clean boot your system. If the problem recurs, you can isolate the device driver, TSR, or application that is causing the problem.  Ensure your Startup group is empty, and comment out the LOAD= and RUN= lines in the [windows] section of the WIN.INI file. (To comment out a line, place a semicolon [;] at the beginning of the line.) After you make these changes, restart Windows.  In the [386Enh] section of the SYSTEM.INI file, set the InDOSPolling= setting as follows: InDOSPolling=FALSE   Remove the TimerCriticalSection= setting from the [386Enh] section of the SYSTEM.INI file, then restart your system. If this doesn't correct the problem, reinsert the line as follows: TimerCriticalSection=10000  Upgrade to version 3.32 or later of the Novell shell and Windows driver components available on Novell's CompuServe(R) NOVLIB forum as DOSUP7.ZIP. These components are also available through NetWire(R) and authorized Novell resellers.  Novell has updated and released a new VIPX.386 driver that is designed to correct a majority of the critical interrupt problems. Upgrade to version 1.15 or later of the Novell VIPX.386 driver, which is included with this Application Note. To install the new VIPX.386, follow these steps: a. Rename or back up the old VIPX.386 file. b. Copy VIPX.386 from the enclosed WW0863 disk to your Windows SYSTEM subdirectory. For example, if you inserted the WW0863 disk in drive A and your Windows directory is called WINDOWS and is on drive C, type the following command at the MS-DOS command prompt and then press ENTER: copy a:\vipx.386 c:\windows\system

c. If you are using IBM(R) LAN Support, put the network card's IRQ in the [VIPX] section of your SYSTEM.INI file.

d. Reboot the machine, and then load the ODI drivers.

You should also upgrade to version 2.11 or later of IPXODI.COM and version 2.02 or later of LSL.COM. These files are available on  Novell's CompuServe NOVLIB forum in a self-extracting file called BSDUP2.EXE.  Reboot your system to see if the problem still occurs. If it does, go on to step 8.  The VTDA.386 file included with this application note is designed to fix a very small percentage of timer-related problems. To install VTDA.386, follow these steps: a. Copy VTDA.386 from the enclosed WW0863 disk to your Windows SYSTEM subdirectory. For example, if you inserted the WW0863 disk in drive A and your Windows directory is called WINDOWS and is on drive C, type the following command at the MS-DOS command prompt and then press ENTER: copy a:\vtda.386 c:\windows\system

b. In a text editor, such as Microsoft Windows Notepad, open the SYSTEM.INI file (located in your Windows directory).

c. In the [386Enh] section, change

device=*vtd

to:

device=vtda.386

d. Save the file.

e. Quit and then restart Windows. </li></ol>

TO OBTAIN THIS APPLICATION NOTE
You can find WW0863.EXE (size: 29735 bytes) , a self-extracting file, on the following services: <ul>  Microsoft's World Wide Web Site on the Internet On the www.microsoft.com home page, click the Support icon. Click Knowledge Base, and select the product. Enter kbfile #|WW0863.EXE (size: 29735 bytes), and click GO! Open the article, and click the button to download the file. </li>  Internet (anonymous FTP) ftp ftp.microsoft.com Change to the Softlib/Mslfiles folder. Get WW0863.EXE (size: 29735 bytes) </li>  Microsoft Download Service (MSDL) Dial (425) 936-6735 to connect to MSDL Download WW0863.EXE (size: 29735 bytes) </li></ul>

For additional information about downloading, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: ARTICLE-ID: Q119591 TITLE    : How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services If you are unable to access the source(s) listed above, you can have this Application Note mailed to you by calling Microsoft Product Support Services Monday through Friday, 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Pacific time at (425) 637-7098. If you are outside the United States, contact the Microsoft subsidiary for your area.
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