Microsoft KB Archive/68832

Word 5.5: “Error Sending on Network” when Running Setup

PSS ID Number: Q68832 Article last modified on 11-02-1994

5.50

MS-DOS

= SUMMARY =

Running Setup to install Microsoft Word for MS-DOS version 5.5 on a Novell file server may return the following error message:

Network Error on Server :Error sending on network. Abort, Retry?

where “Server_Name” is the name of the Novell file server that Word is being installed on. This error message is displayed during Setup when the file server drive letter is selected as the location for the Word program directory. Also, running Setup User to configure a workstation to run Word may hang the workstation at the point when the initial setup screen is displayed.

= MORE INFORMATION =

This problem has occurred only on workstations using a VGA display adapter and an Arcnet network card configured to use a base I/O address of 2E0h. It has been reported that changing the base I/O address on the network card to some other available setting will allow the Word Setup program to run successfully. Other settings that have been reported to work with the Word Setup program are 300h, 310h, and 350h. The port settings that are available on a particular computer depend on other hardware that is currently installed on the machine.

You can use the Novell NVER utility to determine which network driver is being used and what settings are set on the network card. To use the NVER utility, you must be logged on to the network. When “NVER” is entered at the MS-DOS prompt, information similar to the following will be displayed:

IPX Version: 3.01 SPX Version: 3.01

LAN Driver: Standard Microsystems ARCNET/Pure Data V1.00 IRQ = 2, I/O Base = 2E0h, RAM Buffer at D000:0

Shell: V3.01, Rev. A DOS: MSDOS V4.00 on IBM_PC

FileServer:  Novell Advanced NetWare 286 V2.15 Rev. A 12/11/88

The LAN (local area network) driver information displays the network card type and the card’s settings.

If the network card is an Arcnet card set to use a base I/O address of 2E0h, there are several possible workarounds to allow Word to install successfully. The first workaround is to configure the network card to use a different base I/O address. This requires changing a jumper or DIP switch on the card and generating a new Novell workstation shell by running the Novell SHGEN utility to build a new Novell IPX.COM file.

If another workstation is available on the network that uses either a different type of network card, a different display adapter, or a different I/O address, the Word Setup program can be run from the other workstation. If you do this, the workstations that cannot run Setup User must be manually configured. This involves running Setup from the workstation that can successfully run the Word Setup program and then choosing to modify an existing copy of Word. This needs to be done for each type of video card on the network so that a specific screen driver (SCREEN.VID file) is built. (You can use the MAKEVID.EXE utility to create SCREEN.VID files.) Once built, the correct screen driver must be copied to the appropriate user directory. Printer drivers can also be manually copied from the program directory on the file server to other user directories.

If there are no workstations on the network that can successfully run the Word Setup program, Word can be installed on a workstation’s local hard disk. The program files can then be copied to the program directory on the file server. The individual workstations will then need to be manually configured as described above.

For more information on running the Novell SHGEN and NVER utilities, refer to the documentation supplied with the Novell network.

KBCategory: kbother kbnetwork kbnetwork kberrmsg KBSubcategory: Additional reference words: 5.50 receiving ============================================================================= Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1994.