Logon script problems Win98/2003

Help!

Win2003 server with client machines running mainly Win98, some Win2k and some Win XP.

I have a logon script default.bat which is designed to map drive letters on to drives and folders on the server. It starts with net use * /delete to get rid of any existing mappings, then sets the mappings up.

There is also a Novell server and the primary logon is through Novell Client32.

User logons work fine except:-
Mappings fail either partly or in full.
The logon script appears to be running in that the black command prompt window appears and disappears during the logon process with no error messages being displayed.
Sticking pauses in the logon script to try and see what is going on does not help. The DOS window does not stay on screen. It flashes up, disappears and the "Please wait while your logon script executes" message is displayed for a few seconds.
If the script is run after logon, e.g. by placing it in the startup folder or by running manually it executes perfectly every time. If pauses are in it it pauses OK and you can see what is happening.
The problem appears to be mainly on the Win98 clients, but as I have more of these than any other OS that may be a false impression.

Script reads as follows.

net use * /delete

net use n: \\telecall2003\f
net use g: \\telecall2003\g
net use h: \\telecall2003\g\data\iasdata
net use q: \\telecall2003\i
net use j: \\telecall2003\users
net use k: \\telecall2003\k

NET TIME \\TELECALL2003 /SET /YES

if "%OS%" == "Windows_NT" goto WinNT
\\telecall2003\grisoft\avgagent.exe /start

goto end

:WinNT

:end

Any pointers gratefully received as I'm drawing a blank elsewhere.

Mike

 

I had a similar system: Novell network with an additional NT4 server. The mapping via the Novell system worked a treat, and I'd recommend you use that rather than a log on script via the Windows server.

However, if the mappings are to the Windows server, and the Windows server is not part of the Novell Network, then you have a problem. The Novell logon happens first, so if the script is in the Novell logon script it activates and tries to map drives before you've actually logged on to the Windows networks.

My workaround was to put a batch file in a shared folder and use the persistent switch to make it permenant. Then you should only have to run it once, or if something goes wrong. Other option is to make the Windows server part of the Novell network - however, I believe there are licensing implications.

And what was my final fix - ditch the Novell server. Lots of things I miss from the Novell system. Active Directory isn't as good as NDS, but generally the network works better now mainly because there is so much more support for the Microsoft system.

 

Looking at this again, I'd run the avgagent.exe from the Novell logon script.

I'd be careful with setting the time via the 2003 server. I am fairly sure the Novell client syncronises time with the Novell server at log on. Adding an additional time synctonisation may cause problems.

 

Thanks for that ReggieB.

We've been running Novell for years but the server was running out of disk space and more and more of the software we were wanting to use required windows server.

Now I've moved the key applications over to the Win2003 server I'm climbing the learning curve and finding out the things I took for granted on Novell don't necessarily work as well on Win2003.

The persistent switch is a good idea and should solve the problem. Moving the avgagent startup to the Novell script is also a good idea and by the time we need to retire the Novell server (we still run Groupwise on it purely as a mail server) we will probably not have any Win98 clients left so won't need avgagent anyway.

 

Oh $%*£!

The avgagent don't start up in the Novell script, presumably because the script is running before the connection to the Windoze server is established.

Back to the drawing board......

 

It gets worse

the /persistent:yes switch is not recognised in Win98 SE

net use n: \\telecall2003\f /persistent:yes fails in Win98SE although it works in XP

Aaaaargh!

 

Try it without the persistent switch. You may well find the mapping persists anyway. You could also try moving the mappings to the part of the script after the OS detection, and have a different set of mapping commands depending on the OS.

Another thing to look at is using a VBScript rather than a batch file. That might give you more options.

I was ending up with the same problems you are having. Novell is great as a file server and network access manager. But you need windows servers for applications. I'm doing things with my 2003 AD network that I never tried on the Novell network. However, I think that is because it is easier to find out how to do these things with Windows. On the flip side I am also hitting some annoying brick walls (password policy effects all accounts, and controls on LDAP connections for example).

 

Death to Novell

Im not sure how many clients you have but i would just kill the novell all together and since you win 98 is out of serivce date is soon go to xp on those machines. Even if you keep novell you can upgrade to xp and run everything of off your server 2003 and force that script to run at logon placing it either on a shared drive or in your root directory. Xp will also run things at logon just like your server will. Give AD a try you will never look back to novell. (oh and .vbs will not work with win 98, if you goto xp and need a .vbs logon script update this request and i will email you one.)


Michael