'Logging in' to Windows NT
Norman D. Megill
Two years ago some work we did for a client who required that we check out
source code using an application called SourceSafe, which is a source-file
management system. This product was made by a small company and ran under
Unix. To check out the source code, the steps were essentially the
following:
1. Dial up the Unix system via a dumb terminal emulator
2. Enter user id
3. Enter password
4. Type a one-line command to check out the source code and put
it in the local directory
5. Download it with Kermit
6. Exit
Those were the good ol' days.
Well, as I understand it, in the meantime Microsoft bought out the small
company and renamed the product to Microsoft Visual SourceSafe, and
slapped on a fancy GUI interface. In addition they dropped support for
the Unix interface and instead required that it be accessed via an NT
network. (In spite of the fact that the main application, I believe,
and file storage are still on Unix!) Now I won't get into the numerous
bugs we had to cope with in this new interface (that is a long story in
itself, with the application dying with errors such 'Error reading from
file', 'Out of memory', 'Invalid DOS path: <garbage>', 'Cannot find
initialization variable', the network map suddenly disappearing even
while files were downloading fine over the modem...) nor the steps
needed to download the local version of the GUI application to get it to
run at all.
Instead, I will describe the initial setup we had to do. Apparently there
is no such thing as 'logging onto' an NT machine, at least not for using
this application. Instead we had to become a remote part of the NT
network, using a Windows 95 machine. We mostly use Unix and VMS and are
not NT experts. Anyway we dusted off the Windows 95 machine in the back
room (which we use occasionally for Word and PowerPoint) and rolled our
sleeves up. I was totally unprepared for what was to come. It took days
of trial-and-error (even with the help of an experienced NT administrator
at the other end) and completely blew our budget for what should have been
a trivial project.
We have documented what was involved in successfully 'logging onto' the
Windows NT machine, and below I record it for posterity. I think
this is astonishing. (Some of the settings are defaults, but at this
point I have no idea what is and isn't anymore since we went through so
many iterations.)
How to 'log on' to a remote Windows NT machine:
Minimum requirement: Windows 95
Select Start, Settings, Control Panel
Double-click on Network
Under Network, choose Configuration
Under Configuration, select 'Client for Microsoft Networks' as
the Primary Network Logon
Under Configuration, select Properties
Under Properties, (1) enable Log on to Windows NT domain, (2)
enter the NT domain name in Window NT domain box, (3) choose Quick
logon
Click OK
Under Network, choose Identification
Under Identification, (1) enter your NT user name in Computer name
box, (2) enter NT domain name in Workgroup box, (3) enter your
computer name in Computer Description
Click OK
Under Network, choose Access Control
Under Access Control, select Share-level access control
Click OK
Under Network, select Configuration
Under Configuration, click on Dial-Up adapter to highlight it, then
select Properties
Under Properties, select Driver Type
Under Driver Type, select Enhanced mode (32-bit and 16-bit) NDIS
driver
Under Properties, select Bindings
Under Bindings, enable TCP/IP -> Dial-Up Adapter
Under Properties, select Advanced
Under Advanced, click on Record a log file to highlight it and set its
value to No
Under Advanced, click on Use IPX Header compression to highlight it
and set its value to Yes
Click OK
Under Network, select Configuration
Under Configuration, click on TCP/IP -> Dial-Up Adapter to highlight
it, then click on Properties
Under TCP/IP Properties, select IP Address, and choose Obtain an IP
address automatically
Under TCP/IP Properties, select Bindings; (1) enable Client for
Microsoft Networks and (2) enable File and printer sharing for
Microsoft Networks
Under TCP/IP Properties, select WINS Configuration and choose Use
DHCP for WINS Resolution
Click OK
Under Network, click OK
Select Start, Programs, Accessories, Dial-Up Networking
Double-click on Make New Connection
Under Make New Connection, (1) enter NT domain name in Type a name
for the computer you are dialing, (2) select Sportster 28800
Internal under Select a modem, (3) click on Configure
Under General, (1) select Communications Port (COM2) in Port box, (2)
select 115200 in Maximum speed box
Click OK
Under Make New Connection, click on Next
Under Make New Connection, enter Area code, Telephone number, and
Country code
Under Make New Connection, click on Next
Click on Finish
Under Dial-Up Networking, double-click on icon with NT domain name
Under Connect To, (1) enter your login name under User name,
(2) enter your password under Password, (3) Enable Save password
(4) select Default Location in Dialing from box
Click on Cancel
Under Dial-Up Networking, right click on icon with NT domain name
Under NT domain name box, verify phone number and enable Use
country code and area code
Under NT domain name box, select Sportster 28800 Internal in
Connect using box and click on Server Type
Under Server Types, click on PPP Windows 95, Windows NT 3.5, Internet
to highlight it
Under Server Types, (1) enable Log on to network, (2) enable Enable
software compression, (3) disable Require encrypted password,
(4) disable NetBEUI, (5) disable IPX/SPC Compatible, (6) enable
TCP/IP
Under Server Types, click on TCP/IP Settings
Under TCP/IP Settings, (1) choose Server assigned IP address, (2)
choose Server assigned name server addresses, (3) enable Use
IP header compression, (4) enable Use default gateway on remote
network
Click on OK
Double-click on My Computer
Pull down View menu and enable Toolbar
In Toolbar, click on funny icon containing a box with
exploding star in upper left-hand corner (2nd icon from left);
Map Network Drive should appear
Under Map Network Drive, select and highlight K: in Drive box
Under Map Network Drive, (1) Path box should be empty, (2) disable
Reconnect at logon
Click on OK
Under Dial-Up Networking, double-click on NT domain icon
Modem will dial, and box will come up saying Connected at 26400 bps
Double-click on Network Neighborhood; diagram of NT domain
network will appear
(Omitted: several required reboots to activate new settings; and
changing network password to NT domain password at boot time)
(Once this is set up, you just have to double-click on the
NT domain icon to log in a 2nd time -- easy as pie. However
we still can't get the Network Neighborhood map to stay up
for more than about 20 minutes at a time - it just vanishes
mysteriously, with no error message)
Norm Megill