Chapter 7 - Using a Windows NT or Windows 95 Client on a Banyan Network
This chapter introduces you to running Microsoft Windows NT and Windows 95 on a Banyan network.
Windows NT and Windows 95 are operating systems which provide a graphical user interface that replaces the DOS command line interface. The interface varies with the type of operating system you have installed on your workstation. Windows NT 3.x uses an interface much like Windows 3.1, while Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 95 use the newer "Windows 95" interface. For more information on using the Windows interface, see the Windows documentation that came with your system or consult on-line help.
Windows lets you open more than one application at a time, allowing you to run several programs at once. Applications written for Windows appear in application windows on your screen. You can switch between applications without having to exit one application and start another. The number of applications you can run is limited only by the amount of memory in your workstation. You can also run most DOS applications from the Windows MS-DOS Prompt program without exiting Windows.
For more information on how to work with Windows, refer to the appropriate Microsoft Windows User's Guide.
Applications designed to take advantage of the Windows graphical user interface and other features are referred to as Windows applications. For example, the Banyan Messages application described in Chapter 11 is a Windows application.
Applications developed to run under DOS that do not take advantage of the Windows interface are referred to as DOS applications. While most of these applications run under Windows, some applications might be incompatible. In addition, many Terminate and Stay Resident (TSR) programs that feature pop-up windows might be incompatible with Windows.
If you are unsure whether your DOS application or TSR program works with Windows, check with your system administrator.
You can get help at any time from the Help menu that appears in every Windows application.
There are different ways to access Help:
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Select the Help menu using the application menu bar to choose a Help category, such as Procedures or Commands. ![]()
Click the Help button that appears in some dialog boxes. ![]()
Press F1.
The Banyan Enterprise Client for Windows NT or Windows 95 allows your Windows NT and Windows 95 workstations to communicate with servers and access resources on a Banyan network. The client includes much of the same functionality as a Banyan DOS or Windows 3.x client and is integrated into the Windows NT and Windows 95 interfaces.
The Windows NT and Windows 95 Clients utilize the latest 32-bit protected mode (VxD) virtual device driver technology for both the communications stack and the File System Driver. Since most of the client software is loaded in extended memory and only takes 1KB of conventional memory, memory management problems are eliminated.
The Windows NT and Windows 95 Client utilities include Login, Logout, Winsend, Messages, and for Windows 95, Newrev. These utilities are 32-bit versions of Banyan's existing utilities. The client provides application support for 32-bit Windows 95 applications, as well as for 16-bit DOS and Windows 3.x applications.
When you install the Banyan Client for Windows NT or Windows 95, the installation program automatically adds a Banyan Program group to your desktop. If you are running Windows NT 3.51, the program group is added to your desktop. If you are running Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 95, a program folder is added to your the Windows 95 Start menu.
The Program group contains these Banyan applications:
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Login ![]()
Logout ![]()
Messages ![]()
Send ![]()
Setup - only for Windows NT (contains multiple applets -- small Windows programs) ![]()
Change Password - only for Windows NT ![]()
Newrev - only for Windows 95
In addition, the Banyan Program folder contains icons that you click to access Banyan Client Help and an on-line copy of the release notice for the client.
To Access the Banyan Program Group
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For Windows NT 3.51, the Banyan/VINES program group was added to your desktop during installation. If it is minimized, click on the Banyan or VINES icon. ![]()
For Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 95, click the Start button at the bottom of the Windows 95 desktop and then select Programs - Banyan from the menus that appear.
Windows 95
The Banyan Enterprise Client for Windows 95 includes two types of help:
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Regular Help - Detailed help files explaining how to use various features of the client. Access regular help files by either clicking the Help button on a dialog box, choosing help from the menu bar. ![]()
Context-sensitive Help - Popup text boxes that explain what an item on the screen is and what it does. Access context-sensitive help by doing one of the following: - Click the question mark on a dialog box title bar and click on a dialog box element.
- Click on a dialog box element with the right mouse button and choose What's This? from the context menu.
Note: In addition, you can access the entire Banyan Client for Windows 95 Help system by clicking the Help icon in the Banyan Program group.
Windows NT
The Banyan Enterprise Client for Windows NT has regular but not context-sensitive help. Access regular help files by clicking the Help button on a dialog box, or choosing Help from the menu bar.
Note: In addition, you can access the entire Banyan Client for Windows NT Help system by clicking the Help icon in the Banyan Program group.
The Banyan Program group includes icons for the Banyan Login and Logout programs. To log in to your Banyan Client:
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Use the Banyan Login program to log in to the Banyan's Windows NT and Windows 95 Clients independently of other clients on your workstation. ![]()
Enable Common Login so that when you log in to your Windows NT or Windows 95 workstation, you are automatically logged in to the Banyan Client.
For more information on logging in and out, see Chapter 8 - "Logging In and Out of Windows NT or Windows 95 Clients."
Common Login
When you start your workstation, the Enter Network Password box appears. If Common Login is enabled, logging in with this dialog box also logs you in to the Banyan network and processes your user profile. You do not have to login separately through the Banyan Login program.
If you use Common Login, it is very important that you keep your Banyan password and your Windows password synchronized. If the two passwords are different, you will not be able to log in.
For more information on Common Login, see "Using Common Login" in Chapter 8.
Property Sheets for Windows 95
Windows 95 include property sheets that let you configure items such as files, programs, drives, and printers. Each item has a unique property sheet that includes settings and information particular to that item.
For Windows 95, Banyan has implemented property sheets for the following items:
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Files and Directories - The property sheets for these items allow you to view information about the item and to set Access Rights Lists (ARLs) for each item. ![]()
Printers - The property sheets for printers allow you to view information about the print service and set various print options such as the banner page, print time, and paper format. ![]()
Client and Protocol - The property sheets for these items allow you to configure the Banyan Client and VINES Protocol for Windows 95.
To Access Property Sheets
1. Click an item with the right mouse button. A context menu appears.
2. Choose Properties.
3. Property sheets for an item may include multiple pages. Click the tabs to display other pages.
The Banyan Enterprise Client for Windows 95 includes a Newrev utility that lets you view the software revisions on neighboring servers and upgrade your workstation client software.
Accessing Network File Services
The Windows 95 Client is fully integrated with Windows 95 Explorer, My Computer, and Network Neighborhood programs. These features let you access system resources from a single point.
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The Network Neighborhood lets you view and use file services on the network without mapping a drive. From the Network Neighborhood, you can use StreetTalk search patterns to locate and access items on the network. ![]()
The My Computer icon lets you access all of your workstation's local resources, including network file services that have been mapped to drive letters. Any file services mapped to drive letters appear under My Computer as network drive icons.
The Windows NT Client is not yet fully integrated with Window NT 4.0's Explorer, My Computer, or Network Neighborhood programs.
For more information on connecting to network file services with your Banyan Clients, see Chapter 9 - "Connecting to Network Drives with Windows NT or Windows 95."
Windows NT and Windows 95 applications can either print to a port that is redirected to a print service or print directly to a print service. This print model differs from the Windows and Windows for Workgroups print model, where network printing requires a redirected printer port.
You can print directly to a print service by specifying its name when you add a printer to your desktop. You can redirect ports to print services either by running SETPRINT from the MS-DOS command line or by capturing a printer port from a printer's property sheets.
For more information on printing with your Banyan Client, see Chapter 10 - "Printing From Your Windows NT or Windows 95 Client."
Both Banyan and Windows NT messages appear in pop-up windows. Banyan error messages are usually preceded by a number. Run the VNSERR command from an MS-DOS window to get a description of the error. Additional information on these errors is provided in the Banyan Return Codes document contained in the Banyan IQ electronic documentation. The Windows NT Resource Kit contains information for Windows NT errors.
For more information on configuring the Banyan Messages application, see Chapter 11 - "Using the Banyan Messages Application with a Windows NT or Windows 95 Client."
Running Windows on a VINES network is similar to running Windows on a stand-alone workstation. The operation of your VINES network is mostly transparent to you as a user.
What a VINES network provides is access to shared resources, such as file volumes and network printers. The next few chapters describe these shared resources in more detail.