NetLogon Hints

Keywords:   netlogon   KixTart

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The following is from a Winbatch User:

I've seen some entries of admins trying to use small .exe files as log on scripts. I've had no problems running a compiled .exe as a logon script under NT but the script GPF's under 95. One solution is to run a DOS batch file that calls the .exe file but the lmscript.exe program that initiates the batch file does not run under the netlogon share and therefore the batch file can't determine where it's being run from. The solution to this problem is a little know MS-DOS function (%0\..\). this function is used to indicate the argv(0) present when running batch files. using this path the batch file can dertermine from which directory it's being run and uses this path for supporting files.

As an example:

A batch file is call logon.bat and calls a small compiled .exe call logon.exe and consists of only this line.

   start /w %0\..\logon.exe 

This works perfectly in all cases tested so far.

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And another user reports something similar:

Here's a trick I came up with to work around the .dlls in the \netlogon root - this is no problem with LAN connections, but dialups take a while to load the .dlls.

1. Create a subdirectory of \netlogon called \SUPDLL and put all the wb .dlls (and extenders) in there. In your caller stub (logon.bat) add:

   
           @path=%PATH%;%0\..\SUPDLL
   

   before the start /w call to the wb executable.

2. You need to do some legwork within the wb script to maintain the local .DLLs, but this will allow you to load them from the local c: drive (If I've understood the search order for the support .dlls correctly).

3. During experimentation, it became apparent that NT and '95 have differing requirements with regard to DLL's. Apparently, '95 needs to have access to the following:

   
           NETUI0.DLL
           NETUI1.DLL
           NETUI2.DLL
           NTLANUI.DLL
           PRTQ32.DLL
           RADMIN32.DLL
           RLOCAL32.DLL
           RSHX32.DLL
   

   NT, does not like these files present. NT login "barfs" over RADMIN32 complaining that it is not a valid NT image.

   When I moved these files from the NETLOGON folder, NT worked fine but '95 choked.

4. You need to have separated DLL directories for each OS and add them to the path.

5. A user found that a 3rd party application called KixTart works really well for WAN and dialup connections.

   KixTart is an add-on for the resource kit (release 2). You can download it from this site...

   
   http://www.xs4all.nl/~akhw/winnt.htm 
   

   KixTart is DOS based and scripted.

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Article ID:   W13512

Filename:   NetLogon Hints.txt