No Logon Script When Connecting with Dial-Up Networking

• Microsoft Windows 98
• Microsoft Windows 95

SYMPTOMS

On a Windows 95-based or Windows 98-based computer with the Client for Microsoft Networks installed and configured to log on to a Windows NT domain, the following error message may occur when you attempt to log on to the domain as part of the Windows startup and logon process:

No domain server was available to validate your password. You may not be able to gain access to some network resources.

• If you have a Windows NT login script configured, your login script may not be processed when you connect to the network using Dial-Up Networking.



• User profiles and system policies, if so configured, may not be updated or downloaded from the network server.

CAUSE

These symptoms may occur if there is a network adapter present in the computer, but the computer is not physically connected to the local area network (LAN). This may be the case when you are logging on from a remote location with a portable computer that contains a PC Card network adapter, but is not currently connect to the LAN.

When Windows starts, it checks for the presence of a network adapter. If one is found, it attempts to log on to the Windows NT domain, if so configured, when you first log on to Windows. Regardless of whether or not this initial attempt succeeds, Windows attempts to log on to the domain only once during your Windows session.

If Windows does not detect the presence of a network adapter in the computer when you start Windows, it does not attempt to log on to the Windows NT domain when you first log on to Windows. If you later connect to the network using Dial-Up Networking, and have the Log On To Network option enabled, Windows attempts to log on to the Windows NT domain and process your login script. Again, this occurs only once during your Windows session, so if you disconnect your Dial-Up Networking connection and then later reconnect without either restarting Windows or logging off and logging on again, Windows does not repeat your domain logon and does not process your login script again.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use any of the following methods:

• Before you log on to Windows on a computer that is not connected to the LAN, remove the network adapter from the computer. This prevents Windows from attempting to log on to the Windows NT domain when you first log on to Windows. Later, when you connect to your network using Dial-Up Networking, Windows attempts to log you on to the Windows NT domain and process your login script (if any).



• Create a separate hardware profile for when you want to work while not connected to the LAN. In the new hardware profile, disable the network adapter in Device Manager. When you start the computer, you can choose between the two hardware profiles you created. When your computer is not connected to your LAN, choose the hardware profile in which the network adapter is disabled.
  
  For additional information about these procedures, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  

  ARTICLE-ID: Q141600
  TITLE : How to Manually Create Hardware Profiles for Laptop Computers
  
  ARTICLE-ID: Q128919
  TITLE : Resources for Disabled Devices Not Freed Up




• If your computer has a docking station that you always use when connected to your LAN, and that you never use when you are not connected to the LAN, you can disable the network adapter in the Undocked hardware profile, instead of creating a new profile as described above.
  
  Also, if the network adapter can be installed in the docking station instead of in the laptop computer itself, you can install the network adapter in the docking station instead of manually disabling it in the Undocked profile.



• When you are not connected to the LAN, you may be able to bypass the initial Windows logon by clicking Cancel in the Windows logon dialog box. In this case, you are not logged on to the network or to the Windows NT domain unless and until you log on using Dial-Up Networking. However, if you have user profiles enabled for your installation of Windows, you should not use this method, because you may not receive your user-specific settings unless you are logged on to Windows as yourself.

Additional query words: nic interface card

Keywords          : kbnetwork win95 win98 
Version           : WINDOWS:95
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb 

Last Reviewed: January 29, 1999