%OS and %OS_VERSION Reported Incorrectly

ID: Q160476

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

When you run your Novell NetWare login script from Client Services for NetWare (CSNW) or Gateway Services for NetWare (GSNW), the %OS_VERSION variable is set to MS-DOS V5.00.


CAUSE

The use of environment variables in NetWare login scripts (like Windows NT Login Scripts) permits the substitution for fixed values such as Username, MS-DOS version, or Date and Time.

One of these identifier variables is %OS_VERSION. Under MS-DOS, this variable translates to the version of MS-DOS being used on the computer that is logging on to the NetWare server.

For example, the line in the login script 


   MAP S2:=SYS:PUBLIC\%OS_VERSION

is converted to a drive mapping of 

   S2:=Y:\ [SYS:PUBLIC\V6.22]

on a computer running MS-DOS 6.22.

When Windows NT Workstation or Server runs the NetWare login script, MS-DOS version 5.00 (V5.00) is substituted for Windows NT version 4.0 (the command line environment in Windows NT is based on MS-DOS v. 5.0).

Therefore, in Windows NT, the previous example would translate from 

   MAP S2:=SYS:PUBLIC\%OS_VERSION

and is converted to a drive mapping of 

   S2:=Y:\ [SYS:PUBLIC\V5.00]


STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 4.0. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Additional query words: 5.0 logon script 


Keywords          : kbnetwork kbbug4.00 NTInterop NTSrvWkst 
Version           : WinNT:4.0
Platform          : winnt 
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: February 2, 1999