Ask Dr. Bob Your NT Questions

Q: When I try to install Windows NT 3.51 from three floppies and the CD-ROM, I get the message, "Cannot find MS-DOS partition." This message occurs while I'm installing from the last diskette. I loaded my system successfully, but it crashed, and I had to reload it. I tried to reformat my drive and re-create the partition, with no luck. What's causing this message?

One file, winnt.sif, is usually responsible for this message. When you run winnt.exe or winnt32.exe, the installer creates and places the winnt.sif file on disk two of the boot-disk set.

winnt.sif is a text file containing

[Data]

MsDosInitiated=1

winnt.sif instructs NT 3.51 Setup to look for installation files in a temporary directory on the hard drive instead of a CD-ROM. If the winnt.sif file doesn't exist, Setup looks for installation files in the CD-ROM or floppy disk drive. To install from diskette, delete winnt.sif and reinstall NT.

Q: What's Hierarchical Storage Management (HSM) and what does it do?

As mass storage capacities in- crease, managing stored data is harder, especially for backup and fault tolerance. This concern is serious for LANs and WANs.

HSM, which comes from mainframes, assumes you routinely access only 30% of the files on your hard drive. HSM seamlessly and transparently migrates unused files onto slower storage media such as magneto-optical drives and from there to tape. HSM manages storage by deciding where to store data.

HSM has five levels. Level 1 automates file migration and transparent retrieval. Level 2 has multiple predefined thresholds that load balance disk space. It manages at least two layers of storage. Level 3 transparently controls three or more layers of your storage pyramid and automatically adjusts the system to maximize performance. This level supports tape and optical devices. Level 4 does everything that levels 1 through 3 do and lets you establish migration rules. This level also maintains security and network locations. Level 5 manages storage of object-based information (vs. file-based information).

Q: How do I use NT to connect to CompuServe and the Internet?

Basically, for CompuServe, you need to establish a Remote Access Service (RAS) connection, and to access the Internet, use your favorite Web browser. Make sure not to let any applications overwrite the winsock.dll file that NT installs.

For details on connecting to the Internet, see Mark Minasi, "Unlock Your Gateway to the Internet," Windows NT Magazine, June 1996, and "Connecting NT to the Internet," July 1996; and Ed Tittel and Mary Madden, "Easy Access to the Internet," July 1996. For more on RAS, see Steve Scoggins, "Windows NT RAS Scripting," Windows NT Magazine, May 1996.

To configure your connection to CompuServe, start by editing your %systemroot%\system32\ras\switch.inf file, adding these lines to the bottom:

[CompuServe-Internet]

COMMAND=<cr>

OK=<match> ":"

COMMAND=CIS<cr>

OK=<match> ":"

COMMAND=ID/GO : PPPCONNECT<cr>

OK=<match> ":"

COMMAND=password<cr>

OK=<ignore>

Start RAS, click Add, and fill in the information. The phone number is your local CompuServe number. Turn off Authenticate using current user name and password.

Click Advanced and Modem to make sure all settings are right. Initially, choose 9600 bits per second (bps) or 14400 bps; you can raise this value later. Turn on Hardware Flow Control and Modem Error Control. For now, don't enable modem compression (you can set it later). Click OK.

Select Network, and enable Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP); don't select Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP). In the PPP section, disable all protocols except TCP/IP, and turn on LCP extensions. Click TCP/IP Settings..., and set the value to Server Assigned IP Address. Finally, turn on Use specific name server addresses.

The default Domain Name System (DNS) address is 149.174.64.41 (mhaak.inhouse.compuserve.com), and the backup is 149.174.64.42 (mhaal.inhouse.compuserve.com). For information about DNS, see Spyros Sakellariadis, "Configuring and Administering DNS," on page 93. Turn on Use VJ header compression and Use default gateway on remote network, and click OK twice to get back to the main settings.

Click Security. Make sure it's set to accept any authentication. Set the Before dialing script to (none). Set the After dialing script to CompuServe--Internet (this setting corresponds to the section you added to switch.inf).

Close RAS, and start the remote server. Open RAS again. Select the CompuServe entry, and click Dial. When the authentication box appears, enter compuserve.com in the Domain field, and leave the others blank. Click OK.

You'll get messages about what's happening: Dialing, Postconnecting through CompuServe..., Verifying user name and password..., and Registering your computer on the network. If you get an error such as Disconnected by the remote machine, let the modem automatically redial. Sometimes, you need a few tries to get a good connection.

When you finish accessing CompuServe and the Internet, go to the Remote Access program and click Hang Up. Disconnect every time to avoid additional connect charges. Click Edit, and turn on Authenticate using current user name and password. The program will remember you are part of the compuserve.com domain and stop prompting for your username and password, which your computer stores in the switch.inf file. (If the authenticate statement doesn't work, turn it off.)

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