NOTE: NetSwitcher V2 is OBSOLETE and is no longer
supported. This page is left here for those customers who have not yet
upgraded but be aware that no further updates or changes to this product are
anticipated. Users should upgrade to V3 as soon as possible.
NetSwitcher is broken! What do I do? I need HELP, who do I call?
You'd be surprised at how many message I get that say:
"NetSwitcher is broken, please fix it ASAP!"
Of course I can't do much with this kind of a request for help.
I need as much information as you can provide to help diagnose and
fix the problem.
Start with the following:
0) READ THE FAQ FIRST! Your problem may already be a known problem.
1) Version of NetSwitcher you are running.
2) Which OS, Service Packs, etc? Which web browser and version?
There are many versions of Windows and WINSOCK. The following utility
will help you provide information. GetVersion.Exe. Run this program
and send me the information it displays.
3) What error message (if any) you saw?
4) Can this problem be duplicated? How can I do it here, step-by-step?
If NetSwitcher is crashing, capture the crash dump information and
send that to us.
5) Can you fix the problem using the Windows Network Control Panel?
6) What does NetSwitcher do/not do that differs from what you expected?
If this information is not enough, I may ask you to provide more
information. Your setup file (*.NSW), your Netscape "prefs.js"
file, or an output from the REGDUMP.EXE utility (included with NetSwitcher).
Once you've collected the information, you need to get it to me.
The BEST and most efficient method is to send email to: joe@NetSwitcher.com.
Unlike most companies, WE DON'T IGNORE email. We try to understand
your question and send a reply as soon as possible. If you don't
hear back in a day (Mon-Fri only) please resend. We may have been
swamped with work and missed your request.
If we encounter a problem that is too complicated to solve via
one of these means, then a phone call may be in order. This, however,
is quite unusual...
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I'm getting an error that says "DirRoot not
Found", why?
Are you getting a dialog box under NetSwitcher™ Version 2.95
or 2.96 that says:
"Error: DirRoot not Found"
If this is the case, it's probably due to a bad installation of
Netscape Navigator.
This error message (and I agree it's not very self-explanatory)
means
that NetSwitcher detected that Netscape Navigator with a version greater than 4.0 was installed but that a key piece of it's configuration
information was not found. This can happen if Netscape was uninstalled
improperly or never installed fully.
NetSwitcher should still operate correctly but the message will
continue to be displayed. If you no longer use Netscape, you may want to
rename or delete the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Netscape\Netscape Navigator
NetSwitcher is looking at this key. If you uninstalled Netscape,
this key should have been removed automatically. Perhaps the uninstaller
failed.
If you are not using Netscape Navigator, you can remove this key
as follows:
1) Start Menu>Run REGEDIT
2) Click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Netscape\
3) Click on Netscape Navigator
4) Press the Delete key
5) Close REGEDIT
NOTE: This error message may also appear when running Netscape
Navigator/Communicator V4.5. More details may be found here.
UPDATE: Download the latest version of NetSwitcher.
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I upgraded to Netscape Navigator V4.5 and am having
trouble, what gives?
NetSwitcher V2.95 was released before Netscape 4.5 and there appear
to be some issues with the new release of Navigator that may cause
problems.
If you get a message about the "prefs" file not being
found or if you don't see your changes getting recognized by Navigator,
then it's likely that this problem affects you. This may also manifest
itself as the "DirRoot not found" message.
I'm aware of the situation and am working on a fix. Netscape (again!)
changed the way they store setup information from V4.05 to V4.5
and so NetSwitcher is not able to find Navigator's setup information
reliably. I'm still trying to figure out when the different scenario
happens and so I don't have a fix yet.
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I upgraded from Win95 to Win98 and now my setups
don't work.
There are usually two issues with going from Win95 to Win98.
First, be sure you have the latest version of NetSwitcher. Versions
prior to 2.90 did not handle all of the Win98 setups properly.
Second, many of the network adapters under Win98 use different
names than they did under Win95. If you are using the SAME *.nsw
files that you did under Win95, then it's likely that the "Adapter"
line is wrong. NetSwitcher will still load the file but it will
not be able to apply this setup to the correct adapter. To fix the
problem:
1) Open the NSW file in the NOTEPAD editor.
2) Comment out (with a # in the first column) the "Adapter"
line
3) Save the file and close NOTEPAD.
4) Start NetSwitcher, choose your adapter, load the edited NSW file.
5) SAVE the setup to the existing NSW file, confirm that you wish
to overwrite.
The setup file should now work.
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I switched from Win9x to NT4.0 and now my setups
don't work.
While the NetSwitcher setup files (*.nsw) are similar between Win9s
and NT, they are not identical. If you are using the SAME *.nsw
files that you did under Win95, then it's likely that the "Adapter"
line is wrong. NetSwitcher may still load the file but it will not
be able to apply this setup to the correct adapter.
To fix the problem:
1) Open the NSW file in the NOTEPAD editor.
2) Comment out (with a # in the first column) the "Adapter" line
3) Save the file and close NOTEPAD.
4) Start NetSwitcher, choose your adapter, load the edited NSW file.
5) SAVE the setup to the existing NSW file, confirm that you wish
to overwrite.
The setup file should now work.
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I can't change the WORKGROUP or DOMAIN under NT
4.0, why not?
NetSwitcher's V2 cannot change the NT DOMAIN or WORKGROUP settings
under NT4.0. This is supported under Win9x currently. NetSwitcher
V3, which is now release does have this capability.
BTW, just in case you're wondering. It will still require that
a user have "Add Computer to Domain" rights on the DOMAIN
CONTROLLER in order to joing an NT Workstation to the DOMAIN. This
is an NT SERVER security issue and cannot be bypassed by NetSwitcher
or any other client program running on the NT Workstation or Win2000.
If your site administrator will not give you this right, then you
will not be able to use this feature.
As an additional note. Most users do not require this feature.
If you use an NT Domain at the office but just plug in to your home
network or a customer's network, you can probably do without this.
Just leave your domain membership with the office NT Server and
logon to your NT/W2K computer with the COMPUTERNAME instead of the
DOMAINNAME on the logon screen. You can access local resources via
their local authentication and not need to change your NT Domain
setting.
BE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE SECURITY ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH
LEAVING AND JOINING YOUR NT DOMAIN BEFORE YOU USE NETSWITCHER V3.0
TO MODIFY YOUR DOMAIN SETTINGS. IF YOU HAVE INSUFFICIENT PRIVILEGES,
YOU MAY EASILY LOCK YOURSELF OUT OF YOUR DOMAIN AND REQUIRE DOMAIN
ADMINISTRATOR ASSISTANCE TO GET BACK IN.
In other words, DON'T TRY THIS IF AN ADMINISTRATOR IS NOT READILY
AVAILABLE!!
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Why do I have to reboot after changing setups?
Why can't NetSwitcher™ run at boot time?
First let me say that this is the most commonly asked question.
I too would love to have this capability.
So, what's the problem and what am I doing about it?
The problem is that under Win9x, the registry is READ-ONLY until
Win32 is up and running. BUT, by the time Win32 is running, the
network and protocol drivers are already loaded with the old values.
It's too late to change them without a reboot. So we're stuck, right?
No, it looks like there is a way out of this. It seems that Microsoft
has created a "backdoor" that allows changes to be made
but this interface is not documented. I'm working on exploiting
this interface currently and hope to have a version that allows
boot-time switching in the near future. Right now it's not clear
what the timeframe is but you can rest assured that this is a high
priority item.
One workaround that I use in the mean-time is to run NetSwitcher
when I shut down and apply the setup to the place I'm going to.
I know it's not foolproof but it often saves time.
Under NT, the problem is a bit different. There is no MSDOS mode
at boot time like under Win9x. So it should be possible to run a
service or device driver early in the boot process to make the required
changes before the network and protocol drivers get loaded. I'm
also working on this but am not far along. It looks promising but
no results so far.
Remember, as a registered user you will receive updates including
these features as soon as they are available at no additional charge!
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NetSwitcher™ hangs when I click APPLY. What
causes this and how do I fix it?
The usual cause of hangs has to do with the Default Printer setting.
Some printer drivers attempt to contact the printer for status
but may be unable to do so because the network is not yet configured
properly or the printer is currently on a different network. This
is typically only an issue with Win9x but some newer printer drivers
for NT may exhibit this problem as well.
Try setting the "disable" box next to the "Default
Printer" setting and see if this corrects the problem. I know
if no other options unless the printer driver manufacturer has added
an option to the driver's setup to avoid contacting the printer
for status information. It really seems that printer makers are
not taking into account notebook computer user's usage patterns
when designing their drivers.
Update. The V3.0 update uses a new method to accomplish the Default
Printer setting. Early tests indicate that this problem is fixed.
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HELP!! I upgraded to Navigator 4.6 and it's causing
problems!!!
Those fine folks at Netscape have done it again. They released
a new version of Navigator (V4.6) without telling me anything about
it. Alas, V2.97z of NetSwitcher has been broken by Navigator 4.6.
Version 2.98 has been released which fixes this problem.
Please return to the NetSwitcher Home Page for links to download
the latest version.
(Disclaimer: Just in case you don't get the fact that the first
two sentences are a primitive attempt at sarcastic humor, they are.
Netscape 4.6 doesn't appear to have any significant new bugs (w.r.t.
NetSwitcher at least) and the fault lies in my handling of the new
version number. It would be really nice if Netscape sent me information
about upcoming releases but I don't really expect them to. I don't
have a grudge against them and in fact, I'm not only a big fan but
an investor in their company....well at least their parent company
now....)
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Does NetSwitcher work with Windows 2000?
Glad you asked!
NetSwitcher V2 does NOT work properly with Windows 2000. Please
do not attempt to install or run V2 on this operating system.
NetSwitcher V3.0 is now available and it does work with Windows
2000. You can download a copy from the NetSwitcher Web Site. This
version works not only with Windows 2000 Professional, but also
with Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows NT Workstation
4.0.
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If I send email to joe@NetSwitcher.com will anyone
read it?
In a word, YES! Unlike many of the other software companies, we
really do read our mail and actually prefer it as the primary means
of communications. If you are reporting a problem, please provide
as much information as you can to help us diagnose and correct the
problem. See the FAQ page on asking for help for details.
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I am a registered user who doesn't want to lose
his registration. Do I need to uninstall Netswitcher before upgrading
to a newer version, or can I just install the newer version over
the existing installation?
No, do not uninstall your old copy of NetSwitcher before upgrading.
Just download the new version and run it. It will overwrite the
NetSwitcher EXE file and the online help files but your existing
setup files and your license will be preserved.
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My default printer setting doesn't "take"
sometimes. What's wrong?
The problem is not with NetSwitcher but rather with your printer
driver. Some drivers depend on being able to actually contact the
printer before setting it as default. If, for example, you are at
a remote site and know you are going back to the office. As a good
NetSwitcher user, you load the "Office" setup before shutting
down and your setup has the office LaserJet as default. The printer
driver now looks on the network and tries to get the status of the
LaserJet but it cannot as you are not on the Office network. So
the printer driver refuses to take the default setting and Windows
reverts back to the last default printer.
The fix is as follows:
1) Complain to your printer vendor for making such a dumb driver.
In my opinion, this is a case of being too smart for its own good.
You know that the printer is unreachable but you don't care. When
it matters, it will be there.
2) When you get to the new location, load that setup again. The
Default Printer setting doesn't need any reboot to be effective
and just takes a second to run.
Another symptom commonly seen with unreachable printers is that
NetSwitcher appears to hang while Windows is trying to contact the
printer. It will eventually time out and come back but depending
on how the driver is setup, it may take several minutes.
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I installed a Virtual Private Network product
and now NetSwitcher doesn't work.
Several Virtual Private Networking products (VPN) have appeared
on the market recently. Examples of these would be SecuRemote from
CheckPoint, PGPNet from Network Associates, and the product from
Red Creek. In almost all cases, the installation of these products
on Win9X computers breaks the connection between the TCPIP protocol
and the network adapter. As such, NetSwitcher is no longer able
to find or set the properties for a particular adapter. Further,
each of these manufacturers have used a different and incompatible
scheme for keeping track of the link between the TCPIP procotol
and the real network adapter.
The V3.0 BETA release of NetSwitcher has support for the CheckPoint
SecuRemote VPN product and it should work correctly in those installations.
We also have plans to incorporate support for PGPNet. Others may
be supported if possible but many of these software companies will
not support us in our efforts to build support for their VPN product
into NetSwitcher. In these cases, we will be unable to provide support
and we recommend that you do not do business with these companies.
Currently, we have no plans to retrofit any VPN support into the
V2.x NetSwitcher release.
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