Table of Contents (Last Updated on 02/03/2001)
Q2: How to install/uninstall NetScan?
Q3: I have encountered an error message and the program crashed.
Q4: NetScan Error: "Failed to initialise temp drive!"
Q5: Why sometimes does NetScan take a long time to stop after I pressed "Stop"?
Q7: Will NetScan scan those password-protected shared resources?
Q8: Will NetScan consume substantial network bandwidth?
Q9: Can NetScan scan those hidden share resources?
Q10: NetScan cannot scan a computer or workgroup that I have specified in the target list!
Q11: What is the resolution of the exclusion operation?
Q12: Can wild cards like ? and * be used to scan files that match patterns?
Q13: Can I edit "NetScan.mdb" directly?
Q15: Can I adjust the timeout with which NetScan decides whether to abort?
Q16: I know the IP range of our Intranet. How can I do a scan of that range?
Q17: How can I publish the NetScan results on my web server?
A: NetScan is written to scan through a subset of the Network Neighborhood on the Windows platform. You can specify a full scan, a partial scan by editing a target list of workgroup names or computer names, or an IP range scan. All these three modes support the option of an exclude list. You can locate some files with reasonable speed in a huge pool of resources shared among the Intranet of your company or school. Results might be published on a web server as a snapshot of the Intranet for repeated queries.
Q2: How to install/uninstall NetScan?
A: NetScan is not installed/uninstalled by running setup wizard. I am too lazy to do a setup wizard for such a small program. You just extract all the files to a directory then run NetScan.exe from that directory. To uninstall NetScan, just delete the whole directory. Simple? :)
Q3: I have encountered an error message and the program crashed.
A: I did not include MFC42.dll with the program. Make sure you have the latest MFC42.dll. FYI, my version is at 6.00.8665.0. If not, just get one from your friends and place it inside the NetScan directory. Do not to replace the one in system folder. Mostly it will work now. If the program can work for text ".txt" file logging but not for Access ".mdb" file logging, email me with your software environment. You might also want to check that you have the latest MSVCRT.dll and you have MDAC 2.5 or greater.
Q4: NetScan Error: "Failed to initialise temp drive!"
A: Make sure you have reserved the drive letter "Z:", which will be used by NetScan to connect to a remote resource. There are some registry tweaking programs such as Tweak UI from Microsoft that can prevent a drive letter from being used. Uncheck that option for drive letter "Z:". "Z:" is being used to make sufficient number of drive letters for other purpose.
Q5: Why sometimes does NetScan take a long time to stop after I pressed "Stop"?
A: This is mostly due to slow response from the network itself as you may frequently encounter during manual browsing. Just wait patiently and the program will clean up itself and exit safely. Do not End-Task. If you really cannot bear with it, throw it to the tray and continue your things and just wait for the red light indication. :)
Q6: Sometimes I cannot see a computer in the neighborhood, but when I use Start\Find Computer..., it appears and I can access properly. Why is it so?
A: Err... this is not a NetScan problem. :) I have sometimes encountered such things, I am not sure the answer either. If anyone knows, enlighten us.
Q7: Will NetScan scan those password-protected shared resources?
A: No. NetScan does not have any built-in password cracking mechanism.
Q8: Will NetScan consume substantial network bandwidth?
A: Generally not. I am not sure if it will when many users are scanning the same network. If someone could share the scanned result in your intranet, there is no need for everyone to scan through the whole neighborhood to avoid congestion if there is any.
Q9: Can NetScan scan those hidden share resources?
A: Generally not and I am afraid the future version will not do this as well. Since a hidden share resource is formed by appending $ at the end of the name and the network will consider it hidden from browse list but still accessible if one knows the exact name. It is a system feature and NetScan is not going to bypass it. However, from 1.00A, the admin mode can be used to specify username and password and a list of compulsory share folders that will be scanned, which are usually hidden shares such as default C$ etc. Supply a wrong username password pair might cause your account or someone else's one locked out due to repeated authentication failures. Check carefully. Since the password in the admin mode is not encrypted, it will not be saved after you exit NetScan. You have to fill it again when you run NetScan next time.
Q10: NetScan cannot scan a computer or workgroup that I have specified in the target list!
A: This is not a problem if you are using NetScan 1.15M upwards since the target list is edited and formed automatically. If you are using a version prior to 1.15M, check the name! Check especially against the leading or trailing space, the space between words of a single name, the difference between "-" and "_", etc. Do not include any extra space in the target list to separate items. Do not end the target list with a trailing space, put a ";" instead. For example, if you are going to scan four computers called " SERVER1"(leading space!), "DATA SERVER"(space in-between!), "SERVER2 "(trailing space!), "UNDER_TEST", put them in such a format exactly "\\ SERVER1;\\DATA SERVER;\\SERVER2 ;\\UNDER_TEST;", although the sequence is not important.
Q11: What is the resolution of the exclusion operation?
A: The resolution is only at workgroup or computer level and not extended to share folder level, which is by design, considering the vast overhead otherwise. :) You can now enable the exclude list for any of three modes.
Q12: Can wild cards like ? and * be used to scan files that match patterns?
A: Yes. Since version 0.95N, you may use wild card but only for single filter option. The single filter option is mutual exclusive with the multiple filter option. The single filter does not mean you can only scan one extension at a time. For example, if you are looking for Windows Media type, you can specify as "*.wm*", then extensions like "wma", "wmv", "wm" are all included.
Q13: Can I edit "NetScan.mdb" directly?
A: Yes, you can. You may design your own queries, reports, etc. Do not modify the design of tables, though. If you feel the tables are not efficient, drop me a mail.
Q14: Our Intranet is super huge. Sometimes the number of workgroups(or computers) shown in the progress bar is much less than the correct number. However, I discovered that after NetScan finished one round, it would restart a new round. Is this behavior right?
A: This is a normal behavior due to the size of the buffer. The API that Windows 9x uses to get the list of shares from the Windows NT server is limited to receiving a maximum of 64 KB (65,536 bytes) of data. If the data for all of the shares on the Windows NT server cannot fit within a 64-KB buffer, not all of the shares appear on the list. See Knowledge Base of MSDN ID: Q202892.
Q15: Can I adjust the timeout with which NetScan decides whether to abort?
A: Currently you cannot. It might be implemented in future versions, but not promised.
Q16: I know the IP range of our Intranet. How can I do a scan of that range?
A: Since version 1.15M, the IP range mode is built-in. In addition, the result from previous scanning with IP range mode can be used to format a target list, listing all host names mapped from IPs. For previous versions of NetScan, You need the help of some other network tools to do an IP range scanning on your Intranet, while this may not follow the policy of your company and school so you have to decide for yourself and you are warned that you are reminded here. :) If you have done so and usually you can save the result into a "Hosts" file. If you do this for the Microsoft Neighborhood (that is, all host names should be NetBIOS names translated by WINS server), you should obtain a "Hosts" file similar to "Hosts.sam" given in the NetScan package. Use the "NameList" command line program to convert it to NetScan target list ("Target.sam" given in the NetScan package) then cut and paste into NetScan. You are ready to start scanning.
Q17: How can I publish the NetScan results on my web server?
A: You can use a sample script "NetScan.asp" included in the package. Read the code a bit and you should be able to follow easily. I have borrowed that code from somewhere else quite a bit time ago and I cannot remember clearly, so if you happen to write that, drop me a mail. Small world! :) The detailed procedures are described.
- Install Microsoft Personal Web Server (PWS) which is included on your Win9x/Me setup CD-ROM. Browse to E:\Add-ons\Pws\ (substitute your CD-ROM drive letter for E) and run Setup.exe.
- Assume you have installed PWS to C:\Inetpub.
- Create a directory called "Netscan" in C:\Inetpub and put the scanned results into it. Assume you have named the scanned result of "Network A" as "ScanOut1.mdb". Assume you have named the scanned result of "Network B" as "ScanOut2.mdb". If not, follow the step (4) and (5).
- Find "ScanOut1.mdb" and "ScanOut2.mdb" in "NetScan.asp". Change them to the correct file names.
- Find "Network A" and "Network B" in "NetScan.asp". Change them to some relevant descriptions.
- Launch Personal Web Manager of PWS and select "Advanced" tab at the lower left. From the "Home" directory in the list of "Virtual Directories", click "Add". In the next dialog box popped up, fill "Directory" with "C:\Inetpub\Netscan" and type "netscan" in "Alias". By doing so, you make "C:\Inetpub\Netscan" a virtual directory called "/netscan" on PWS. Ensure the "Execute" and "Scripts" blocks are checked.
- Put "NetScan.asp" into C:\Inetpub\Scripts.
- Start PWS. Open a browser window and go to http://localhost/scripts/ netscan.asp. Nota that "/scripts" is a default PWS virtual directory with "Execute" and "Scripts" enabled. If not existing, add it manually.