The Windows 95 Dialer generally gives descriptive error messages for common connection problems which may occur, and will help you correct them. Because this installer automatically configures your system properly, situations where the dialer will fail are rare. In most cases this would be caused by an improperly installed or configured modem. If you have modem trouble and cannot correct it using the Windows settings under Control Panels, Modems, then you should remove and re-install the modem drivers and let Windows 95 automatically set up your modem properly.
Reinstalling a modem : Click "Start", "Settings", "Control Panel", "Modems", and then click "Remove" until the list is empty. Then reboot your computer. If the modem is plug-and-play compatible then Windows 95 will detect the modem while starting up and automatically install and configure it. If you do not get a message from Windows that it is installing a modem, then return to the Modem Control Panel and click "Add". Follow the prompts to install your modem.
In some cases Windows 95 will not properly detect your modem brand and model, but will show it as "Standard Modem". If you know your modem brand and model, it is best to set it manually if Windows fails to detect it. Also, if you have the driver disk which came with your modem you should install that to update Windows 95's drivers. In the modem brand selection window, click "Have Disk" and change the drive window to that disk location.
After installing a modem in the Control Panel, a reboot is needed in all cases before software can find and use that modem.
Below are some other situations you may encounter on Windows 95.
Problem : The connection seems to complete successfully and stay connected, but I cannot access any network services. Also, when I open my browser I get a message saying "The site was not found", or "The server does not have a DNS entry." The DNS settings on your machine may be mis-configured.
Solution : Check your DNS settings as follows :
Problem : The installation seems to complete successfully, but then the Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator will not start at all. The other new applications work fine.
Solution : Both Netscape and Internet Explorer have files larger than a single diskette and are therefore broken down into diskette size pieces on your diskette set. Look in the directory where the program was installed, and if you do NOT see a file called ns30\program\netscape.exe or explorer\iexplore.exe then the installation program was unable to put the pieces together due to a bad diskette in your set. Obtain another set of diskettes from your provider and re-install the software.
Problem : When dialing, the status screen appears and shows "Dialing…" but then locks up and nothing else happens. The Cancel button will not respond.
Solution : First kill the ICC program from your task list by holding the Ctrl and Alt keys and then pressing the Delete key. Highlight the ICC entry and select End Task. When ICC closes you should then hear your modem dialing. This may occur sometimes on very fast processors (166 MHz or faster). To prevent it from occurring again, open the file icc\icc.ini with your notepad editor and look for a line which shows "DialSpeed=". This will be set to either 1100 or 1200. Increase the number to 1500 and try dialing again. If that doesn't fix the trouble, increase it by increments of 100 until the problem goes away. (Note: you may have to reboot after the lockup occurs before you can dial again.)
Alternate Solution : A new version of ICC (4.0) is still in beta testing at the date of this manual, which fixes this problem. The 4.0 version also has many enhanced features including an online timer and drag-and-drop resizing. You can download the beta release at ftp://ftp2.usefulware.com/32-beta/ and simply install it in your existing ICC directory.
Alternate Solution 2 : You may prefer to use your Dial-Up Networking Connection directly and not use ICC. To create a desktop shortcut for your connection, click the "My Computer" icon on your desktop, then the Dial-Up Networking icon, then drag and drop the icon for your connection from that folder to the desktop. Then simply click the desktop shortcut to connect. Note: see below for saving your password.
Problem : My modem is dialing the area code when it is supposed to be a local call.
Solution : Windows 95 determines when to dial long distance based on the area code you have set up as your local area code when you install a modem. If that local area code is different than the area code of the Internet service you are calling then Windows 95 dials long distance by default. Your local area code may not be correctly set for your location. To correct this, click your "Start" button, then "Settings", then "Control Panel", and double click on the "Modems" icon. When the Modem Control Panel appears, click on the "Dialing Properties" button. Check the line which reads "The Area Code Is:" to see that it shows the correct local area code for YOUR location (where you are calling from). Click OK.
Next, click on the "My Computer" icon on your desktop, then click the "Dial-Up Networking" icon. Right-click on the icon for the new connection for your service provider, and click on "Properties." Check that the area code and phone number are shown correctly for your Internet Service Provider.
Note : some dialing areas require the area code be dialed for all local calls. To do this, enter a comma "," for the area code, then enter the area code and number together in the phone number box.
Problem : I still cannot connect successfully after using the above troubleshooting steps.
Solution : Sometimes the only way to fix a malfunctioning Dial-Up Networking installation is to remove Dial-Up Networking and then use the "Reconfig" utility to reinstall it correctly. To do this, click the "Start" button on your desktop, click "Settings", then "Control Panel", then double-click the "Add/Remove Programs" icon. Then click the "Windows Setup" tab. Select "Communications" and click on "Details". UN-check the box for "Dial-Up Networking" and click on "OK". Click "OK" on the "Windows Setup" screen to finish.
Next, click the "Start" button again, click "Settings", "Control Panel", then click on the "Network" icon if one is present in the Control Panels. (If not, skip this step.) In the Network control panel, select each item shown and click on "Remove" until there are no more Network items remaining. Then click on "OK" and reboot your computer.
After the computer restarts, click on the "Reconfig" icon which was installed with your Internet software. It will be in the new Program Group and also on your Start menu under "Programs". When you are asked if you want to "make a new connection" answer Yes. The Reconfig utility will then properly reinstall your Dial-Up Networking software.
Problem : If I use my Dial-Up Networking connection without using the Internet Control Center, my password is not saved and must be typed in every time I connect.
Solution : The Internet Control Center remembers your password to connect, but this software installation does not save your password in the Dial-Up Networking itself. To enable the Save Password feature of Dial-Up Networking, the "Client for Microsoft Networks" must be added in the Network Control Panel. To do this, click your "Start" button, click "Settings", click "Control Panel", then double click on the "Network" icon. Click "Add", then click "Client", then click "Add", then select "Microsoft" and select "Client for Microsoft Networks". Then click "OK". Next select "Windows Logon" in the selection for Primary Network Logon. You will be prompted to enter a Computer Name and a Workgroup name. We suggest using your Internet username for the Computer Name, and the Workgroup can be anything you like. Click "OK".
When you restart the computer, you will be prompted for a network logon and password. Do not enter anything for the password, because if you do so you will be asked for it every time you start Windows.