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My office uses a mixture of Win 3.1, 95, 98 and NT, Most also use Novell Netware to comunicate with our file server.
When I install Win95,98 or NT, I sometimes get the option on the start menu, just above "shut down" to "Log Off" followed by the
username. I want to get this on everyones start menu. Is it a feature of windows or maybe Novell Netware? How can I activate this option. Many Thanks to anyone who can help.

I think it's a feature of the Microsoft client software. Do some of your users have Novell's client and others the Microsoft Client for Netware Networks?

All are Novell clients.

It's a feature (if you can call it that) of Windows O/S. In control panel, you can set up details for users on the network under users in control panel. When the user logs on under their id, they will get the log off (username) prompt above the shutdown option. You will need to have client for ms windows installed for this.

Taipan is right. When you log on the first time using either of the Microsoft clients (for Windows nets or for proper network operating systems), Windows creates a user account for you on the machine as well. This is to manage things like roaming profiles.

As to why Win 95 and Win NT behave differently, well just don't get me started on that......

Guy

I've had Win 3.1, Win 95 and am now onto Win 98 and the only one with the log off bit - which when said wrong sounds a bit offensive don't you think - is Win 98. I'm not sayong its like that for all though because at college I use windows NT 4.0 which also has it...

Also applies to Win95 when using Microsoft clients. NT 4 always has the "log off" option.

thanks everyone

If I might presume to speak for my esteemed colleagues, you are most welcome.

actually, I still havn't figured it out. I'm going to join the stupid user conversation now.

It's really quite simple. There are two main ways of connecting to a Novell serverfrom Win 95: using the Novell 32-bit client, and using the built-in Microsoft Client for Netware Networks.

The Novell client allows you to log off by opening the Novell logon box thingy (there's a button on the taskbar, if memory serves) whereas the microsoft client places an item in the Start menu to log off the current user.

The Microsoft client does this because as part of its installation it activates the shared installation features of Win 95, such as individual user accounts on the machine and user-specifc settings for desktop and so on. These, incidentally, are not terribly reliable - I often have to log on twice before I get the change in desktop prefs under Win 95.

Out of the box, Win95 has no security at all and just assumes that anybody who can get to the machine has a right to use it, which on a network is not necessarily true. Even when user accounts are set up on the PC you can bypass them entirely by pressing Escape at the logon prompt. Which is one reason why a lot of network administrators prefer NT Workstation to Win 95.

Windows NT has a different security model from 95. Even to the extent of having (another) different file system. So Windows NT always requires you to log on either to a domain or to the local system before you can start. Hence Win NT always has the "log off user" entry, because you can't use the machine without authenticating.

No, win NT doesn't always have the "log off" on the start menu. In fact most users on my network don't have it.
All I want to know is how to switch it on, I don't really care how it works.

We had that problem once, and on our system the Novell 32-bit client clashed with the win NT log-off - but I wasn't the one who solved it, so I don't know the solution - I'll ask my sys admin whether he remembers...

Yes, please do. Obviosly this problem isn't actually effecting the productivity of my company, it's just pissing me off.

This was the last thread in "the pile". That is the oldest post in "Ask the h2g2 Community". It has now become the top of the pile.
Windows 98 - no longer supported; it doesn't make MS enough money ...

In 1999, the Linux kernel was beginning to become more widely used on PC's, in conjunction with GNU utilities.
In January, Kernel 2.2.0 was released, and the Debian Weekly News begun >> http://www.debian.org/News/weekly/1999/1/

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