Running KiXtart with Lmscript Emulation

Normally, when a user logs on to a LAN Manager or Windows NT domain from Windows 9x, the Windows API responsible for processing the logon request starts a program called Lmscript to run the logon script. The sole responsibility of Lmscript is to inform the logon API when the logon script has finished by creating a semaphore file (also called a cookie).

 

Unfortunately, the original Lmscript.exe takes up a lot of memory. To solve this issue, KiXtart can be used as a replacement for Lmscript.exe. This not only saves memory, but also means that the Kix32.exe does not have to be read from the network during the logon sequence, as it is automatically run from the local hard disk. The benefit of this is minimal in a normal LAN environment, but can be substantial in a WAN or RAS environment.

      To enable Lmscript emulation on computers running Windows 9x

    1.   In the Windows\System folder, rename the original Lmscript.exe.

    2.   Rename Kix32.exe to Lmscript.exe and then copy it to the Windows\System folder.

    3.   In User Manager, in the Logon Script Name box, specify a KiXtart script as the logon script for the user (for example, Kixtart).

    4.   At the end of the specified KiX script, add a line containing the COOKIE1 command to create the semaphore file.

 

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Note

Users who do not use Lmscript emulation (such as users running Windows 9x on the LAN or users running Windows NT Workstation) cannot run the logon script unless there is also a batch file with the same name as the KiX script specified for the user.

 

 

The following example illustrates the use of such a batch file for a user named Fred.

 

User name

Fred

Logon script

Script1

Contents of the Scripts directory on the logon server

Script1.bat
Script1.kix
Kix32.exe

Contents of Script1.bat

@ECHO OFF
%0\..\Kix32 Script1
EXIT 0

Contents of Script1.kix

CLS
BIG
? "Hi, @USERID"
SLEEP 10
COOKIE1
EXIT 0

 

If Fred uses a computer running Windows NT to log onto the network, or if he uses a computer running Windows 9x with the original Lmscript.exe, Script1.bat starts and then in turn starts Kix32.exe with Script1.kix as the logon script. If he uses a computer running Windows 9x and logs on with Kix32.exe renamed as Lmscript.exe, Script1.kix runs automatically.