"Invalid Path..." Error Installing Lotus 1-2-3 WK4 Converter

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c

SYMPTOMS

When you run the Setup program for the Lotus 1-2-3 WK4 file converter, you may receive the following error message:

   Tried to create an invalid path using 'E:\EXCEL' and 'XLCONVW4.DLL'

CAUSE

This problem occurs if you are running a workstation installation of Microsoft Excel from a protected network server drive. The behavior occurs because the Lotus 1-2-3 WK4 file converter Setup program installs the file XLCONVW4.DLL to your Microsoft Excel directory. If you are running Microsoft Excel from a network server drive, the Setup program attempts to install the file to the server drive. If the network drive is protected, or you do not have Write privileges to the drive, the file cannot be written, and you receive the error message described above.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use any of the following methods.

Method 1: Contact your network administrator to see about changing your

          rights to the Microsoft Excel directory temporarily in order to
          install the converter.

          Application Note. This Application Note contains information
          about how to use an alternative installation method to install
          the converter to a directory other than your Microsoft Excel
          directory.

          These instructions were added after the initial release of the
          Application Note. The updated version has a release date of
          12/94. For more information about obtaining this Application
          Note, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft
          Knowledge Base:

            ARTICLE-ID: Q122583
            TITLE     : XL5: AppNote: Lotus 1-2-3 WK4 File Converter
                        (WE1130)

          hard drive, and modify your EXCEL5.INI file to point to this
          location by using the following steps:

          (Note that this procedure assumes that you have the Decomp
          utility, DECOMP.EXE. This utility is located on Disk 1 of the
          Microsoft Excel version 5.0 disks. This file is not included with
          Microsoft Excel version 5.0c.)

          a. Copy the utility DECOMP.EXE to a directory on your hard drive
             that is located in the PATH statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT
             file.

          b. Insert the disk that contains the Lotus 1-2-3 WK4 file
             converter, or connect to the network drive where the converter
             is located.

          c. Type the following at the MS-DOS prompt

               decomp <drive>:\XLCONVW4.DL_ <destination>:\XLCONVW4.DLL

             where <drive> is the drive that contains the converter file,
             and <destination> is the drive and directory to which you want
             to copy the converter file.

          d. Open your EXCEL5.INI file (located in your Microsoft Windows
             directory) in a text editor, such as Notepad. Add the
             following line to the [Converters] section

                conv<n>=Lotus 1-2-3 Release 4 or 5
                   (*.wk4),<destination>\XLCONVW4.DLL,*.wk4

             where <n> is the number of the next consecutive converter,
             such as conv2 if conv1 is already listed, and <destination> is
             the drive and directory that contains the converter file.

MORE INFORMATION

Lotus 1-2-3 is manufactured by Lotus Corporation, a vendor independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding this product's performance or reliability.