PC Forms: User Setup for Running on Windows NT

Last reviewed: June 3, 1996
Article ID: Q113083
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Electronic Forms Designer, version 1.0

SUMMARY

Microsoft provides additional files necessary to set up version 1.0 of Microsoft Electronic Forms Designer on workstations running version 3.1 of Microsoft Mail for Windows NT. The initial release of E-Forms includes a User Setup program and files that perform with the 16-bit MSMAIL.EXE file under Windows NT. However, in order for E-Forms to interface with MSMAIL32.EXE (the 32-bit Mail client included with Windows NT), you need to use the User Setup programs, SETUP32.EXE and MEFINST.EXE, which are included with this update.

For complete information about obtaining and installing the SETUP32.EXE and MEFINST.EXE files, see the following sections:

  • To download the updated files
  • To install the Setup files on the server
  • To replace your SETUP32.EXE and MEFINST.EXE files

MORE INFORMATION

This update contains additional files necessary to set up version 1.0 of Microsoft Electronic Forms Designer on workstations running version 3.1 of Microsoft Mail for Windows NT. The initial release of E-Forms includes a User Setup program and files that perform with the 16-bit MSMAIL.EXE file under Windows NT. However, in order for E-Forms to interface with MSMAIL32.EXE (the 32-bit Mail client included with Windows NT), you need to use the User Setup programs, SETUP32.EXE and MEFINST.EXE, which are included with this update.

Before following the steps listed below, use the Server Setup program for Electronic Forms to install the User Setup files to a shared directory on the network. For more information, see page 123 of the Electronic Forms Designer "Developer's Guide." Make sure you complete this process before continuing.

To download the updated files

You can find FRMUPD.EXE (size: 63179 bytes) 
                       , a self-extracting file, on the following
services:
  • Microsoft's World Wide Web Site on the Internet

          On the www.microsoft.com home page, click the Support icon.
          Click Knowledge Base, and select the product.
    
          Enter kbfile FRMUPD.EXE (size: 63179 bytes) 
                                 , and click GO!
          Open the article, and click the button to download the file.
    
    
  • Internet (anonymous FTP)

          ftp ftp.microsoft.com
          Change to the Softlib/Mslfiles folder.
          Get FRMUPD.EXE (size: 63179 bytes) 
    
  • The Microsoft Network

          On the Edit menu, click Go To, and then click Other Location.
          Type "mssupport" (without the quotation marks).
          Double-click the MS Software Library icon.
          Find the appropriate product area.
          Locate and Download FRMUPD.EXE.
    
  • Microsoft Download Service (MSDL)

          Dial (206) 936-6735 to connect to MSDL
          Download FRMUPD.EXE (size: 63179 bytes) 
    

For additional information about downloading, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q119591
   TITLE     : How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online
               Services

After you download FRMUPD.EXE to a clean directory, run it (by typing "frmupd" at the MS-DOS prompt) to extract the contents of the file. You should receive the following files:

   MAPI.DLL    (19,760 bytes, dated 11-29-93,  5:11 P.M.)
   MEFINST.EXE (16,896 bytes, dated  2-21-94, 10:53 P.M.)
   MEFLIB.DLL  (25,088 bytes, dated 11-19-93,  5:41 P.M.
   MEFXEC.EXE  (19,280 bytes, dated 10-21-93,  1:30 P.M.)
   SETUP32.EXE (18,432 bytes, dated 12/08/93,  1:24 P.M.)
   README.TXT

To install the Setup files on the server

The administrator must complete the following steps to correctly install E-Forms Windows NT Setup files on the server:

At the MS-DOS command prompt, type the following and press ENTER

   copy path:\*.* destination

where <path> is the drive and directory where you ran the self-extracting FRMUPD.EXE file and <destination> is the drive and directory where the E-Forms User Setup executables currently reside. For example, if you ran the self-extracting file from the TEST directory on drive D, and your existing shared E-Forms directory is located in the MAILDATA\ADDONS\EFORMS directory on drive M, type the following command:

   copy d:\test\*.* m:\maildata\addons\eforms

To set up E-Forms on a Windows NT workstation

Notes:

Prior to trying to install E-forms for Windows NT, do the following:

  • Verify that the SETUP.INI file in the directory with SETUP32.EXE contains the correct entries for SharedExtensionsDir= and maximum= .
  • Have the user logoff and logon.
  • Run SETUP32.EXE from the install point.
  • Run MEFINST.EXE from the install point.

If any program has called any of the DLLs used by Mail the SETUP32.EXE process fails to update the registry, which in turn results in the inoperability of E-Forms in the Windows NT mail client.

Each user must complete the following steps to correctly install E-Forms on his or her machine:

  1. If the Windows NT workstation is using Microsoft Mail or any application that uses Microsoft Mail (such as Microsoft Schedule+, Microsoft Word, or Microsoft Excel), Exit and Sign Out of Microsoft Mail.

  2. Use File Manager to connect the workstation to the shared E-Forms directory on the network (for example, MAILDATA\ADDONS\EFORMS).

  3. Double-click SETUP32.EXE in the EFORMS subdirectory.

  4. When the following prompt appears:

          Please enter the full path of the E-Form files...
    

    enter the path to the shared E-Forms directory on the network (for example, M:\MAILDATA\ADDONS\EFORMS). Click Continue. The standard E-Forms Setup program will run.

  5. To complete the installation on the Windows NT workstation, double- click MEFINST.EXE in the EFORMS subdirectory.

  6. When the dialog box Windows NT Libraries for E-Forms appears, verify that Install Libraries and Fix Previously Installed E- Forms are selected. Click OK.

    NOTE: The Install Libraries option copies 32-bit versions of the E-Forms library files to the SYSTEM32 directory. The Fix Previously Installed E-Forms option attempts to update existing custom message declarations in the Registry database to interface with the new 32-bit E-Forms files.

Notes
  • The Setup programs included with this update, SETUP32.EXE and MEFINST.EXE, are exclusively designed to configure E-Forms to run on a Windows NT workstation running MSMAIL32.EXE. In order to use E-Forms with the 16-bit version of Mail under Windows NT, you should run the SETUP.EXE file included with version 1.0 of Electronic Forms Designer.
  • This update installation should be performed on a clean installation of Windows NT and the 32-bit Windows NT Mail Client. There should not be any existence of any pervious versions of Microsoft Mail files.
  • If the E-Form custom message types are defined in a SHARED.INI file on a shared extensions directory, a new SHARED32.INI file needs to be created. If a SharedExtensionsDir setting is defined for Mail, the MSMAIL32.EXE file looks for a SHARED32.INI file upon start up. By default, the E-Forms Setup program creates only the SHARED.INI file.
  • To create a SHARED32.INI file for the MSMAIL32.EXE client, copy the existing SHARED.INI file to SHARED32.INI. Any updates to the custom message declarations in the shared files should be made to both the SHARED.INI and SHARED32.INI files.
  • E-Forms can be installed and configured to run with MSMAIL.EXE or MSMAIL32.EXE, but not both if Windows 3.x and Windows NT share the same directory.
  • When you open an E-Form, the E-Forms window may appear beneath the current window if the E-Form Cache has been turned on. To turn the cache off, you may need to modify the Registry database. For more information, see pages 137-138 of the Electronic Forms Designer "Developer's Guide."

Troubleshooting E-Forms on Windows NT

Notes:

  • The troubleshooting information in this article should only be used after you have applied the update described above to a Microsoft Windows NT machine running the 32-bit Microsoft Mail client with Electronic Forms Designer.
  • The following describes some reasons why electronic forms (E-Forms) can fail on a Windows NT machine running the 32-bit Windows NT Mail client.
  • The following three components are involved in the operation of E-forms on Windows NT.

          \WINNT\SYSTEM32\MEFLIB.DLL   11/19/93   04:41p  (32 bit)
          \WINNT\SYSTEM\MEFXEC.EXE     10/21/93   12:30p  (16 bit)
          \WINNT\SYSTEM\MEFLIB.DLL     05/06/93   12:00a  (16 bit)
    
       The MEFLIB.DLL version found in the \WINNT\SYSTEM32 directory is a
       32-bit file that performs addressing translation for calls made to
       the 16-bit MEFLIB.DLL found in the \WINNT\SYSTEM directory.
    
    

    Possible Issues and Resolutions

    1. When you use Electronic Forms Designer with Microsoft Windows NT 32-bit Mail client, you may get the following error:

            <path> the DLL for this mail extension (or one of its components)
            could not be found. Check your mail configuration, and if changes
            are necessary restart mail.
      

      There may be an incorrect setting for MEFLIB.DLL in the Windows NT registry database. This information can be found in the Custom Commands or Custom Messages section under the H_KEY_CURRENT_USER on Local Machine\Software\Microsoft\Mail contains the entries for all E-Forms.

      Also, there should be no path associated with MEFLIB.DLL. Windows NT will load this file only from the \WINNT\SYSTEM32 directory. Also make sure \WINNT\SYSTEM is not on the PATH statement in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

    2. If the wrong version of MEFLIB.DLL (16-bit version) is placed in the \WINNT\SYSTEM32 directory, you will get the following error:

            The application or DLL \DosDevices\C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32
            \MEFLIB.DLL is not a valid Windows NT image. Please
            check this against your installation diskette.
      

      Make sure the 32 bit MEFLIB.DLL (11/19/93 04:41p ) is present in the \WINNT\SYSTEM32 directory

    3. Shared Extensions Directory setting in the Windows NT Registration Database is missing or invalid.

      The Shared Extensions value must be present in the Microsoft Mail Key of the Registration Database. To edit the entry, go to the H_KEY_CURRENT_USER on Local Machine\Software \Microsoft \Mail\Microsoft Mail. Make sure the following entry is there:

            SharedExtensionsDir:REG_SZ:M:\ADDONS\
      

      This is required so that BROWSER.EXE can find the available forms upon startup.

    4. Missing a SHARED32.INI file in the shared extensions directory, for example, M:\MAILDATA\ADDONS.

      This file is a duplicate of the SHARED.INI file that is in the \ADDONS directory.

      Make a copy of SHARED.INI, and rename it to SHARED32.INI. This file will give the definitions of the forms that come with the Electronic Forms Designer. The following information should be in SHARED32.INI:

            [Custom Messages]
            IPM.Microsoft.MEFPhone=3.0;;Telephone
            Note;;MEFLIB.DLL;<MC:IPM.Microsoft.MEFPhone><ExtsDir>EFORMS\PHONE
            \MEFPHONE.EXE -MSG <COMMAND> <MESSAGEID>;1111111000000000;Microsoft
            Telephone Note;;;IPM.Microsoft.MEFRouting=3.0;;Routing
            Form;;MEFLIB.DLL;<MC:IPM.Microsoft.MEFRouting><ExtsDir>EFORMS\ROUTE
            \MEFROUTE.EXE -MSG <COMMAND> <MESSAGEID>;1111111000000000;Microsoft
            Routing Form;;;;IPM.VendorName.Sample=3.0;;Sample Shared
            Declaration;;MEFLIB.DLL;<MC:IPM.VendorName.Sample><ExtsDir>EFORMS
            \SAMPLE\SAMPLE.EXE -MSG<COMMAND><MESSAGEID>;1111111000000000;
            Description of Shared Sample Form;;;
      

    5. E-Forms can fail because it can not locate the 16-bit versions of MEFXEC.EXE and/or MEFLIB.DLL, or either file is missing or corrupt. No error is returned, and there may be a brief moment where the mouse pointer will display a the hourglass cursor (the please wait status).

      If MEFXEC.EXE and/or MEFLIB.DLL are missing from the \WINNT\SYSTEM directory, replace the correct files, or reinstall E-Forms Designer.

    6. If there is a working directory set in Program Manager for the Windows NT Mail icon properties for \WINNT\SYSTEM32, you will get the hourglass cursor, as if the files were missing or corrupt.

      To work around this problem, remove the working directory path, and restart Mail.

    7. After you use E-Forms and exit Windows NT 32-bit Mail, you may not be able to restart the client. No error is returned, and there may be a brief moment where the mouse pointer will display the hourglass cursor. Logging out of Windows NT at that time will result in the system reporting that the previously run form is still in memory.

      To work around this problem, disable the E-Forms cache by setting the maximum E-Forms cache value in the registry to 0. If the MSMAIL.INI file is in the WINNT directory, make sure the maximum cache value is also set to 0.

    8. If problems regarding E-Forms still persist.

      It is not recommended to have both the Windows NT Mail (32-bit) and Microsoft Mail for PC Networks (16-bit) clients installed on the same machine.

      You should determine which client you wish to maintain. If Windows NT Mail is used, the 16-bit client and all its components should be removed (with the exception of the MSMAIL.INI and SHARED.INI files).

      Please refer to the Microsoft Knowledge Base for a list of all files that are installed with Windows and/or Windows for Workgroups mail clients. These files should be removed; the 32-bit Windows NT Mail client files must be reinstalled, and the update must be reapplied.

    For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

       ARTICLE-ID: Q131638
       TITLE     : Client Files for Windows for Workgroups Mail
    
       ARTICLE-ID: Q132045
       TITLE     : Files Installed with Version 3.2a
    


Additional reference words: 1.00
KBCategory: kbtool kberrmsg kbtshoot kbfile
KBSubcategory: MailPCForms


THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

Last reviewed: June 3, 1996
© 1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.