Unable to Load Device Driver for 386 Enhanced Mode: VSHARE

• Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows, versions 4.0, 4.0a
• Microsoft Word for Windows, version 6.0a

SYMPTOMS

After you install either PowerPoint 4.0 for Windows or Word 6.0a for Windows, you receive the following message when you restart Windows:

   Unable to load a device driver that may be necessary to run Windows
   in 386 Enhanced Mode: VSHARE.386

CAUSE

With some configurations, VSHARE.386 is not properly installed by the Setup program for these particular versions of PowerPoint and Word. The above error occurs in such situations.

RESOLUTION

To correct this problem:

1. Manually install the VSHARE.386 file from the floppy disk using the DECOMP.EXE utility on Disk 1 (Setup).

   a. Quit Windows.

   b. At the MS-DOS command prompt, copy DECOMP.EXE to your Windows

         directory, which is usually on your path.
   

         NOTE: DECOMP.EXE is always located on the first disk.
   

   c. Insert the disk that contains the file VSHARE.38_.

         NOTE: For PowerPoint, VSHARE.38_ is located on the last disk.
         For Word, VSHARE.38_ is located on the first disk.
   

   d. Decompress the file to your Windows SYSTEM subdirectory. For example,

         if the disk containing VSHARE.38_ is in drive A and your Windows
         SYSTEM subdirectory is on drive C, use the following command:
   

            decomp.exe a:\vshare.38_ c:\windows\system\vshare.386
   
   

2. Make backup copies of the your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. (You may need to refer back to these later.)

3. Remove any lines in your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files that load SHARE.EXE. If SHARE.EXE is required for your MS-DOS-based applications, this may prevent them from working correctly.

4. Reboot your computer.

5. Reinstall the application.

6. Restart Windows.