Office 4.x: Setup Doesn't Reinstall VSHARE.386

• Microsoft Office for Windows, versions 4.2, 4.2c, 4.3, 4.3c
• Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 5.0c
• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0a, 6.0c
• Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows, versions 4.0, 4.0a, 4.0c

SYMPTOMS

When you install one of the applications listed at the beginning of this article, the virtual device driver file, VSHARE.386, is installed if it is not already installed. This device replaces the functionality of the MS-DOS device driver SHARE.EXE. If you then run the Setup program in maintenance mode, and you choose the Reinstall button, the VSHARE.386 file is not installed on your computer. Additionally, when you restart Windows, you receive the following error message:

   Cannot find a device file that may be needed to run Windows
   Make sure that the PATH line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file points to the
   directory that contains the file and that it exists on your hard disk.
   If the file does not exist, try running Setup to install it or remove
   any references to it from your SYSTEM.INI file.
   VSHARE.386
   Press any key to continue

CAUSE

If the VSHARE.386 file is not located on your computer, this file is not installed when you run the Setup program in maintenance mode and choose to reinstall the files. If the "device=vshare.386" line is not in the [386enh] section in your SYSTEM.INI file, this line is written to the SYSTEM.INI file as expected when you reinstall the files.

WORKAROUND

To reinstall the VSHARE.386 file on your computer, do the following:

1. Decompress or extract the file from your Setup disks and copy the file to your WINDOWS\SYSTEM subdirectory.

   VSHARE.386 is located on the following disks:

      Application           Version     Format     Disk Number
      --------------------------------------------------------
   
      Microsoft Office       4.2         3.5           25
                                         5.25          30
                             4.2c        non-DMF       26
                             4.2c        DMF           19
                             4.3         3.5           31
                             4.3c        non-DMF       32
                             4.3c        DMF           23
   
      Microsoft Word         6.0a 6.0c   ALL            1
   
      Microsoft PowerPoint   4.0         3.5           12
                             4.0         5.25          14
                             4.0a 4.0c   3.5           11
                             4.0a 4.0c   5.25          13
   
      Microsoft Excel        5.0c        3.5            5
                                         DMF            5
                                         5.25           7
   
      To decompress the file VSHARE.386 from non-DMF disks, type the
      following at the MS-DOS prompt:
   
         decomp a:\vshare.38_ c:\windows\system\vshare.386
   
      To extract the file VSHARE.386 from DMF disks, type the following at the
      MS-DOS prompt:
   
         extract a:\<cabinet filename> /l c:\windows\system\VSHARE.386
   
      To use either decomp or extract, copy the .exe file to your hard drive
      before you use the command lines above.
   
      -or-
   
      At the MS-DOS prompt, type a:\ and run the command from there.
   
   

2. In Notepad or another text editor, add the following line to the 386enh section in the SYSTEM.INI file.

         device=vshare.386
   

3. Exit Windows and restart Windows again.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Setup. We are researching this problem and will post new information here as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

The Share utility is required to run the applications listed above. For more information about using VSHARE.386, see the Product Update topic in the Microsoft Excel Readme file, XLREADME.HLP, or the Microsoft Word Readme file, WDREADME.HLP.

For additional information, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q118958
   TITLE     : XL5: Excel 5.0c Setup Program Installs VSHARE.386