Help Errors: "Routine Not found" and "Cannot Display Resource"

 Last reviewed: February 5, 1998
Article ID: Q105685
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c

SYMPTOMS

When you start online Help in Word for Windows, one of the following error messages may occur: 

   Routine not found.

   This resource cannot be displayed.

CAUSE

These messages occur if Word cannot find the WORDRES.DLL file in the Word program directory on the local hard disk or on the server. This happens if either of the following is true:

  • The following section is missing or invalid in your WIN.INI file: 

          [MS Shareres]
      Path=c:\winword
  • The WORDRES.DLL file is not located in the directory listed by the Path setting in the [MS Shareres] section of your WIN.INI file. If the file exists in that location, it may be damaged or corrupt.
  • The SHARERES.DLL file is missing or invalid in the <WINDOWS>\SYSTEM subdirectory.

RESOLUTION

Make sure your WIN.INI file contains a valid [MS Shareres] setting, and that a valid copy of the WORDRES.DLL file is located in that directory. Similarly, make sure a valid copy of the SHARERES.DLL file is located in the <WINDOWS>\SYSTEM subdirectory.

See the "More Information" section below for information about the files and settings Word's online Help uses. See pages 11-12 in the "Microsoft Word Quick Results" guide for instructions on manually decompressing a new copy of any Word files.

MORE INFORMATION

Word Setup installs the following Help-related files: 

   WINWORD.HLP
   WRDBASIC.HLP
   README.HLP
   WORDPSS.HLP
   WPHELP.HLP
   ACMESETUP.HLP
   SHARERES.DLL
   WORDRES.DLL
   WORDHELP.DLL
Setup places the files with an .HLP file extension in the Word for Windows program directory. Setup places the WORDRES.DLL and WORDHELP.DLL files in the Word program directory as well.

Setup installs SHARERES.DLL in the <WINDOWS>\SYSTEM subdirectory, where it is used by other programs in addition to Word.

In addition, each OLE application that is included with Word 6.0 has a corresponding help file, which by default is installed in that application's subdirectory. For example, the Equation Editor has an associated help file named EQNEDIT.HLP which installs in the <WINDOWS>\MSAPPS\EQUATION subdirectory.

Word for Windows Help information is written to the following .INI files:

WIN.INI

A line in the [MS Shareres] section points to the WORDRES.DLL file. Pathing information must be written in the WIN.INI file because the SHARERES.DLL cannot search the MS-DOS path. The following error may occur if the path is not included in the WIN.INI file: 

   This resource cannot be displayed
The line should include the path, but not the filename, as in the following example: 

   [MS Shareres]
   Path=c:\winword
If more than one directory contains help-related resource files, the various directory paths must be separated by a comma, as shown below: 

   [MS Shareres]
   Path=c:\winword,c:\excel

WINWORD6.INI

An entry for each Help file should be included under the [Help] section. 

   [Help]
   winword.hlp=c:\winword6\winword.hlp
   wrdbasic.hlp=c:\winword6\wrdbasic.hlp
   wordpss.hlp=c:\winword6\wordpss.hlp
   wdreadme.hlp=c:\winword6\wdreadme.hlp

WINHELP.INI

The WINHELP.INI file should contain pointers to the WORDHELP.DLL file and the WORDCBT.DLL file under the [Files] section. The entries should include the MS-DOS path but not the filename, as in the following example: 

   [Files]
   wordhelp.dll=c:\winword6
   wordcbt.dll=c:\winword6
If these lines are not present in the WINHELP.INI file, one the following errors may be returned: 

   Routine Not Found
   Cannot Display this Resource

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Word Quick Results," version 6.0, pages 11-12

KBCategory: kbusage
KBSubCategory: kbhelp
Additional query words: winword 6.0 6.0a 6.0c hlp wordres.dll
6.0c wordhelp.dll shareres.dll wrdbasic readme wordpss wphelp acmesetup
word6 install
on-line contents available icon display unavailable
Version : 6.0 6.0a 6.0c
Platform : WINDOWS

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Last reviewed: February 5, 1998
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