Sharing Violation Running Word over a Network

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
• Microsoft Windows operating system version 3.1

SYMPTOMS

After you install Word for Windows on a network, one of the following error messages may occur when you start Word at a workstation:

   Sharing Violation on Drive C:
   This file is in use by another application.

CAUSE 1

These errors occur when you try to start Word after another workstation has already done so if the files in the Word program directory are not flagged read-only. This can happen if you do not change the file attributes to read- only after you perform an administrator's installation (Setup /A) of Word on the file server or shared directory. The /A Setup switch copies all the files from the Word disks into the appropriate directory, but it does not change the file attributes of the files.

A second cause for this error may occur if a NORMAL.DOT and/or WINWORD.OPT file is located in the same directory as the WINWORD.EXE file on the server, a sharing violation occurs when more than one user attempts to use Word.

RESOLUTION

As directed in Appendix B of the "Microsoft Word User's Guide," you must set the access privileges to read-only for the server directories in which you installed Word components. You must also ensure that all users who may need to install Word on their workstation from the network have read privileges for those directories.

The resolution to the second cause is to remove the NORMAL.DOT and/or WINWORD.OPT file from the network directory.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Word User's Guide," version 6.0, Appendix B, "Installing and Using Word on a Network," "Setting Up Word on a Network File Server" section