VSHARE.386 Not Copied During Full-Disk Word 6.0a Setup

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Word for Windows, version 6.0a, U.S. domestic version
• Microsoft Word for Windows, version 6.0a, German international localized version

SYMPTOMS

When you install Word 6.0a for Windows using the full-disk set (instead of the Word 6.0a Patch), Setup may fail to copy the VSHARE.386 file to your Windows\System subdirectory if all of the following are true:

1. You are running Windows in standard mode (WIN /s).

   -and-

2. You have insufficient hard disk space for the installation option you selected, which causes the following error message after you select an installation option and choose the Continue button:

         There may not be enough disk space to complete the installation.
   

   -and-

3. You switch to Windows File Manager or the MS-DOS prompt and free some disk space, switch back to Word Setup, and then choose the Change Options button.

On the other hand, if you choose the Ignore button in the error message dialog box after you free some disk space, Setup correctly copies VSHARE.386 to your hard disk and adds the "device=VSHARE.386" line to your SYSTEM.INI file. In other words, this problem only occurs if you choose the Change Options button in the error message dialog box after you free some disk space.

CAUSE

Setup fails to copy the VSHARE.386 file only when you are running Windows 3.1 in standard mode (WIN /s). It does not happen if you are running Windows in 386 enhanced mode.

The missing VSHARE.386 file does not cause problems when you run Windows in standard mode; however, if you later run Windows in 386 enhanced mode, an error will occur. Word requires the VSHARE.386 file when you run Windows in 386 enhanced mode.

WORKAROUNDS

Method 1: If Setup fails to copy VSHARE.386 to your hard disk as described

          above, you can manually decompress the VSHARE.38_ file (located
          on Disk 1), and copy it to the <WINDOWS>\SYSTEM subdirectory. In
          the German localized version of Word 6.0a, you must also add the
          following line to your SYSTEM.INI file:

             [386Enh]
             device=VSHARE.386

          sure you have sufficient space on your hard disk.

          Change Options button after the "not enough disk space" error
          occurred, do the following:

          a. Switch to Windows File Manager or the MS-DOS prompt and free
             some disk space by deleting unwanted files.

          b. Switch back to Word Setup and choose the Change Options
             button again.

          c. Select an installation option and then choose the Continue
             button.

          d. Follow the instructions on your screen to complete Setup.
             Word correctly installs VSHARE.386.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the U.S. domestic and German international localized versions of Word for Windows version 6.0a. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

A different error message may occur at the same point in Setup if there are no blank lines between sections in the SYSTEM.INI file. Setup searches for a blank line where it can write the "device=vshare.386" line; if it finds none, and error occurs.

REFERENCES

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