WD6x: SHARE.EXE Questions and Answers

ID: Q105771

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Word for Windows, version 6.0

SUMMARY

This article answers the most frequently asked questions regarding SHARE.EXE in Word for Windows.


MORE INFORMATION

  1. Q. Why does the following error message occur when I start Word 6.0? "You must exit Windows and load SHARE.EXE in order to run Word."

    1. To run Word 6.0 under Windows version 3.1 in standard mode or 386 enhanced mode or under Windows for Workgroups version 3.1 in standard mode, you must run the MS-DOS SHARE command before starting Windows. Word uses the Share program for object linking and embedding (OLE) version 2.0 operations. Specifically, Share provides the range-locking functionality that Word uses in compound files. Word 6.0 will not start under Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups 3.1 in standard mode unless Share is loaded.

      You do not need Share if you run Word under Windows for Workgroups 3.1 in 386 enhanced mode. Windows for Workgroups uses a comparable file-sharing utility called VSHARE.386. Similarly, you do not need Share if you run Word under Windows NT(TM) because this operating system includes built-in range- locking functionality.




  2. Q. How do I load SHARE.EXE?

    1. If you want to automatically load SHARE.EXE each time you start your computer, do one of the following:

      • For all versions of MS-DOS except version 4.01, add the following line to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file: 
        
            <path>\share.exe /L:500 /F:5100
        where <path> is the drive and directory where the SHARE.EXE file is located (usually the MS-DOS directory).

        For example, if your MS-DOS directory is called DOS and is on drive C, add the following line to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file: 
        
            c:\dos\share.exe /L:500 /F:5100


      • For MS-DOS version 4.01, add the following line to your CONFIG.SYS file: 
        
            install=<path>\share.exe /L:500 /F:5100
        For example, if your MS-DOS directory is called DOS and is on drive C, add the following line to your CONFIG.SYS file: 
        
            install=c:\dos\share.exe /L:500 /F:5100






  3. Q. What is the difference between SHARE.EXE and VSHARE.386, which is supplied with Windows for Workgroups 3.1?

    1. Both VSHARE.386 and SHARE.EXE are file-sharing programs that provide range-locking functionality to applications, such as Word 6.0, that support OLE 2.0. VSHARE.386 functions as a replacement for SHARE.EXE. VShare is an enhanced mode virtual device driver (VxD), and it contains several network-specific features that improve file sharing when you run Windows for Workgroups in enhanced mode.




  4. Q. I'm running Windows for Workgroups but when I try to start Word 6.0, I still get the error message "You must quit Windows and load SHARE.EXE in order to run Word." What's wrong?

    1. If you are running Windows for Workgroups in standard mode, neither VSHARE.386 nor SHARE.EXE is running, so Word cannot start. This happens because Word Setup does not add SHARE.EXE to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file if you are running Windows for Workgroups in either standard or 386 enhanced mode. As a result, you must quit Windows for Workgroups and do one of the following:

      • Restart Windows for Workgroups in 386 enhanced mode.


        • -or-

      • At the MS-DOS command prompt, load SHARE.EXE by typing the following and then pressing ENTER:
        c:\dos\share.exe /L:500 /F:5100
        In the above command, "C:\DOS" is the drive and directory where SHARE.EXE is located - usually your MS-DOS directory. You can now restart Windows for Workgroups in standard mode and run Word 6.0.






  5. Q. Why does the following error message occur in Word?

    Word cannot save or create this file. Make sure the disk is not write protected. <path>\<filename>

    1. This error message may occur if you set the parameters for SHARE.EXE too low (by decreasing or removing the /L locks parameter from the Share command line). The Word Setup program sets 500 file locks, so this problem should not occur unless you decrease or remove the Share parameters after running Word Setup.

      Use one or more of the following steps to resolve this problem:

      • If you have not restarted your computer since installing Word, the Share settings in your AUTOEXEC.BAT (or CONFIG.SYS) file may be correct, but the settings have not yet taken effect. In this case, quit Word, quit Windows, and restart your computer so the correct Share settings can take effect.


      • Close some of your open documents to free some file locks.


      • Increase the Share file locks (/L) parameter and restart your computer. Microsoft recommends that you use the following Share parameters:
        /L:500 /F:5100






  6. Q. My Share parameters are correct, and I have restarted my computer, but I still receive the following error message:
    Word cannot save or create this file. Make sure the disk is not write protected. <path>\<filename>
    What else can I do?

    1. Below is a list of possible causes for this error message and resolutions or workarounds for each cause.

      1. Cause: You may have insufficient disk space to save the file.

        Resolution: Check the drive where you want to save the file to be sure it is not full. While you are checking for available disk space, you should also check for and delete any extraneous temporary (.TMP) files.


      2. Cause: You are running MasterWord or other third-party add- in programs that conflict with Word.

        Workaround: Quit Word, then restart Word with the /a switch. For more information on this switch, see the "Starting Word Without Loading Global Items" section at the end of Chapter 10 in the "Microsoft Word User's Guide."


      3. Cause: The TEMP setting in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file points to an invalid location or to a drive with less than 6 to 8 megabytes (MB) of available disk space.

        Resolution: Modify the SET TEMP line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file so it defines a valid location with at least 6 to 8 MB of available disk space.


      4. Cause: An older version of Adobe Type Manager(R) (ATM) may be conflicting with Word 6.0.

        Workaround: To rule out this cause, quit Word, turn off ATM, and then quit and restart Windows. If the error message does not recur when you run Word, your older version of ATM may be causing the "Cannot Save File" error message. Phone Adobe technical support for more information.


      5. Cause: You loaded SHARE.EXE in the upper memory area using an upper memory manager (such as Qemm) other than EMM386.EXE, which is supplied with MS-DOS .

        NOTE: You should not have a problem running Share in upper memory when you use the EMM386.EXE upper memory manager and the MS-DOS loadhigh command.

        Workaround: Microsoft has received several reports that the "Cannot Save File" error message no longer occurs if you load Share in conventional memory instead of upper memory. To do this, remove "LOADHIGH" or "LH" from the SHARE.EXE line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. For example (where "C:\DOS" is the location of your MS-DOS directory), change this line
        loadhigh c:\dos\share.exe /L:500 /F:5100
        to the following:
        c:\dos\share.exe /L:500 /F: 5100
        NOTE: Microsoft does not support the mixing of load-high methods. You should not use the MS-DOS loadhigh command when you run a third-party upper memory manager such as Qemm.


      6. Cause: Your EMM386.EXE settings are incorrect.

        Resolution: Make sure you are using correct EMM386.EXE settings. For information about EMM386.EXE settings, refer to your MS-DOS documentation.


      7. Cause: You have more than one Share line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS file.

        -or-

        You have a Share line in both your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files.

        Resolution: Remove all but one Share line from your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files.






  7. Q. Why do the following error messages occur when I open a file in Word?

    File is in use by another user.

    Cannot open document.

    1. These error messages, which Word displays when you open a second or third file or when you open a file based on a template, occur if you set the parameters for SHARE.EXE too low (by decreasing or removing the /L locks parameter from the Share command line). The Word Setup program sets 500 file locks, so this problem should not occur unless you decrease or remove the Share parameters after running Word Setup.

      Use one or more of the following steps to resolve this problem:

      • If you have not restarted your computer since installing Word, the Share settings in your AUTOEXEC.BAT (or CONFIG.SYS) file may be correct, but the settings have not yet taken effect. In this case, quit Word, quit Windows, and restart your computer so the correct Share settings can take effect.


      • Close some of your open documents to free some file locks.


      • Increase the Share file locks (/L) parameter and restart your computer. Microsoft recommends that you use the following Share parameters: /L:500 /F:5100






Additional query words: fast tips voice script msav q & a word6 winword Q&A 6.0

Keywords : kbprint word6
Version : WINDOWS:6.0
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbinfo


Last Reviewed: December 23, 1999
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