Explanation of Path Information in [MSAPPS] Section of WIN.INI

ID: Q115810

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Access, version 2.0
Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 5.0
Microsoft Office for Windows, versions 4.0, 4.2, 4.3
Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows, version 4.0
Microsoft Project for Windows, version 4.0
Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a
Microsoft Works for Windows, version 3.0

SUMMARY

When you run a workstation installation of any of the Microsoft applications listed above and you choose to install the shared applications to the network server (or this option was selected during the administrative installation [SETUP /A]), the [MSAPPS] section of the WIN.INI file contains path information that is not used for the shared applications.

The actual locations for the applications referenced in the [MSAPPS] section will be found in the [Embedding] section. This section is synchronized with the REG.DAT file to provide OLE functionality for these shared applications.

CAUSE

When you run a workstation installation and the shared applications are installed to the server, the path information contained in the [MSAPPS] section of the WIN.INI file points to an MSAPPS location under your Windows directory, which may be on your local hard disk drive or on a server. For example, if you have Windows installed on your C: drive and you run a workstation installation of Microsoft Excel, choosing to install the shared applications to the server (or this option was chosen during the administrative setup), your WIN.INI file contains the following information:

   [MSAPPS]
   MSAPPS=C:\WIN31\MSAPPS
   GRPHFLT=C:\WIN31\MSAPPS\GRPHFLT
   PROOF=C:\WIN31\MSAPPS\PROOF
   MSINFO=C:\WIN31\MSAPPS\MSINFO
   MSQUERY=C:\WIN31\MSAPPS\MSQUERY

This behavior is by design. The information in the [MSAPPS] section is not the location of the shared applications, but rather where the shared applications would be located if they could not be shared. In most cases, the shared applications can be installed to the server, and they are run from the server (as expected) even though the path information in the [MSAPPS] section in the WIN.INI file points to the local hard disk drive.

For more information about where the MSAPPS files are installed when you run a workstation installation, query on the following in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   workstation and setup and msapps and locally

MORE INFORMATION

The location of the individual shared applications is determined by the path information in the individual sections in the WIN.INI file. For example, when you run a workstation installation of Microsoft Excel from the server F:\EXCEL, the following entries are added to your WIN.INI file:

   [MS Graphic Import Filters]
   Computer Graphics Metafile(.CGM)=F:\EXCEL\MSAPPS\GRPHFLT\CGMIMP.FLT,CGM
   Encapsulated Postscript(.EPS)= F:\EXCEL\MSAPPS\GRPHFLT\EPSIMP.FLT,EPS
   HP Graphic Language(.HGL)= F:\EXCEL\MSAPPS\GRPHFLT\HPGLIMP.FLT,HGL

   [Microsoft System Info]
   MSINFO= F:\EXCEL\MSAPPS\MSINFO\MSINFO.EXE

   When you import a picture, the graphic filter is located using the
   path information in the [MS Graphic Import Filters] section of your
   WIN.INI file, not the [MSAPPS] section.

KBCategory: kbsetup kbenv kbnetwork KBSubcategory:

Additional reference words: 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 4.20 4.30 5.00 6.00 6.00a macppt winppt acme

Last Reviewed: September 10, 1996