"System Error" Running Word Help on DEC Pathworks Network

ID: Q112380

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

When you select a Word for Windows Help topic, the following network error message may occur: 

   System error. Network error on drive ?
After this error occurs, your computer may hang (stop responding), and you may need to restart (reboot) it.

CAUSE

This error occurs when you are running Word at a DEC Pathworks network workstation from a VAX/VMS server if Word searches for SHARERES.DLL and WORDRES.DLL on a logical network drive. When you start Word Help, Word looks for the SHARERES.DLL and the WORDRES.DLL files: first in the root directory of the server, then in the MSOFFICE directory, then in the directories in your MS-DOS PATH statement. If your PATH statement contains a logical network drive, Word searches it and the above error occurs.

This problem does not occur when you run Word over other networks.

STATUS

We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

POSSIBLE WORKAROUND

Method 1: Multiple attemps to Cancel (rather than Retry) may allow you to 

          continue and Help to resume.
Method 2: Verify that path in the [MS Shareres] section of the the WIN.INI 
          reads as follows:

             [MS Shareres]
             path = x:\

           where x is the net drive letter.
Method 3: Copy the SHARERES.DLL and WORDRES.DLL files from the 
          MSOFFICE\SYSTEM subdirectory to the root directory of the server
          so Word can find the file without searching your path.
KBCategory: kbnetwork KBSubcategory: Additional reference words: 6.0 6.0a 6.0c online winword word6 
Keywords          : kbnetwork
Version           : 6.0 6.0a 6.0c
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: August 4, 1997