XL: Error Messages When Accessing Files from Floppy Disks

ID: Q110944

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0
Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you access a file directly from a floppy disk, you may receive an error message if you remove the disk from the drive while the file is still open.

NOTE: The information in this article assumes that you are using a single floppy disk drive. If your computer has two or more floppy disk drives, this information applies only if you remove a disk from a certain disk drive (for example, drive A) and insert another floppy disk into the same floppy disk drive.

Error Messages You May Receive When You Open a File

In Microsoft Excel, if you attempt to open a file from a floppy disk, you may receive one of the following error messages

Cannot access '<drive>:'

-OR-

A different disk is expected in drive <drive>:

where <drive> is your computer's floppy disk drive.

Error Messages You May Receive When You Save a File

If you attempt to save the file and the original disk has been removed from the disk drive and replaced by another, you may receive the error message:

Filename is not valid

If you include the drive letter in the file name when you save the file, you receive the following error message

Cannot access '<drive>:<filename>'

where <drive> is your floppy disk drive and <filename> is the name of your document.

In Windows 95, if you open a file from a floppy disk, and you insert a different floppy disk in the disk drive, when you attempt to save the file to the disk, you receive the following error message

Error Reading Disk in Drive <drive>
Please Insert Disk <label>
With Serial Number <serial number> in Drive <drive>:

where <drive> is your computer's floppy disk drive, and <label> and <serial number> are the label and serial number of the original disk.

CAUSE

Microsoft Excel for Windows can run only when a file-sharing program, such as Share.exe or Vshare.386, is running.

NOTE: Microsoft Windows 95 provides built-in file sharing.

The error messages occur because of the way in which the file-sharing program keeps track of open files. When you open a file from a floppy disk, the serial number (if one exists) of the floppy disk (for example, 2B4A-1ACA), is read into memory. If you attempt to open a file from a floppy disk that has a different serial number while the first file is still open, you will receive an error message.

Note also that a disk formatted with the Format command (included with MS- DOS versions 5.0 and later) will be assigned a serial number.

WORKAROUNDS

If your files are stored on floppy disks that do not have serial numbers, you may be able to open files without receiving an error message.

Opening Files from Floppy Disks

To avoid receiving an error message when you open files from floppy disks, copy the files to your hard disk before you open them.

This is the recommended workaround because opening files from and saving files to the hard disk drive is faster than using a floppy disk drive; in addition, saving to the hard disk drive allows you to avoid problems caused by lack of space on floppy disks.

In Windows 95, you can work around the save error message by saving the file to the original floppy disk before inserting a different disk.

Other Ways to Avoid Getting These Error Messages

Use a third-party disk formatting program, such as the Sformat (Safe Format) program included with Symantec's Norton Utilities, to format your floppy disks. These programs often do not place a serial number on floppy disks.

-or-

Format the floppy disks in a computer running MS-DOS 4.0 or earlier. Versions 2.x, 3.x, and 4.0 of MS-DOS do not place serial numbers on floppy disks when they are formatted.

Saving a File to a Different Floppy Disk

If you open a file from a floppy disk and then remove that floppy disk from the disk drive before you close the file, you may receive the error message "Filename is not valid" when you click Save on the File menu. This error message appears if the path for the new file is not applicable to the new floppy disk.

For example, if you open the file A:\Test\Alpha.xls, remove the floppy disk from drive A, and then insert a new disk into drive A, clicking Save on the File menu only works if there is a Test folder on drive A.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q118958 : XL5: Excel 5.0c Setup Program Installs VSHARE.386

Q106499 : XL5 Err Msg: "Must Exit Windows and Load SHARE.EXE..."

Q134840 : OFF: "Error Reading Disk" When Closing or Saving File on Floppy

Additional query words: 5.00c 8.00 97 switch switching change changing blue screen


Keywords          : kbenv kbdta xlloadsave projwin offwin xlwin 
Version           : WINDOWS:5.0,5.0c,7.0,97
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: April 22, 1999