ID: Q105550
The information in this article applies to:
When you try to expand the subdocuments, the following error message occurs:
The subdocument c:\<foldername>\<file name> is missing. Do you want
to expand the master document without this subdocument?
The subdocument <file name> is missing. Do you want to open
the master document without the subdocument?
CAUSE Word cannot find the subdocument if you move it to a
different location relative to the master document, if the
subdocument is located on a network drive that is no longer
valid, or if you delete the subdocument file.
RESOLUTION If you want to move subdocuments to a new location
relative to the master document, refer to the instructions
in the "Rename a subdocument" (Word 98 and Word 7) topic
or the "Renaming or removing a subdocument" (Word 6) topic
in Word Help, or see your printed Word documentation.
STATUS When you move a master document, Word will automatically
search for the subdocuments in a manner that is relative
to the master document. This feature, which is by design,
makes it easy for you to move an entire master document
directory tree while preserving the subdocument references.
MORE When you open a master document, Word searches for the
INFORMATION subdocuments relative to the master document. In other
words, if the subdocuments are in a subdirectory of the
master document directory, Word looks for the
subdocuments in the same subdirectory of the new master
document location. The following table illustrates this
search pattern.
If the former Then Word automatically
location is searches here
---------------------------------------------------
Master C:\WORD 6.0\MASTER F:\CATALOG\1993
Subdocuments C:\WORD 6.0\MASTER\SUBDOCS F:\CATALOG\1993\SUBDOCS
-then-
C:\WORD6.0\MASTER\SUBDOCS
If Word cannot find the subdocuments in the relative
location, it searches in the original subdocument location
(in this case, C:\WORD 6.0\MASTER\SUBDOCS). If Word still
cannot find the subdocument, the "The subdocument is
missing..." error message occurs.
CAUSE This error can occur if you try to open a master
document that has too many subdocuments, if you have other
files open and/or other applications running, or if a large,
complex master document was originally created on a
workstation running Windows NT and the current workstation
is running Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups 3.1 or
3.11.
WORKAROUNDS There are several workarounds that can allow you to
successfully open the master document, provided that the
subdocument files in question still exist.
Method 1: Close all other open files and other
applications that are currently running before
attempting to open the master document.
Method 2: Open the master document on a workstation with
Windows NT or Windows 95 running.
Method 3: If Windows NT or Windows 95 is not available,
choose "Yes" to the error message and finish
opening the master document. Simplify the
master document by combining subdocuments until
there are fewer than 20 subdocuments, then insert
the missing subdocuments using the Insert
Subdocument tool on the Master Document
toolbar.
This should allow the master document and
subdocuments to be saved and reopened without
generating an error.
STATUS Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem with Word
versions 6.0, 6.0a, and 6.0c for Windows. This problem
was corrected in Word version 7.0 for Windows 95.
MORE If Word is running on a workstation operating under
INFORMATION Windows NT or Windows 95, it is possible to build a
master document that has many more subdocuments than is
possible on a workstation that is operating under Windows
3.1 or Windows for Workgroups. If this complex master
document is then opened by a workstation operating on
Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups, then the "The
subdocument is missing..." error occurs. This is due to
Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups running out of
available file handles before it can completely open the
document. Under these conditions, the subdocuments are still
there and intact, but Word cannot access them and the above
error message is generated.
"Microsoft Word User's Guide," version 6.0, Chapter 24, "Using Master Documents to Manage Long Documents"
Additional query words: long docs books
Keywords : word8 winword word6 winword2 word7 word95 macword5
Version : MACINTOSH:3.0,3.01,3.02,4.0,5.0,5.1,5.1a,6.0,6.0.1,6.0.1a
Platform : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type : kbinfoLast Reviewed: November 4, 1998