Error Message: "Cannot Find SHARE..." During Word Setup

ID: Q106557

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows, version 6.0

SYMPTOMS

The Word for Windows Setup program may display the following error message if Setup cannot find the SHARE.EXE file on your system:

   Setup was unable to find SHARE.EXE on your system. It is
   required to run this application. Please fix your system
   and rerun Setup.

This may happen even if SHARE loads successfully from the MS-DOS command prompt and is already running on your computer.

TWO CAUSES

1. Word cannot find SHARE.EXE if you used the MS-DOS SUBST command to

   substitute a drive letter for a path, even if the substituted drive
   is in your PATH statement. For example, if you substitute X: for
   your C:\DOS directory (MS-DOS command: SUBST X: C:\DOS) and then
   include X: in your PATH statement, Word does not find SHARE.EXE,
   and the error message occurs.

2. Word cannot find SHARE.EXE if your PATH statement lists the

   directory where SHARE.EXE is located but does not include the drive
   (for example, "\DOS" instead of "C:\DOS").

For information about this error message when you install Word on a network workstation, query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   diskless and workstation and 6.0 and word and share.exe

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, use the appropriate method for your operating system.

Method 1: For systems running Windows 3.x

Before you run Word Setup again, modify the PATH statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file so it includes the complete path, including the drive, to SHARE.EXE. Then restart your computer so the change can take effect. For example, if SHARE.EXE is located in the C:\DOS directory, make sure your PATH statement contains the following:

   path c:\dos

Word Setup adds SHARE to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file with the following parameters:

   c:\dos\share.exe /L:500 /F:5100

NOTE: If you are running MS-DOS version 4.01, Setup places SHARE in your CONFIG.SYS file instead.

Method 2: For systems running Windows 95 or Windows 98

You should contact Microsoft and obtain Word for Windows 6.0c.

MORE INFORMATION

The Setup program used by Word uses the following search hierarchy to locate SHARE.EXE on the system:

If there is a SHARE command already in the CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT file, Setup looks in the location stated.
If this fails or if SHARE is not in either file, Setup searches the PATH statement in the AUTOEXEC.BAT for the location of SHARE.EXE.

If Setup still cannot find SHARE.EXE, it displays the "Unable to find SHARE.EXE..." error message.

REFERENCES

For more information about Share.exe errors, see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: Q166673

   TITLE     :"Cannot Find Share.exe" Installing MS Office Under Windows 95

KBCategory: kbnetwork KBSubcategory: Additional query words: 6.0 msdos windir word6 winword rerun again exit restart

Keywords          : kbsetup WordCon 
Version           : 6.0
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: April 8, 1999