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Article: Q122400
Product(s): Microsoft Systems Management Server
Version(s): winnt:1.0,1.1
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbnetwork kbPGC smspgc
Last Modified: 30-JUL-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Systems Management Server versions 1.0, 1.1 
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SUMMARY
=======

Microsoft Systems Management Server version 1.0 was not designed to share
documents that were associated with Systems Management Server shared
applications. For example, by current design, a Systems Management Server shared
version of Microsoft Word (MSWord) cannot open a Systems Management Server
shared document. The following error message usually appears in this situation:

  Unable to open file <filename>.

This happens whenever a drive letter is required. With Windows NT systems, using
the Runs With UNC Name attribute allows the document to load properly.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Any Systems Management Server shared program item requires the Appstart utility
(APPSTART) to be ran. If a shared program item has a command line like
SHAREME.DOC, and Requires Drive Letter is specified, Systems Management Server
is unable to open the document file.

This is because APPSTART is ran twice during the process; first to launch
SHAREME.DOC, and second to launch MSWord. APPSTART then quits the first instance
of itself and continues. This removes the first environment and the associated
drive letter assigned to the SHAREME.DOC path.

For example, APPSTART assigns a driver letter <G:>, and runs
G:\SHAREME.DOC. Windows then associates the *.DOC file with MSWord and attempts
to launch it. If a Systems Management Server version of MSWord is installed on
the system, Windows then launches APPSTART a second time to start the shared
version of MSWord. APPSTART detects that it is already running and shuts down
the first instance, removing the drive connection to SHAREME.DOC. APPSTART then
connects a new drive letter <H:> for MSWord and runs the command line
H:\WINWORD.EXE G:\SHAREME.DOC. Because drive G has been disconnected by
APPSTART, MSWord generates an error message that the file could not be opened.

A partial workaround is to configure the shared document with the Runs With UNC
Name attribute, and distribute to Windows NT and Windows 95 clients only. Like
the above scenario, the second instance of APPSTART quits the first instance,
removing the drive location. However, Windows NT and Windows 95 allow universal
naming convention (UNC) network path names, and when MSWord runs, the command
line is:

  H:\WINWORD \\<SMS Server>\SHAREME.DOC.

This forces Windows NT and Windows 95 to open a new UNC connection to the
SHAREME.DOC.

Additional query words: sms prodsms

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Keywords          : kbnetwork kbPGC smspgc 
Technology        : kbSMSSearch kbSMS100 kbSMS110
Version           : winnt:1.0,1.1

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Q122400: Using SMS to Share Document Files with PGC