Using SMS to Share Document Files with PGC (122400)

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.