>I see, then replace that program to a proper one :-). That was the 
>worse
> thing in MSDOS: every app programmer felt that he/she is an OS 
> developer as
> well so broke the app layer in every way they could. (erm, even 
> myself wrote
> a FAT driver those days to access files faster and to be able to see 
> hidden
> viruses on the system :-)
>
> But seriously, if the app does not support accessing to files on a 
> network
> drive I suggest not to use that in this occasion.

As I said at the very top of the original query

        Nobody is going to take your advice if you suggest
        buying new windows  aware applications software :-).

This is an accounting application that has worked well in this 
environment but someone broke it. The background is obscure and 
several people removed from my involvement (I'm pleased to say :-) ). 
The chances of getting people to change in this situation is only 
slightly above "Till hell freezes over Do: ...". And the necessity is 
only slightly greater than that. All they want is for somone to put it 
back how it was. Alas, I did hear Banyan Vine smentioned (seriously) 
but I think that's gone and ... !!!

>> >OK, so  what's wrong with opening a file in a mapped drive?

>> Some programs get real funny if they cannot "get at" the drive data 
>> in the
>> same manner as they can on a local machine. I have seen this happen 
>> with
>> programs that attempt to look at the drive properties, presumably 
>> to look
>> for how much empty space there is, and if the drive type is not 
>> what they
>> expect, then they baulk. A network drive is reported as a different 
>> drive
>> type to a floppy, local hard drive, or CD.

Precisely.
It doesn't look like a standard non networked environment.
Someone managed to make it so.
The maker and their handiwork have now left the building and ...

Deep brain murmurings of Net Bios and Net Bui trouble my repose. May 
be worth having a look at just what is enable in that system.


        Russell

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