Shared CD-ROM or Floppy Drives Must Contain a Disk At Startup

• Microsoft Windows for Workgroups versions 3.1, 3.11

SYMPTOMS

If you select the Re-share At Startup option when sharing a floppy or CD-ROM drive, and you start Windows for Workgroups without a disk in the shared drive, the following error may be displayed.

   System Error Cannot Read from Drive X.

If you choose the Cancel button, the following error message will be displayed:

   An error occurred while trying to share X. Error 5291. The
   path X:\ does not exist. Do you want to continue to share X each
   time you start Windows for Workgroups?

   -or-

   An error occurred while trying to share X. Error 5341. The
   path X:\ does not exist.

CAUSE

The Windows for Workgroups File Manager allows the sharing of local disk resources including fixed disks, floppy drives, and CD-ROM drives. You can make these shares persistent by selecting the Re-share At Startup option. If you select this option and the shared CD-ROM or floppy drive does not contain a disk when Windows for Workgroups is restarted, the above errors may occur.

WORKAROUND

To eliminate these error messages, make sure that the shared drive contains a disk before starting Windows for Workgroups.

There are several ways to recover from the error condition, depending on the intended result.

• To immediately reestablish the share, insert a disk in the shared drive and choose Retry in the System Error Cannot Read From Drive X dialog box.
• To not reestablish the share for the current session, but attempt to reestablish the share in future sessions, choose Cancel at the System Error Cannot Read From Drive X dialog box and choose Yes at the Do You Want To Continue To Share X Each Time You Start Windows for Workgroups? dialog box.
• To not reestablish the share for the current or future sessions, choose Cancel in the System Error Cannot Read From Drive X dialog box and choose No at the Do You Want To Continue To Share X Each Time You Start Windows For Workgroups? dialog box.