Microsoft KB Archive/125905

= DLL Errors When Running Windows 16-Bit Applications =

Article ID: 125905

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.1
 * Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.5
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.5

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This article was previously published under Q125905



SYMPTOMS
The following error message will occur when you attempt to run an application on Windows NT that requires a Dynamic-Link Library (DLL) file that the application cannot find:

File Error

Cannot find xxxx.DLL

Where xxxx is the filename of the DLL that cannot be found.



CAUSE
This happens when Windows NT is installed on a computer that already had Windows version 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups (WfWG) installed, and where Windows NT is installed in a separate directory and the application was installed under Windows or WfWG.

This is also likely to happen when the directory of the application is not in the Path.



RESOLUTION
To avoid this problem, modify the Path statement in Windows NT to include the directory of the application DLL files as follows:

 From Control Panel, choose the System icon. In the System Environment Variables section of the System dialog box, select this line:

Path=%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%

NOTE: The path may be different if it has been modified. The path listed above is the default Path statement for Windows NT.

 In the Value box, append one of the following lines to the existing Path (depending on where the DLL files for the application are installed):

;c:\windows\system

Where C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM is the Windows 3.1 or WfWg system path.

-or-


 * c:\appdir

Where C:\APPDIR is the application directory.

 Choose the Set button. Choose the OK button.

NOTE: You are not required to log off or restart Windows NT after making this change. The next application you start will use the new settings. However, applications running before you made the changes will not be affected.

For additional information, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

102424: Migrating Windows 3.1 Program Groups to Windows NT

For more information on Windows NT program groups, query on the following words here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

<pre class="fixed_text">  migrated and icons and items and video

Additional query words: prodnt win.ini initialization

Keywords: KB125905

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