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ProSeries Frequently Asked Questions

Error Message: "ProSeries is unable to locate the 'Common' files folder ... Please contact technical support for assistance."

Products Affected:

• ProSeries
• ProSeries Express Edition
• ProSeries Basic Edition

Situation

When attempting to start ProSeries, the following error message appears:
Network version - "ProSeries was unable to locate the 'Common' files folder. Please ensure that you have sufficient rights to the ProSeries folders and that you are logged into the server that ProSeries is installed on. If you are unable to resolve this issue, please call ProSeries Technical Support for assistance."
Standalone version - "ProSeries is unable to locate the 'Common' files folder. Please contact ProSeries Technical Support for assistance."

This error message occurs most frequently on a network when ProSeries cannot access one of the files needed to operate. If you receive this error message on a standalone installation, follow these instructions.

Important: Some of these instructions are very technical. You may feel more comfortable sharing this information with your local technical advisor.

Solution

For a network installation

Notes before you begin:

• This error may occur on a computer with more inbound connections than the Windows operating system allows. For more information see this Microsoft support article.
• This error may occur if your network router has a timeout function that puts an IP address "to sleep" after a certain amount of time. Double-click the mapped network drive to "wake up" the connection. Check your router documentation to see if the timeout time can be increased.

Start ProSeries after each numbered step below to see if this situation is resolved. If the error message still occurs go to the next numbered step.

1. Verify the server is on and restart the workstation to ensure it connects to the server. Sometimes a workstation is started before the server and does not connect to the server.
2. Verify which drive ProSeries is installed to and that the drive is accessible.
   1. On the Windows Start menu, choose Run.
   2. Type in prowin06.ini for the ProSeries product or expwin06.ini for the ProSeries Express Edition and click OK.
   3. Under the section [Network], the line for Datadepot will show you where ProSeries is installed. Close this file without making any changes.
   4. Open Windows Explorer and verify the drive is connected or the UNC path is accessible through Network Neighborhood. (A disconnected drive will have a red X to the left of the drive letter.)
   5. Double-click the drive to reestablish the connection.
   6. For more information about lost mapped drive connections, see this Microsoft support article.
3. Verify the ProSeries INI file has the correct entry.
   1. On the Windows Start menu, choose Run.
   2. Type in prowin06.ini for the ProSeries product or expwin06.ini for the ProSeries Express Edition and click OK.
   3. Under the section [UninstallInfo], verify the line CommonFiles= is pointing to the drive verified in step 2.
   4. If not, type in the correction. Then go to the File menu and choose Save.
   5. Go to the File menu and choose Exit.
4. If the error message occurs on a workstation, delete the file prowin06.ini or expwin06.ini and run the workstation setup again. On the admin workstation, reinstall ProSeries from the latest CD.

For a standalone installation

1. Verify where ProSeries is installed.
   1. Right-click on the desktop icon for ProSeries and choose Properties.
   2. Note the location in the Target box.
2. Verify the ProSeries INI file has the correct entry.
   1. On the Windows Start menu, choose Run.
   2. Type in prowin06.ini for the ProSeries product, expwin06.ini for the ProSeries Express Edition, or baswin06.ini for the ProSeries Basic Edition and click OK.
   3. Under the section [UninstallInfo], verify the line CommonFiles= is pointing to the drive verified in step 1.
   4. If not, type in the correction. Then go to the File menu and choose Save.
   5. Go to the File menu and choose Exit.
   6. Start ProSeries to see if the situation is resolved.
3. If the error message still occurs, delete the file prowin06.ini, expwin06.ini, or baswin06.ini and reinstall ProSeries from the latest CD.

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