SOS Technical Reference Document
Copyright (c) 1994 by Synergistic Office Solutions, Inc.

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TOPIC..: Error 4: Too Many Open Files
REVISED: 03/01/95

SUMMARY ------------------------------------------------------------------

This error will occur if your computer system is not configured properly.
Specifically, it is essential that the FILES= line in the CONFIG.SYS file
in the boot directory of your system be set to a sufficiently high number.
SOS applications like OM and CM can require up to 85 file handles to be
available. If you are running the applications under Microsoft Windows or
another multitasking or task switching system, the number may have to be
much higher. The maximum value for this setting is 255. Higher numbers
do consume some additional conventional memory, so do not set FILES much
higher than is required for your use.

Example 1: Standalone computer, no network, no Windows, running OM

FILES=75


Example 2: Standalone computer, no network, no Windows, running CM

FILES=85


Example 3: Standalone computer, no network, running OM or CM under
Windows

FILES=150


Example 4: Network workstation (not fileserver), no Windows, running OM
and CM

FILES=100


Example 5: Network node on peer-to-peer network (like Lantastic) connected
to two other computers, running SOS applications under Windows

FILES=255


The bottom line is that if you encounter this error, you must increase the
number of file handles available.





Error 4 Pg.2



HOW TO CHANGE YOUR CONFIG.SYS FILE --------------------------------------

1) Exit all applications, menus, shell programs, etc. until you have a
cursor flashing next to a DOS prompt that will probably look something
like:

C:\>

If the drive letter is different, or a specific directory is indicated,
that is ok, too. For example - D:\OM>

2) Type the following, in either upper or lower case, followed by the
<ENTER> key:

EDIT C:\CONFIG.SYS

(This assumes that you are using DOS 5 or later. To check your version
of DOS, type VER and press <ENTER>.)

3) You should now be looking at your CONFIG.SYS file. (If no file appears
in the edit window, you probably did not type the command correctly.
Press <ALT>, then <F>, then <X> to exit and try again.) One of the
lines in this file should start with...

FILES=

followed by a number. It is that number that you want to modify. Move
the cursor down to the number, delete it if it is incorrect, and enter
the correct number.

If you cannot find a line of this sort in the file (be sure that you
arrow all the way down if the file fills the whole screen), then you
must add it. Just position the cursor at the beginning of any line and
press <ENTER> to open up a blank line. Move the cursor to the
beginning of the blank line and type

FILES=85

or whatever the correct setting might be. It is not necessary to press
<ENTER> at the end of the line, but blank lines in the CONFIG.SYS file
will not harm anything, so don't worry about it either way.

4) To save your changes, press the <ALT> key, then press <F> (for FILE),
and then press <X> (for EXIT). The edit program will ask you if you
want to save the file; say yes.

5) For this change to take effect, you must now reboot your computer.
Hold down the <CTRL> and <ALT> keys with your left hand, and press
<DEL> with your right. The screen should go blank. Let the keys up,
and wait for the computer to restart.






Error 4 Pg. 2


NETWORK CONSIDERATIONS ---------------------------------------------------

Follow the above suggestions to set the FILES value for each of your
workstations, but you must also confirm that your file server is
configured to share enough files TOTAL across the network. That means
that if you have 4 workstations, each of which might be opening 100 files,
the file server must be configured so that it can manage up to 400 files
at a time. In LANTASTIC, this means you must adjust the appropriate
Server setting with the Net_Mgr utility. If it is set to "use
CONFIG.SYS", enter a specific number instead. Remember that the
CONFIG.SYS setting is limited to a maximum of 255 files!

NOVELL NETWARE (eg: Version 3.11 and higher) defaults to a relatively high
file server configuration, so unless yours is a large network, with more
than 10 nodes or 5 nodes all multitasking under Windows, it is unlikely
that you will run into a file server insufficiency. It is essential,
however, that every workstation include a correct configuration in its
NET.CFG (version 3 and later) or SHELL.CFG (version 2) file in the boot
directory. If you cannot find this file in C:\ (node with local hard
disk) or A:\ (node booting from floppy), then you must create this file,
which is similar to DOS's CONFIG.SYS file, or Windows INI files. Be sure
to include the following line, exactly as shown, in the NET.CFG or
SHELL.CFG file of every workstation:

FILE HANDLES=100 (no Windows or multitasking)

FILE HANDLES=127 (running Windows)

The sum of the numbers specified in the CONFIG.SYS and NET.CFG must not 
exceed 255.

RELATED INFORMATION: SHARE.EXE -------------------------------------------

If you are running your software on a network, or using Microsoft Windows,
you are probably loading the DOS SHARE command either in your AUTOEXEC.BAT
file (the set of commands that the computer automatically executes when
you start it up) or in the batch file that connects your computer to the
network. If you are using SHARE, you must configure it to match the
number of required files. The defaults are much too low for use with a
large system like OM or CM.

Use the instructions above to bring up AUTOEXEC.BAT with the DOS editor
(Type EDIT C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT then press <ENTER>). Look through the file
carefully for the letters "SHARE". In most cases they will not be at the
very beginning of the line. Here are a few examples:

SHARE.EXE
C:\DOS\SHARE.EXE
LH /L:0;2,24678 /S C:\DOS\SHARE.EXE

In every case, it is necessary to add additional information to the end of
the line, instructing SHARE to set aside enough resources to handle the
number of files you need. This is done with the /L and /F parameters.
(The slashes before the L and F are regular front slashes, NOT BACK
SLASHES!) Leave a space after the EXE, then add the parameters as in the
following examples. The number after the /L: should equal the number of

Error 4 Pg.3


files in your CONFIG.SYS; the number after the /F: should be at least 25
or 30 times higher:

SHARE.EXE /L:150 /F:4500
C:\DOS\SHARE.EXE /200 /F:6000
LH /L:0;2,24678 /S C:\DOS\SHARE.EXE /L:85 /F:2600

If the form of your SHARE line is like the last one, remove everything in
front of the C:\DOS\SHARE as well. After saving the file ( ALT, F, X ),
and returning to the DOS prompt, run the MEMMAKER utility according to the
instructions in your DOS manual to add the appropriate LH settings so that
SHARE will be loaded into high memory.

If you are setting the SHARE parameters on a network file server, note
that SHARE does not have a limit of 255 and should be set to match your
server requirements, for example:

C:\DOS\SHARE.EXE /L:400 /F:12000

Some have found that the L parameter must be set much higher - 2 to 3 times
the expected number of simultaneously open files to eliminate all SHARE-
related errors. Just be sure that your F parameter is also increased by
the same proportion.