TITLE:    Network device fault reading drive F: Error Message
PRODUCT:  WordPerfect 5.1 and 6.0 for DOS


Problem
The error message Network device fault reading drive F: appears. 
It does not seem to happen when a specific function is being
performed.


Solution
It is logical for this error to occur if the file server goes
down.  It may also appear when the shell thinks your system is
experiencing a hardware problem.

Network device fault reading drive F: is the same as the error
message Disk Error 88.  Drive F: is just a logical location. 
WordPerfect uses Drive F: as a generic drive allocation.  Your
default drive could actually be a completely different drive.

The error may occur in WordPerfect, yet other applications will
continue to run without problems.  WordPerfect makes more demands
on a network than most other software products.  WordPerfect
almost constantly uses the input/output processes of your
computer by making many calls to disk; writing temporary files
for functions such as block, print, save, generate, and merge;
managing the files; or any of the many other WordPerfect
functions.

The Network device fault reading drive F: error can be narrowed
down to an area or a specific workstation. In most cases, the
error is due to hardware problems or improper network setup. 
Possible causes are:

1    Bad slot.
2    No slot available.
3    Bad network number.
4    Bad local address.
5    Bad cabling.
6    Bad hub.
7    Bad card.
8    Two network interface cards with the same address.
9    Physical distance between workstation and server is too far.
10   Expanded memory pageframe is in conflict with the shared
     memory buffers for the network interface card.
11   A slow network interface card running on a very fast
     machine.  If this is the cause, the problem can be fixed by
     changing the wait state. For a single machine, the wait
     state can be slowed down  (i.e. from 12 to 8 megahertz).  If
     the error occurs on all stations, the wait state for the
     file server needs to be increased.

The Network device fault reading drive F: error can be
circumvented by using the /d startup option for WordPerfect. 
WordPerfect will be redirected to your hard drive, and a
temporary directory will be created for it.  This solution will
cut down on network traffic and will offer temporary faster
access to WordPerfect.