Questions to ask:
Does the problem occur on all workstations or to all users?
If the answer is yes, and there is no record of the error message in the knowledge base, try to find some factors (hardware, software, and so on) that are common to all of the machines or all of the users.
If the answer is no, and there is no record of the error message in the knowledge base, try to find common factors relative to those machines affected (similar software, hardware, and so on).
Does the problem occur when you are logged in as Supervisor?
If the answer is yes, it is probably not a rights-related issue.
If the answer is no, it is probably an issue related to the rights of the individual receiving the error message.
If the problem still is not solved, disable all non-network related programs from the AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS, and login scripts (if applicable). If the problem still occurs, it is not related to software conflict.
Specific steps to follow if the network is Novell:
If the application is Microsoft Word and the network is Novell, check to see if Word was started with the /N switch and if the MSWNET, for Word versions earlier than 5.50, or MSWNET55, for Word version 5.50, variable is set correctly.
If the MSWNET was not set or set correctly, set the MSWNET (MSWNET55) variable through the login script or in the manner described in the "Setting Up Network Workstations for Multiple Users" application note.