>>>>"\:\\FS_RENAL2\USER1\APPS\DB\MAIN\DATABASE\PATDB.DBC does not exist."
>>>
>>>Would this work:
>>>
>>>set default to \\FS_RENAL2\USER1\APPS\DB\MAIN
>>>use database\atable.dbf
>>>use database\another.dbf
>>>use database\thisone.dbf
>>>
>>>Note default does NOT start with \:
>>
>>Precisely. The problem would be the \: at the beginning.
>
>Hi everyone. I don't want to encode the server and path into the application (if I can at all help it) so that the app can be moved without much of a fuss.
>
>I have set up a shortcut on my desktop which has:
>Target: \\Fs_renal2\USER1\APPS\DB\MAIN\VMAIN.EXE
>Start in: \\Fs_renal2\USER1\APPS\DB\MAIN\
>
>The application start but once it trys to open the first table or database, I get the following error when the following line is executed
>
>open database database\patdb shared in 0
>
>Error message:
>
>File '\:\\FS_RENAL2\USER1\APPS\DB\MAIN\DATABASE\PATDB.DBC' does not exist.
>
>The path looks correct in the error message except for the \: part.
>
>Anyone got any ideas what may be causing the error?

I believe you'll still need a SET DEFAULT, PATH or CD command to point VFP in the right location at startup. You could put

DEFAULT = \\Fs_renal2\USER1\APPS\DB\MAIN\
PATH = \\Fs_renal2\USER1\APPS\DB\MAIN\;\\Fs_renal2\USER1\APPS\DB\MAIN\DATABASE

in a config.fpw file that is excluded from the project but in the main directory. Only this file will need to be modified if you move the app.