using latest exe from php4win.de...
php cannot open network shares like
include( '\\\\computer\\c$\\php4\\include\\template.php' );
or
include( '\\computer\c$\php4\include\template.php' );
or
include( '//computer/c$/php4/include/template.php' );
or
include( '\\\\computer\c$/php4/include/template.php' );

nothing seems to work.

even with no include_path set...

i searched through the source to find how include calls fopen to see if i could offer any advice... i ran out of time when i was working on it, so i thought i might add a note here about it.  

there are so many layers of code involved in the fopen process... 

thank you so much for all of your time and work !  php is the greatest :)