how do include a file outside the zencart directory

[DrByte]

Actually, it *does* refer to the root directory ... of your actual server. Not of your website.

i know that.. which is why that *should* make sense and work.

No, it's exactly opposite to what you wanted.


You wanted it to load
D:\Share\Client_Sites\lapsf.com\left_nav.html

But instead you told it to load:
/left_nav.html

... which looks for "left_nav.html" at the root of the server's hard drive, not the webroot.

If you intend to use PHP's "require" or "include" commands, you have to remember that PHP looks at files according to the Operating System of the server ... NOT the webroot the way a browser would.