File Manager Cannot Connect to Share with Long Name

 Last reviewed: November 21, 1994
Article ID: Q84950
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.1, 3.11

SUMMARY

Microsoft Windows File Manager cannot connect from a LAN Manager 2.0 or 2.1 MS-DOS workstation to a network share name that is greater than the standard MS-DOS limit of eight characters followed by a period (.) and a three letter extension. For example, you can connect to: 

   \\SERVER\SHARNAME.EXT
You cannot connect to: 

   \\SERVER\SHARNAMEX.EXT
Both of the above shares will be viewable through File Manager's Browse ability. When attempting to connect to a share with a long name, the following error messages are displayed: 

LAN Manager 2.0:        Invalid Network Name

LAN Manager 2.1:        This Network Name Cannot be Found
The network server name does not have this limitation. For example, you can connect to: 

   \\SERVERNAME\SHARNAME.EXT

MORE INFORMATION

From a LAN Manager 2.0 enhanced MS-DOS workstation, if you have two shares, one named \\SERVER\SHARENAME (invalid) and the other named \\SERVER\SHARENAM (valid), and you use File Manager's Browse function and attempt to connect to \\SERVER\SHARENAME (invalid), then you will be connected to \\SERVER\SHARENAM (valid).

KBCategory: kbusage kbinterop kbtool
KBSubcategory: wfw wfwg win31
Additional reference words: 3.10 3.11 err msg

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Last reviewed: November 21, 1994
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