Cannot Install Driver From a Directory Name That Has a Space

• Microsoft Windows NT operating system, version 3.1
• Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server, version 3.1
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation, versions 3.5 and 3.51
• Microsoft Windows NT Server, versions 3.5 and 3.51

SYMPTOMS

When you install additional drivers in Windows NT from the Drivers section of Control Panel, if the required files reside in a directory with a space in its name, the files will not be found and the driver will not be able to install correctly.

Steps to Reproduce Problem

1. From File Manager, create a directory on an NTFS partition called "Directory Name with Spaces" (without the quotes).

2. Expand any one of the following files from the Windows NT CD-ROM to that directory:

         SNDSYS.SYS
         SNDSYS32.DLL
         SYNTH.DLL
         SYNTH.PAT
         SYNTH.SYS
   

3. Open Control Panel and choose the Drivers icon.

4. Choose Add.

5. Select the Windows Sound System driver and choose OK.

6. In the Install Driver dialog box, type the name of the NTFS directory:

   <drive:>\Directory Name with Spaces\

   where <drive:> is the drive letter of the NTFS partition.

7. Choose OK and the directory name will be truncated in the dialog box you entered at the first space in the name.

RESOLUTION

If the files to install a specific drive need to be stored in a different place than the Windows NT CD-ROM, place them in a directory that does not contain any spaces in the directory name.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT 3.x. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

This problem is resolved in Windows NT 4.0.