SFM Files Lose Long Filenames When Backed Up & Restored

 Last reviewed: February 8, 1995
Article ID: Q125386
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1

SYMPTOMS

Services for Macintosh (SFM) files with names containing characters illegal under Windows NT lose their long names when backed up and restored using Windows NT Backup.

CAUSE

The legal SFM characters, but illegal Windows NT characters, are supported by Services for Macintosh by translating the characters to an unused area of the Unicode character set. Prior to Service Pack 2, Windows NT Backup did not support Unicode. When a version of Windows NT Backup that is not Unicode aware backs one of these files it is unable to record the correct long filename. In instead uses a traditional 8.3 character filename. As a result, the long filename is unrecoverable.

NOTE: Tapes created by Windows NT Backup from Service Pack 2 or later record the long filenames correctly.

RESOLUTION

This problem has been corrected in Windows NT version 3.5 and the most current builds of Windows NT version 3.1. Because the data recorded to the tape from earlier versions of Windows NT Backup does not contain the full file names, there is no way to recover from the loss of this information; the files must be renamed from the Macintosh client to regain their original names.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 3.1. This problem was corrected in the latest US Service Pack for Windows NT. For information on obtaining this update, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces): 

   S E R V P A C K

MORE INFORMATION

The following are characters are allowed by SFM but not by Windows NT: 

   *
   /
   \
   :
Also, Windows NT does not allow filenames with trailing periods or trailing spaces.

Additional reference words: 3.10 lfn long name prodnt
KBCategory: kbtool kbbug3.10
KBSubcategory: ntfilesys ntmac ntfault ntutil

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

Last reviewed: February 8, 1995
© 1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.