Invalid Network Home Directory Specified in User Manager

Last reviewed: September 24, 1996
Article ID: Q128795

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.5
Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.5
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.51
Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.51
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

If you specify an invalid network Home Directory for a User Environment Profile in User Manager, the following error message appears:

   The home directory <Directory Path> for <Username> could not be
   created. The user account has been updated. You must create the
   Home Directory manually.

If the user logs on from a computer running MS-DOS Network Client or Windows for Workgroups and the logon script includes "NET USE <network drive>: /home" (without the quotation marks), the following error message appears:

   System error 53 has occurred. The network path was not found.

NOTE: For a Windows NT client computer, the Home Directory becomes the default <%SystemRoot% drive>:\USERS\DEFAULT and not the network Home Directory specified in the User Environment Profile.

CAUSE

This problem occurs if a directory path is specified instead of a network share point in universal naming convention (UNC) format. This problem also occurs if the directory or share point is not created on the server.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem:

Create a home directory on the server and share it for a specific user.
In User Manager User Environment Profile, select a drive letter for the Home Directory and add the network path in the following format:
```
      \\servername\sharename\username
```

NOTE: If you have multiple users, create their home directories on the server and share individual home directories for each user. In User Environment Profile for Home Directory, assign a network drive and the network path as \\<server name>\%USERNAME%.

KBCategory: kbtool
KBSubcategory: ntdomain ntutil
Additional reference words: prodnt 3.10 3.50 winfile usrmgr

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Last reviewed: September 24, 1996
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