Applications Testing for Directory Existence Fail

 Last reviewed: August 13, 1997
Article ID: Q159447
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 4.0

SYMPTOMS

An application does a test to see if a directory exists on the Windows NT 4.0 file server, and an MS-DOS error 3 "Path Not Found" is returned. This same application worked fine in Windows NT 3.51.

CAUSE

This error only occurs when the server evaluates the server message block (SMB) command 81 (Search Directory) sent across the wire and only when search attributes of 1016 are used. Because search attributes can only occupy the first 8 bits of the word, the bits beyond 8 were previously ignored. But in Windows NT 4.0, these bits were not ignored, causing the server to return an error to the client.

RESOLUTION

The code has been changed to now ignore bits that are not relevant. Install the updated file.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 4.0.This problem was corrected in the latest Windows NT 4.0 U.S. Service Pack. For information on obtaining the Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces): 

   S E R V P A C K

Additional query words: prodnt
Keywords : kbbug4.00 kbfix4.00.sp2 ntdosap ntnetserv NTSrvWkst kbnetwork
Version : 4.0
Platform : winnt

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Last reviewed: August 13, 1997
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