$DATA" Data Stream Name Returns Source of a Remote File

ID: Q193793

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Internet Information Server versions 3.0, 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition
Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

Accessing the :$DATA data stream of a file displays the source (script code) of the file.

For example, accessing http://myserver/file.asp:$DATA may yield the contents of the file itself, not the processed results of the file.

NOTE: For the problem to occur, the file must reside in a virtual directory located on a remote (on another computer) NTFS partition, and the user must know the name of the file and have Read access to the file.

CAUSE

The is caused by the way Internet Information Server (IIS) parses file names.

RESOLUTION

Internet Information Server 4.0

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack

Internet Information Server 3.0

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, perform the following steps:

Open the properties of the Web site.

Open the Home Directory property page, and then click the Configuration button.

Click the App Mappings tab, and note how ".asp" is configured.

Click the Add button and configure mappings for ".asp:" and ".asp::" so they are identical to the ".asp" configuration on the App Mappings tab.

STATUS

Internet Information Server 4.0

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Internet Information Server version 4.0. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition Service Pack 4.

Internet Information Server 3.0

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Internet Information Server version 3.0. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.0 Service Pack 5.

MORE INFORMATION

A very similar problem is documented in the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q188806 : "::$DATA" Data Stream Name of a File May Return Source

The problem documented in Q188806 concerns the "::$DATA" data stream on both a local and remote computer. The hotfix documented in Q188806 will not fix the problem described in this article.

For more information on Alternate Data Streams, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q105763 : HOWTO: Use NTFS Alternate Data Streams

DATA STREAMS

The native Windows NT file system (NTFS) supports multiple data streams within a file. The main data stream that stores the main content is called DATA.

Additional query words: vdir folder 4.00

Keywords : NT4SP4Fix kbbug4.00 kbfix4.00 nt4sp5fix kbfix4.00.sp4
Version : winnt:3.0,4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbbug