"Can't Access This Folder. Path Is Too Long" Error

ID: Q157069

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
  • Microsoft Small Business Server versions 4.0, 4.0a
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you log on to a computer running Windows NT Workstation or Server, you get a dialog box with the following error message or you get a blank desktop:

Can't access this folder. The path is too long.


RESOLUTION

Log on as the local Administrator and verify that either the user or a group (of which the user is a member) has at least read access to the root of the system drive. To accomplish this if the desktop is blank, follow the procedure below:

  1. Start Task Manager by pressing CTRL+ALT+DELETE.


  2. On the File menu, click New Task.


  3. In the Run dialog box, start Explorer.exe or Winfile.exe.


  4. View the security permissions of the system drive.


If the user or group does not have this access, add it to the directory permissions for the user or group. Do not select the Apply To Subdirectories check box.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q148437
TITLE : Default NTFS Permissions in Windows NT


MORE INFORMATION

If a user logs on to a workstation (either locally or to a domain) and is not listed by group or name to have any access permissions to the root directory where the system files reside, the following problems can occur:

  • If the user logs on to the domain from the workstation or member server, he or she will get a dialog box with the following error, followed by a blank desktop:
    Can't access this folder. The path is too long.
    However, a profile is created in the %SystemRoot%\Profiles directory for that user.


  • If the workstation or server is not a member of a domain, or if the user decides to log on locally, the error message may or may not be displayed, but a blank desktop with the profile created in the profiles directory will occur.


The scenarios described above have only been confirmed with Windows NT 4.0 clients. The domain that a user logs on to can be either a Windows NT 3.51 or a Windows NT 4.0 domain with the same results. This is one type of scenario that can occur if directory permissions are not set up properly on a client.

Additional query words: path profiles

Keywords : ntdomain NTSrvWkst
Version : winnt:4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbprb


Last Reviewed: July 8, 1999
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