Microsoft KB Archive/165718

= Microsoft Knowledge Base =

Err Msg: Unable to Determine or Construct a Path
Last reviewed: July 11, 1997

Article ID: Q165718



BETA INFORMATION BETA INFORMATION  BETA INFORMATION  BETA

This article discusses a Beta release of a Microsoft product. The information in this article is provided as-is and is subject to change without notice.

No formal product support is available from Microsoft for this Beta product. For information about obtaining support for a Beta release, please see the documentation included with the Beta product files, or check the Web location from which you downloaded the release.

BETA INFORMATION BETA INFORMATION  BETA INFORMATION  BETA

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 3.0, 3.01, 3.02, 4.0 for Windows 95
 * Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 3.0, 3.01, 3.02, 4.0 for Windows NT 4.0

SYMPTOMS
When you are installing Internet Explorer, you may receive the following error message:

Error, Installation failed: Unable to determine or construct a path for the Program Files folder In Internet Explorer 4.0, components may not be installed, and you may see a red X next to the affected components in the component list.

CAUSE
This error can occur for any of the following reasons:


 * The Program Files folder has been renamed. Internet Explorer Setup checks the HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ ProgramFilesDir registry key for the correct name of the Program Files folder.
 * When Windows 95 was installed there was already a folder named Program or Programs. This caused the Program Files folder to have a short file name other than Progra~1.
 * Long file names have been damaged.
 * In Windows 95, the value NameNumericTail has been added to the Hkey_Local_Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem registry key with a value of 0.
 * In Windows NT 4.0, the value NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation has been added to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ FileSystem registry key with a value of 1.

RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, use the appropriate method:

  Check the following registry key: Hkey_Local_Machine\Software\Micorsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ ProgramFilesDir By default, this key contains a path similar to C:\Program Files. Make sure this folder exists. NOTE: You can change this key to match the folder you are actually using in the root folder for the Program Files folder.  Rename the Program folder to something else and then reinstall Windows 95 to fix the registry information. Reinstall Windows 95 to restore the long file names.  Delete the "NameNumericTale=0" value from the following Windows 95 registry key: Hkey_Local_Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem Then, using Windows Explorer or My Computer, rename the Program Files folder to Programs.fld. Then, rename the Programs.fld folder to Program Files. Renaming the folder forces a new short name for the folder to be generated.   Change the value of the NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation key to 0 (zero) in the following Windows NT registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem Then, using Windows Explorer or My Computer, rename the Program Files folder to Programs.fld. Then, rename the Programs.fld folder to Program Files. Renaming the folder forces a new short name for the folder to be generated. 

STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Internet Explorer 4.0 Platform Preview 1. This problem does not occur with Internet Explorer 4.0 Platform Preview 2. To obtain Internet Explorer 4.0 Platform Preview 2, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/ie/ie40/

MORE INFORMATION
For more information, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: Q148594 TITLE    : "NameNumericTail=0" Value Causes Problems for Some Programs Various tools and components installed in the Program Files folder may use short file names internally or during installation. If the short name for the Program Files folder is different from the short name expected by a tool or component, the problems described in this article may occur. This problem can affect any program installed in the Program Files folder.