Microsoft KB Archive/169888

= User-Define Path Dropped When User and System Paths Too Large =

Article ID: 169888

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q169888



SYMPTOMS
The user-defined path is dropped when logging on if the system and user paths are more than 512 bytes when combined.



CAUSE
The calculation to determine the number of characters in the path was incorrect.



RESOLUTION
To work around this problem, shorten the user-defined path.

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, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. 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.



MORE INFORMATION
The maximum length of the combined system and user-defined path variables is 1,023 characters. This does not includes the "path=" portion of either.

The system path is limited to the maximum path length of 1,023 characters. The user-defined path is limited to maximum 511 characters, but is limited to 1,023 minus the system path.

It is possible that the system path can use the total allocated environment space, causing the user-defined path to get truncated or not show up at all.

Keywords: kbhotfixserver kbqfe kbenv kbfix kbprb KB169888

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