Microsoft KB Archive/289623

= FP2000: HTTP 404 Error When You Browse Folder with Percent Sign in Name =

Article ID: 289623

Article Last Modified on 10/1/2002

-

APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5
 * Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0
 * Microsoft FrontPage 2000 Standard Edition

-



This article was previously published under Q289623



SYMPTOMS
When you attempt to browse a folder that contains a percent sign in the name, you may receive an error message similar to the following:

HTTP/1.1 404 Object Not Found



CAUSE
A percent sign is used to define an &quot;escape sequence&quot; in a Web address, according to section &quot;2.4. Escape Sequences&quot; in the Request for Comment (RFC) article number 2396.



MORE INFORMATION
Escape sequences are used in a URL to allow characters that may exist in a folder or file name that are not allowed in a URL. The syntax for an escape sequence is defined as a percent sign followed by two hex digits (for example, %A1, %2B, and so on). When you name a folder with a percent sign, if the characters following the percent sign happen to be valid hex characters, the folder name may not be resolved correctly. For example:
 * Naming a folder &quot;100%DAD&quot; may fail, because the two characters following the percent sign are valid hex characters. In this case, the &quot;%DA&quot; sequence may be misinterpreted as character 218, which, depending on the character set being used, may be a &quot;Latin Capital U with Acute&quot;. This results in a Web request for a folder name that may not physically exist on the server.
 * Naming a folder &quot;100%MOM&quot; may work, because the two characters following the percent sign are not valid hex characters.

