Microsoft KB Archive/288116

= FP98: Percent Sign in URL Returns HTTP 404 Error =

Article ID: 288116

Article Last Modified on 10/1/2002

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5
 * Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0
 * Microsoft FrontPage 98 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q288116



For a Microsoft FrontPage 2002 version of this article, see 289624.



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

HTTP/1.1 404 Object Not Found



CAUSE
A percent sign defines an &quot;escape sequence&quot; in a Web address, as described in section &quot;2.4. Escape Sequences,&quot; in the Request for Comment (RFC) article number 2396.



MORE INFORMATION
Escape sequences are used in a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to allow characters that may appear in a folder or file name, but are not allowed in a URL. The syntax for an escape sequence is defined as a percent sign, followed by two hexadecimal digits, (for example, %A1, %2B, and so on).

When you name a folder to have a percent sign, if the characters following the percent sign are valid hexadecimal characters, the folder name may not be resolved correctly, for example:
 * A folder named 100%DAD may not work, because the two characters following the percent sign are valid hexadecimal characters. In this case, the &quot;%DA&quot; sequence may be misinterpreted as character 218, which, depending on the character set that is 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.
 * A folder named 100%MOM may work, because the two characters following the percent sign are not valid hexadecimal characters.

Additional References
For more information about this topic, please see the following Web sites:

RFC 2396 Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI): Generic Syntax

RFC 2396 Hypertext Transfer Protocol - HTTP/1.1

284278 FP2000: Cannot Open a Subweb with an Ampersand Character in the Name

Additional query words: front page

Keywords: kbprb KB288116

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