User-Define Path Dropped When User and System Paths Too Large (169888)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Terminal Server Edition
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
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.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:9/23/2005
Keywords:kbHotfixServer kbQFE kbenv kbfix kbprb KB169888
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