You Cannot Start a Program That Uses a Manifest File That Is Stored on a Windows NT 4.0 Server (316625)

SYMPTOMS

If you try to start a program that uses Windows XP visual styles and is stored on a share on a Microsoft Windows NT 4.0-based server, you may receive an error message. This problem occurs with programs that use an external manifest file (that is, a file with a .manifest extension). If you try to start the program by using the graphical user interface (GUI), you receive the following error message:

The parameter is incorrect.

If you try to start the program from a command prompt, you receive the following error message:

The system cannot execute the specified program.

The problem occurs whether you try to start the program by using a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path or a mapped network drive. The problem does not occur if the files are stored on a Microsoft Windows 2000-based or Windows XP-based computer.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because Windows XP uses a function that is not supported by Windows NT 4.0 (or earlier versions) to verify information about external manifest files.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows XP. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322389 How to Obtain the Latest Windows XP Service Pack

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:

   Date         Time   Version      Size     File name
   ------------------------------------------------------
   11-Feb-2002  11:43  5.1.2600.28  898,048  Kernel32.dll

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, the developer can rebuild the program file to include the manifest as a resource. The problem does not occur if the manifest is included as a resource in the program file.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was first corrected in Windows XP Service Pack 1.

MORE INFORMATION

To use the themed appearance in its window and the common controls, a program must use Comctl32.dll version 6. This is done by using a program manifest, as documented in the "Using Windows XP Visual Styles" topic in the Microsoft Platform SDK documentation. The manifest can be either a resource in the program file or an external file with a .manifest extension.