WFWG Server, Share, and Mail Naming Conventions (90381)

SUMMARY

The following name length limitations exist in Microsoft Windows for Workgroups (WFWG) and Windows 95:

   Server Name:                   15 characters (including spaces)
   Share Name:                    12 characters (including spaces)
   Workgroup Post Office Share:    8 characters

NOTE: The Windows for Workgroups 3.11 redirector can access servers with 48-character share names (including spaces) for compatibility with DEC and other networks that support long share names.

MORE INFORMATION

Windows for Workgroups Servers and Shares

Windows for Workgroups has a NetBIOS-imposed limitation of 15 characters for server names and 12 characters for share names.

Although server names and share names can contain spaces, other machines on the network may not see the names as valid. Other Workgroups Connections, Windows for Workgroups, and LAN Manager 2.1 machines on the network can see server and share names with spaces. However, other machines, such as Windows NT 3.1 machines, cannot see the server and share names as valid if they include spaces.

To connect to a Windows for Workgroups share from Workgroups Connections, an MS-DOS Prompt session, or Microsoft LAN Manager 2.1, you must use the following format on the NET USE command line:

net use x: "\\servername\sharename"

NOTE: the quotation marks MUST be included if there are spaces in either the server name or the share name.

Workgroup Mail

The Windows for Workgroups Mail client cannot connect to a Workgroup post office if the share name contains more than 8 characters, or if the Workgroup post office server name or share name contains any spaces. For example:

\\ser ver\wgpo (Invalid Workgroups post office server/share name) \\server\wg po (Invalid server/share name) \\server\wgpo (Valid server/share name)

We recommend that the share name "WGPO" be used for consistency across all Workgroup post offices.