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Article: Q90381
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 3.x Retail Product
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.1,3.11,95
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): win95
Last Modified: 16-DEC-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows for Workgroups versions 3.1, 3.11 
- Microsoft Windows 95 
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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.

Additional query words: 3.10 3.11 lanmanager postoffice vredir maximum

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Keywords          : win95 
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbWin95search kbWFWSearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbWFW310 kbWFW311
Version           : WINDOWS:3.1,3.11,95

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Q90381: WFWG Server, Share, and Mail Naming Conventions