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Q164542: MGET to an IBM Host FTP Server Returns Garbage Characters

Article: Q164542
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): winnt:3.51,4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbnetworkkbbuglist kbfixlist
Last Modified: 08-AUG-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.51, 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.51, 4.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When you use the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) utility MGET command to an IBM
Host FTP server, the server may return garbage characters when the mode is set
to Image (Binary). For example, here is a sample of the output you may receive:

  ftp> bin
  200 Representation type is Image
  ftp> mget txt*
  mget ptpnptp=ptp=ptp(? Y
  Error opening local file ptpnptp=ptp=ptp(
  ptpnptp=ptp=ptp(:Invalid argument
  ftp>

CAUSE
=====

IBM Host (mainframe or mini-computer(S/38 or AS/400)) uses EBCDIC (Extended
Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code) as the character representation scheme.
Personal computers use ASCII. EBCDIC is an 8-bit code while ASCII is 7-bit.

When you set the mode to Image mode and send the MGET command as in the previous
example, the NLST command is sent to the IBM Host FTP server in binary format.
The IBM Host FTP server has no way of knowing if the client making the request
is an ASCII or EBCDIC client. It returns the list of files in its default
encoding scheme, which is EBCDIC. This causes the problem because personal
computers do not understand EBCDIC.

RESOLUTION
==========

Apply the hotfix mention in this article.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT versions 3.51 and
4.0. This problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 U.S.
Service Pack. For information on obtaining the service pack, query on the
following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

  S E R V P A C K


Additional query words: prodnt ftp

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Keywords          : kbnetwork kbbuglist kbfixlist
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT351search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTW351search kbWinNTW351 kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400 kbWinNTS351 kbWinNTS351search
Version           : winnt:3.51,4.0
Issue type        : kbbug

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