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Q195887: Shortcuts Created Under Terminal Server 4.0 Resolve to UNC Paths

Article: Q195887
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): _IK
Last Modified: 22-JUL-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition 
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IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you 
modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore 
the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the 
registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS
========

A Windows NT Terminal Server user may click a program's shortcut and be prompted
to "Enter Network Password," yet the properties of the shortcut indicate a
relative path to the local computer.

This problem may become evident where server-based profiles are used and the user
logs on to a computer other than the one where the shortcut was created.

CAUSE
=====

Shortcuts created on a computer automatically embed a Universal Naming
Convention (UNC) path such as \\<computer>\admin$ in the .lnk file. The
default shortcut resolution method is to resolve the link to the original
location of the file (the "absolute" path) before looking at another path of
where that file may or may not exist (the secondary or "relative" path). In this
case the UNC path to the original file is always reachable, which prevents the
link from being resolved through a local path. As a result, the user who tries
to use the shortcut is prompted for the administrator's password of the computer
that created the link.

RESOLUTION
==========

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for 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:

  Q152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack


Apply the updated Shell32.dll from the hotfix package and then change the
registry setting following the method described below. This registry change must
be made on the terminal server computer. This will change all existing shortcuts
that are showing the UNC path to the local relative path, and will affect all
terminal server clients that connect to the Windows Terminal Server.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems
that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot
guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor
incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To change the registry parameters, use the following procedure:

1. Run Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).

2. From the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE subtree, go to the following key:

  \Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

  NOTE: Add the Explorer subkey, if it does not exist.

3. Click Add Value on the Edit menu.

4. Add the following value:

  Value Name: LinkResolveIgnoreLinkInfo
  Data Type: REG_DWORD
  Data: 1 (enable)

5. Click OK.

6. Exit Registry Editor.

7. The user must log off and log on before the change takes place.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Windows NT Server 4.0,
Terminal Server Edition. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT Server
4.0, Terminal Server Edition Service Pack 4.

MORE INFORMATION
================

After the Shell32.dll file has been applied, the system resolves the relative
path to the shortcut as expected. If the shortcut does not have a relative path
and contains the UNC name to the executable or file to which the user does not
have rights or cannot connect, the following message is displayed:

  The file or folder "<filename>" that this shortcut refers to cannot be
  found.

For additional information about the issue resolved by this update to this
component, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  ARTICLE-ID: Q158682
  TITLE: Shortcuts Created Under Windows NT 4.0 Resolve to UNC Paths

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : _IK 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbNTTermServ400 kbNTTermServSearch
Version           : :4.0
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix

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