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Q263324: Create Shortcut Command Truncates Source Path Folder Names

Article: Q263324
Product(s): Microsoft Systems Management Server
Version(s): 1.0,2.0,2000,4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbtool kbui kbsms200preSP3
Last Modified: 08-AUG-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional 
- Microsoft Systems Management Server Installer versions 1.0, 2.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When you create shortcuts and specify a long file name in the target path, the
path is truncated if the hard disk for the target does not exist. For example,
create a shortcut with the following target:

J:\Mydirectory\Myapplication.exe

If drive J does not exist, the path is truncated to:

J:\Mydirect\Mypplica.exe

CAUSE
=====

This problem can occur because the shell cannot determine whether the hard disk
supports long file names, so the path is truncated to be acceptable to all file
systems.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products that are
listed at the beginning of this article.

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

This problem may be observed when you use any of the following methods to create
shortcuts:

- The Systems Management Server (SMS) Installer Create Shortcut Method

- The VBScript Create Shortcut Method

- The IShellLink Interface Method

The SMS Installer Create Shortcut Method
----------------------------------------

An extract from an SMS Installer .ipf file that demonstrates the problem:

item: Create Shortcut
 Source English=X:\Pw32\Alongdirectory\Blongdirectory\Longfilename.exe
 Destination English=C:\Winnt\Shortcut123.lnk
 Key Type English=1536
 Flags=00000001
end

If you compile a script with this extract and you run it after you have ensured
that drive X does not exist, you can observe that the shortcut is created, but
the target path is truncated to:

X:\Pw32\Alongdir\Blongdir\Longfile.exe

If you connect drive X to a share or use a subst command to point to a local
drive and you run the script again, the shortcut is created with the correct
target path:

X:\Pw32\Alongdirectory\Blongdirectory\Longfilename.exe

This problem is not caused by the SMS Installer. This problem occurs because the
SMS Installer uses the IShellLink interface (refer to "The IShellLink Interface
Method") to create shortcuts. The SMS Installer passes the full correct path
name to the IShellLink interface, but the path is truncated when the
IShellLink::SetPath operation is performed.

The VBScript Create Shortcut method
-----------------------------------

A sample VBScript that demonstrates the problem:

  set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
  set oShellLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut("d:\" & "\Long filename Shortcut .lnk")
  oShellLink.TargetPath = "j:\my long directory\myapplication.exe"
  oShellLink.WindowStyle = 1
  oShellLink.Hotkey = "CTRL+SHIFT+F"
  oShellLink.Description = "Long Filename Shortcut"
  oShellLink.Save

When you run this script and drive J does not exist, you can observe the created
shortcut, but the target path is:

J:\My_long_\Myapplic.exe

NOTE: Any characters that are not normally supported by file systems that do not
want long file names, such as the space character, are replaced by the
underscore symbol "_".

To work around this problem, you can use the subst command to point drive J to a
local hard disk:

  set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
  Dim ret
  'subst a drive to make the mapping work
  ret = WshShell.Run ("cmd /c subst j: c:\", 0, TRUE)
  set oShellLink = WshShell.CreateShortcut("d:\" & "\Long filename Shortcut .lnk")
  oShellLink.TargetPath = "j:\my long directory\myapplication.exe"
  oShellLink.WindowStyle = 1
  oShellLink.Hotkey = "CTRL+SHIFT+F"
  oShellLink.Description = "Long Filename Shortcut"
  oShellLink.Save
  'remove the subst
  ret = WshShell.Run ("cmd /c subst j: /d", 0, TRUE)

This command points drive J to drive C. If drive C supports long file names, the
command creates a shortcut with the following target path:

J:\My long directory\Myapplication.exe

You can also use WshNetwork.MapNetworkDrive to connect drive J to a known share,
create the shortcut as outlined in the preceding steps, and then remove drive J
by using WshNetwork.RemoveNetworkDrive.

The IShellLink Interface Method
-------------------------------

An extract of code that demonstrates the problem by using the IShellLink
interface in Microsoft Visual C++:

  HRESULT hres; 

  IShellLink* psl; 
   
      // Get a pointer to the IShellLink interface. 
      hres = CoCreateInstance(CLSID_ShellLink, NULL, 
          CLSCTX_INPROC_SERVER, IID_IShellLink, (LPVOID *) &psl); 
      if (SUCCEEDED(hres)) { 
          IPersistFile* ppf; 
   
          // Set the path to the shortcut target and add the 
          // description. 
          hres = psl->SetPath("X:\\azertyuiop\\azertyuiop.exe");

You must use IPersistFile::Save to write the shortcut to disk. This action
results in a target path of:

X:\Azertyui\Azertyui.exe

This problem occurs on all versions of Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbtool kbui kbsms200preSP3 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT400search kbwin2000Search kbwin2000ProSearch kbwin2000Pro kbSMSSearch kbSMSI100 kbSMSI200
Version           : :1.0,2.0,2000,4.0
Issue type        : kbprb
Solution Type     : kbnofix

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