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Q269272: Mail Client Address List Truncated Using "Mailto:" Link

Article: Q269272
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 4.0,4.0 SP1,4.0 SP2,4.0 SP3,4.0 SP4,4.0 SP5,4.0 SP6,4.0 SP6a
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbWinNT400PreSP7Fix
Last Modified: 08-MAY-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 4.0, 4.0 SP1, 4.0 SP2, 4.0 SP3, 4.0 SP4, 4.0 SP5, 4.0 SP6, 4.0 SP6a 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When you click a hyperlink that uses a "Mailto" Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
with a recipient list that exceeds 260 characters, a truncated address list may
be created in the e-mail program that is started (such as Microsoft Outlook or
Microsoft Outlook Express).

CAUSE
=====

This is a Windows NT 4.0 limitation. The URL is passed to a Windows NT 4.0 shell
function (ShellExecute) to create a process for the mail client to run under.
The Shell function passes the address list as a parameter and the variable used
for that parameter is declared as a fixed size buffer (260 bytes). When the mail
client is started and the address list is passed as a parameter, the address
list is limited to 260 bytes.

RESOLUTION
==========

One possible workaround is to place the members of the recipient list in a
distribution list and reference the distribution list alias in the "Mailto" URL.

STATUS
======

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

This issue does not occur in Microsoft Windows 2000.


Additional query words:

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Keywords          : kbWinNT400PreSP7Fix 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTW400sp5 kbWinNTW400sp4 kbWinNTW400sp3 kbWinNTW400sp2 kbWinNTW400sp1 kbWinNTW400sp6 kbWinNTW400SP6a
Version           : :4.0,4.0 SP1,4.0 SP2,4.0 SP3,4.0 SP4,4.0 SP5,4.0 SP6,4.0 SP6a
Hardware          : ALPHA x86
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix

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