ACC: Invalid Path Error Message Using UNC with 10+ Characters

ID: Q105514

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

If you attempt to use a universal naming convention (UNC) path in Microsoft Access in which the server name is longer than 10 characters or contains spaces, you get the following error message

\\<servername>\<sharename> isn't a valid path

even though valid UNC server names can be up to 15 characters and can contain spaces.

For example, the path 

   SystemDB=\\s234567890\ANYSHARE\SYSTEM.MDA

works correctly, but the following UNC paths cause the above error message to appear: 

   SystemDB=\\s2345678901\ANYSHARE\SYSTEM.MDA
   SystemDB=\\s2345 7890\ANYSHARE\SYSTEM.MDA


CAUSE

This problem is not caused directly by Microsoft Access, but rather by an external host, such as Microsoft Windows for Workgroups, or by a network problem. Microsoft Access does not parse UNC paths; it hands them off to external processes.


RESOLUTION

One way to work around this problem is to connect the server to a logical drive before using Microsoft Access and then reference the logical drive instead of the server.

For example, you want to use a server named \\MY SERVER\MYSHARE, and you are using Microsoft LAN Manager. To reference this server, type: 


   NET USE F: \\MY SERVER\MYSHARE

In your MSACCESS.INI file, reference it as follows: 

   SystemDB=F:\SYSTEM.MDA


STATUS

This behavior no longer occurs in Microsoft Access version 7.0, which can handle UNC names larger than 10 characters.

Additional query words: attaching 


Keywords          : kbenv 
Version           : 1.0 1.1 2.0
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: March 26, 1999