Err Msg: Setup Must Be Able to Create Short Filenames...

• Microsoft Windows 98
• Microsoft Windows 95
• Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to upgrade Windows 95 to Windows 98 or Windows 98 Second Edition, you may receive the following error message:

Setup must be able to create short filenames with numeric tails for files with names longer than 8 characters. Enable this option and try running Setup again.

CAUSE

This error message can occur if the NameNumericTail string value with a data value of 0 exists in the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem

RESOLUTION

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys and Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).

To resolve this behavior, follow these steps:

1. Use Registry Editor to delete the NameNumericTail string value in the following registry key:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem




2. Restart your computer.



3. Run Windows 98 Setup again.

MORE INFORMATION

The "NameNumericTail=0" value causes the 8.3 alias for long file names not to use a numeric tail (a tilde [~] followed by a digit at the end of the file name). For example, if you add the "NameNumericTail=0" value to the registry (as documented on page 688 of the Microsoft Windows 95 Resource Kit), the 8.3 alias for the Program Files folder may be changed from Progra~1 to Programf. This can cause problems if you attempt to run or install a program that uses the Program Files folder.

For additional information about long file name support in Windows, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information about , please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q142982 How Windows Generates 8.3 File Names from Long File Names

Additional query words:

Keywords          : kbenv kberrmsg kbsetup win95 win98 win98se 
Version           : WINDOWS:95
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb 

Last Reviewed: June 16, 1999