HOW TO: Configure File Name Character Translation in Server for NFS to Support a UNIX-to-Windows Migration

Both UNIX and Windows include a set of valid file name characters; however, these sets are different for each program. If you do not turn on and configure character translation, Server for NFS cannot create some valid UNIX file names and you may receive an error message if you try to create a file. The following list includes examples of characters that are supported in file names in UNIX but are not supported in Windows:

• Asterisk (*)
• Colon (:)
• Question mark (?)

Creating a Character Translation File for Server for NFS

To create a character translation file for Server for NFS, you must use a pure ASCII text editor, such as Notepad. Do not use a word processing program. The format of the file is a list of mapped characters and their translations. The following text is an example of an entry in the file, where nn is the hexadecimal value for the character and the character is shown in double-byte mode:

    0xnn 0xnn : 0xnn 0xnn [ ; comment]

All text on the line after a semi-colon is ignored as a comment. To use the translation file to map the question mark (?) to a dash (-), type the following line in the file:

    0x00 0x3f : 0x00 0x2d ; replace client ? with server dash "-"

To prevent problems, you may want to translate the following characters:

• Asterisk (*): 2a
• Colon (:): 3a
• Question mark (?): 3f

Note The hexadecimal numbers in the character translation file must be exactly two digits.

Configuring Server for NFS to Use a Character Translation File

1. Log on to the Server for NFS computer by using an administrative level account.
2. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Services for UNIX, and then click Services for UNIX Administration.
3. Click the Server for NFS pane, and then click the Server Settings tab.
4. Under File name handling, click to select the Translate File names check box.
5. Type the full path to the translation file that you created in the Use character translation files box, or click Browse to locate the file.
6. Click Apply.

For additional information about performing maintenance tasks after migrating from UNIX to Windows, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: