GetWindowsDirectory May Return Incorrect Data

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This article was previously published under Q215358

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SYMPTOMS

Out of process COM server applications that attempt to discover the location of the Windows folder by calling the GetWindowsDirectory() API may fail when run on Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition.

For example, when the Orgchart application supplied with Microsoft Office is started as an embedded object, Orgchart fails with the following error message when it tries to write to the Windows folder:

Unable to load MS Organization Chart. Press F1 for Help.

This message is followed by:

The server application, source file, or item can't be found. You should reinstall the server application.

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CAUSE

On Windows NT Server, Terminal Server Edition, the GetWindowsDirectory() API should return the user's home folder, not the real Windows folder. The real Windows folder is write-protected for "ordinary" users. When the server application (Orgchart.exe in the above example) subsequently attemps to write to the folder, the write request fails.

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RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

152734 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/152734/EN-US/ ) How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack

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STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition Service Pack 4.

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