Error Message "Directory Is Not a Subdirectory of the Root Directory" When You Connect to a Share on Windows NT 4.0 NTFS Partition

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This article was previously published under Q167871

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SYMPTOMS

When you try to connect to a share on a computer running Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0 through a UNC name, you may receive one of the following error messages:

The directory is not a subdirectory of the root directory

-or-

Application Execution Error

Access to the specified device, path or file is denied.

This occurs only when you connect to a share on a Windows NT version 4.0 NTFS partition from a Windows NT version 3.51 client, using one of the applications listed at the beginning of this article.

These symptoms may also occur in Systems Management Server with a Windows NT 3.51 Systems Management Server site server and a Windows NT 4.0 logon or distribution server. An Error 144 may be seen in the Maintman.log file when Systems Management Server checks for free disk space on the logon or distribution server.

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RESOLUTION

To work around the problem, perform one of the following steps:

Map a network drive to the share.

- or-
Rather than sharing a folder off another subfolder, share the folder that resides directly off the root drive.

- or -
In Program Manager, click File, and then type the UNC path and filename to the document.

- or -
Upgrade the Windows NT version 3.51 clients to Windows NT version 4.0.

- or -
Upgrade the Microsoft Office 95 clients to Microsoft Office 97 because this problem does not occur in Office 97.

For additional information on share name limitations of Windows 95, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: 160843 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/160843/EN-US/ )
Title : Windows 95/98 Clients Cannot See Long Share Names

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or 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 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition Service Pack 4.

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MORE INFORMATION

The above symptom does not occur in the following scenarios:

Connecting from a Windows NT 4.0 client to a Windows NT 4.0 share.
Connecting from a Windows 95 client to either Windows NT 3.51 or Windows NT 4.0 shares.
Connecting to a share located on a FAT partition.

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