RE: long filename issue in Win9x

From: Jesper M. Johansson (jjohanssat_private)
Date: Wed Jul 18 2001 - 09:08:44 PDT

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    >make a 'PROGRAM.EXE' executable in your C:\, and reboot windows. 99%
    chance
    >it will start up something like this
    >"C:\PROGRAM files\Internet Explorer\blah blah /systray"
    
    >Now PROGRAM will be invoked, with then rest as a parameter list. This
    caused
    >me a headache, because I didn't know where to start
    
    This does not have anything to do with long filenames, but rather the
    problem that many developers do not properly quote paths when they put
    them in the <hive>\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run key. If
    you have an entry like this, with quotes:
    
    
    "C:\Program Files\ResponsibleDevIsUs\someBinary.exe"
    
    In that key, then everything is copasetic. However, if the entry looks
    like this, without quotes:
    
    C:\Program Files\IrresponsibleProgrammingCorp\someBinary.exe
    
    Then the system will interpret this string as two strings: "C:\Program"
    and "Files\IrresponsibleProgrammingCorp\someBinary.exe". The first will
    match your rogue executable, and the other will simply fail, and you
    might get an error message.
    
    Note that (1) there are more locations than the one I listed above where
    this can happen, and (2) if you are concerned about users putting rogue
    executables into your %systemdrive% (which you should be) you should ACL
    that directory so that they cannot do so.
    
    Jesper M. Johansson
    



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