Filenames change when Macs OSX save to W2K Server

[Lee W.]

I'm running Windows 2000 Server as a domain controller
with 3 PC clients, one XP Pro, one 2000 Pro, and one XP
Home, and two Mac 0S 10.2 clients. The Mac clients connect
via TCP/IP. The appletalk service is not installed on the
server. When an application running on one of the macs
opens and then saves a file on the Windows server, the
file name is changed by the addition of the time stamp or
an incremented number depending on the application.
For example:
If a Powercad drawing named "Headquarter Floorplan
September" is opened and then saved, the file name is
changed to "Headquarters Floorplan Septem11-04-56".
If an Excel document named "Renovation Budget 2nd Revision
September 2003" is opened and saved, the file name is
changed to Renovation Budget 2nd Revision Septemb#18"
This only happens to files opened from and saved to the
Windows server; the same files when stored locally on the
mac's harddrive are not renamed when opened and saved.
I'd like to stop this name changing. Anyone know why this
happening and how to stop it?
Thanks,
Lee
..

 

[Jim Seifert [MSFT]]

Microsoft Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2003 Server, File Services for
Macintosh implement AFP 2.2 specification support. This specification has a
31 character file name limit. Mac OS X clients support the newer AFP 3.0
version that supports longer file names.



You can connect to your Server shares from your Mac OS X clients by using
the Connect to Server Address box and entering smb://<servername> instead of
afp://<servername>. Connections made via smb do not use File Services for
Macintosh shares and do not have the AFP 2.2 limitations.

 

[Jim Seifert]

Microsoft Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2003 Server,
File Services for Macintosh implement AFP 2.2
specification support. This specification has a 31
character file name limit. Mac OS X clients support the
newer AFP 3.0 version and with that supports longer file
names.

You can connect to your Windows Server shares from Mac OS
X clients by using the Connect to Server Address box and
entering smb://<servername> instead of
afp://<servername>. Connections made via smb do not use
File Services for Macintosh shares and do not have the AFP
2.2 limitations.

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
confers no rights.

 

[Lee W.]

Jim,
Thanks for your prompt response.
You are right, there is a 31 character limit being imposed
on file names.
I am, however, already connection the Macs to the Windows
server using the method you suggested as a fix:
smb://<servername> instead of afp://<servername>
The shares have always been smb, never afp.
Appletalk is disabled on the Macs and in response to your
suggestion I also disable File Services for Macintosh
service on the Windows server -- thinking that perhaps it
was imposing the 31 character limitation even with the smb
shares. Still the limitation persists. Any other ideas as
to why this might be happening? I need to get this fixed
ASAP and am will to cut over to paid MS paid techsupport.
Do you suggest I do that?
Thank,
Lee

 

[William M. Smith]

Jim,
Thanks for your prompt response.
You are right, there is a 31 character limit being imposed
on file names.
I am, however, already connection the Macs to the Windows
server using the method you suggested as a fix:
smb://<servername> instead of afp://<servername>
The shares have always been smb, never afp.
Appletalk is disabled on the Macs and in response to your
suggestion I also disable File Services for Macintosh
service on the Windows server -- thinking that perhaps it
was imposing the 31 character limitation even with the smb
shares. Still the limitation persists. Any other ideas as
to why this might be happening? I need to get this fixed
ASAP and am will to cut over to paid MS paid techsupport.
Do you suggest I do that?

Hi Lee!

Are you saving files onto the server from within applications? Many Mac apps
are still Carbon (work in both Mac OS 9 and X) and impose the 31 character
limit themselves. Are you able to simply browse the server share and name
any files longer than 31 characters? If so, then this may be your problem.

Hope this helps! bill

 

[Lee W.]

Bill,
Thanks for your response. The truncation is happening
with Office X applications -- Excel, Word, & Etc. Is
Office X a carbon application? I would have assumed it
was Cocoa.
A similar problem is happening with PowerCADD. Unlike
office which replaces charcters 29 through 31 with #xx,
PowerCadd gives a error message and then changes the file
name, whether 31 character or less, by replacing the end
characters of the file name with a time stamp: 3.55.03 PM
Any insight into this behavior, fixes and workarounds from
you or anywone would be appreciated.
Thank,
Lee

 

[Jim Seifert [MSFT]]

Macintosh Office X applications are carbon. William's post is correct, this
is an application limitation and different applications will impose it
differently as you are seeing . A couple apps I tried did not have this
limitation and you can rename past the applications 29/31 character limit
from your OS X clients on a Windows Server.