Valid characters for network share

Question

What characters are allowed and not allowed in Windows network share names?

For example, are spaces or apostrophes allowed? E.g. \\srv1\my share\ and \\srv1\foo'bar\

score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 21 '19 at 11:06

4

Refer to the official microsoft documentation, pretty much all is allowed but slashes, angular brackets etc.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/fileio/naming-a-file

answered Jan 21 '19 at 11:06

Lian

58
5

yagmoth555 · Answer 2 · 2019-01-21T13:20:56.070

4

To add a bit of information, localized char, like é, è, à, etc.., in a share name can get non unicode compliant application to behave badly.

In example QuickBook will throw random error while openning a DB on a share with localized char.

As such I suggest to use non localized share name even if technically you can use them.

edited Jan 21 '19 at 13:20

answered Jan 21 '19 at 13:12

yagmoth555

16,758
4
29
50

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Feb 08 '21 at 15:52

I've recently ran across an issue with "#" when in Outlook email and creating hyperlinks to folders. The hyperlinks are on LAN shared folders. Users can successfully link to a folder with a "#" in the name but not sub-folders of the folder with "#" in the name.

S:\Folder\Sub-Folder\folder\FOLDER 9\ | (GOOD) S:\Folder\Sub-Folder\folder\FOLDER 9\Folder – 1\Folder\Folder\Folder | (GOOD) S:\Folder\Sub-Folder\folder\FOLDER 9\Folder - 1\Mary #5\ | (GOOD) S:\Folder\Sub-Folder\folder\FOLDER 9\Folder - 1\Mary #5\Folder\ | (FAILED)

Same result via UNC.

Hope this helps.

Interesting! I wonder if the issue arise because Outlook somehow interpret those paths as anchors. (Like in a HTTP URL.) Good catch! — Carl Winbäck, Feb 09 '21 at 06:55

Valid characters for network share

3 Answers3