The shortcut (.lnk file) is returned instead of the file or the folder that is referenced by the path in the shortcut in the Open or in the Save dialog box in Windows XP or in Windows Server 2003

When you select a shortcut .lnk file in the Open dialog box or in the Save dialog box, the actual .lnk file is returned instead of the folder or the file that is referenced by the path in the shortcut. This problem does not occur when a filter string is specified. In this case, the file or folder that is referenced is returned as expected and as described in the documentation.

Note This problem also occurs when you use the CommonDialog control in Microsoft Visual Basic.

This problem occurs because Microsoft Windows XP and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 handle the OFN_NODEREFERENCELINKS flag incorrectly when a filter string is not specified.

Windows Server 2003

A supported hotfix is not currently available for Windows Server 2003.

Windows XP

Service pack information

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

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.

Prerequisites

You must be running Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later to install this hotfix. For additional information about how to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:How to Obtain the Latest Windows XP Service Pack

File information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

To work around this problem if you have access to the source code, specify a filter string to the OPENFILENAME structure before the code calls the GetOpenFileName or the GetSaveFileName function. For example:If you are working with Visual Basic, set a file string to the Filter property of the CommonDialog control. For example:

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section. This problem was first corrected in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2.

For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: