error: "Windows cannot access the specified device, path or file"

  • 3078831
  • 31-Aug-2007
  • 27-Apr-2012

Environment

Novell Client for Windows 2000/XP/2003 4.91 Support Pack 2
Novell Client for Windows 2000/XP/2003 4.91 Support Pack 3
Novell Client for Windows 2000/XP/2003 4.91 Support Pack 4
Novell NetWare 6.5 Support Pack 5
Novell NetWare 6.5 Support Pack 6
Microsoft Windows XP Professional Windows XP Professional Support Pack 2
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7

Situation

When trying to install an application to an XP SP2 workstation with installation files located on a server volume, a dialog with this error message appears: "Windows cannot access the specified device, path or file"

Resolution

In the IE7 Security settings, Miscellaneous section, inspect the "Launching applications and unsafe files" settings. On the test workstation, this was set to Disable. After changing it to Prompt, the application installer would run after clicking through a warning dialog.
In one case, the installation would run if the install directory were copied to the local drive, but wouldn't run over the network.
Another setting that comes into play, specifically with MS Access databases on network drives, is the "Automatically detect Intranet Network". Check out this link at Microsoft.
This also affects machines that launch executables via a login script. Unchecking the "Automatically detect Intranet Network" setting as described in the Microsoft forum post will also clear up the login script issue.