The Microsoft Windows UNC, short for Universal Naming Convention or Uniform Naming Convention, specifies a common syntax to describe the location of a network resource, such as a shared file, directory, or printer. The UNC syntax for Windows systems has the generic form:
\\ComputerName\SharedFolder\ResourceMicrosoft often refers to this as a "network path".
Some Microsoft Windows interfaces also allow or require UNC syntax for WebDAV share access, rather than a URL. The UNC syntax is extended with optional components to denote use of SSL and TCP/IP port number, a WebDAV URL of http://HostName/SharedFolder/Resource becomes
Note: The UNC syntax sometimes appears written with slashes. Microsoft Windows treats slashes and back slashes in this context as equivalent. However, many programs will accept only backward slashes, and some will only accept double backslashes (i.e. \\\\ComputerName\\SharedFolder), especially in quoted string-constants, due to the standard use of backslash as an escape character.
When viewed remotely, the "SharedFolder" may have a name different to that a program on the server sees when opening "\SharedFolder". Instead, the SharedFolder name consists of an arbitrary name assigned to the folder when defining its "sharing".
Some Microsoft Windows interfaces also accept the "Long UNC":
\\?\UNC\ComputerName\SharedFolder\ResourceMicrosoft Windows uses the following types of paths:
- local file system (LFS), such as
C:\File - uniform naming convention (UNC), such as
\\Server\Volume\File - long UNC or UNCW, such as
\\?\C:\Fileor\\?\UNC\Server\Volume\File
In versions of Windows prior to Windows XP, only the APIs that accept "Long UNC" could accept more than 260 characters.
The shell in Windows XP and Windows Vista, explorer.exe, allows path names up to 248 characters long.
Read more about this topic: Path (computing)
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