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ERROR_INVALID_SHARENAME
The specified network share name is invalid.
ERROR_INVALID_SHARENAME has decimal value 1215 (0x4BF). Windows or a network provider rejected the share-name component supplied for creation, lookup, connection, or publication. The error concerns the name format, not whether the backing directory exists.
Separate the share name from the UNC path
A share name is typically the component after the server in \\server\share. APIs such as NetShareAdd receive the share name and local path in different structure members. Supplying the entire UNC path as the share name, including separators, or placing the local directory in that field can trigger 1215.
Input and policy checks
- verify that the name is nonempty and has no unintended leading or trailing spaces
- keep path separators, URI punctuation, and control characters out of the share field
- confirm length limits and provider-specific restrictions
- treat a trailing dollar sign as an administrative visibility convention, not a universal escape
- distinguish a requested share name from its descriptive remark
What to log
Record the target server, escaped share name, local path, share type, calling API, and parameter index when available. Do not log share passwords or unrelated credentials. If a wrapper converts a NET_API_STATUS to Win32, preserve both the original status and 1215 for support analysis.
Creation workflow
Validate the proposed name before changing filesystem ACLs or creating the backing directory. Then validate the local path and permissions independently. This ordering prevents a failed share-name check from leaving behind partially provisioned directories or broad access-control changes.
Handling existing resources
An invalid name is different from a duplicate share. If the syntax is valid but a share already exists, inspect and compare its path, type, and security descriptor before deciding whether the request is idempotent. Never “fix” 1215 by deleting an unrelated existing share.
Related errors
ERROR_INVALID_NETNAME covers a broader network-resource name. NERR_DuplicateShare or an already-exists result indicates a valid name collision. ERROR_BAD_NET_NAME is commonly returned when a named remote share is not present.
Example
A provisioning system passes \\FS01\Reports into shi2_netname and D:\Reports into the path field. NetShareAdd returns 1215 because shi2_netname should contain only Reports. Splitting the structured resource into server, share, and local path resolves the issue.
References
- Microsoft: System Error Codes (1000–1299)
- Microsoft: NetShareAdd function
- Microsoft: SHARE_INFO_2 structure
- Microsoft: Naming a Network Resource
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