Windows 2003 server translates "_" to "%5F" in urls

pmj7 · 10-02-2006, 05:23 AM

The hosting company I'm with uses Windows 2003 servers, which translates "_" to "%5F" in urls.

Example:
http://www.suziemorettin.com/

Click on the 'Contact' link which should direct you to:
http://www.suziemorettin.com/09_Contact

You are sent to:
http://www.suziemorettin.com/09%5FContact/

Which works but looks ugly, and is plain wrong. Underscores are legitimate url characters, how do you enable Windows Server 2003 to stop messing with these characters? I've asked my hosting company and they haven't a clue. After a week of trying to get them to deal with it, they've asked me to figure it out!

"send us all the information on the "fix" we will gladly review it and implement it if we can."

BTW: Windows Server 2000 by default does not change underscore characters.

Thanks!

Peter

DaMCT · 10-02-2006, 02:17 PM

If the browser is adding the mysterious characters then it thinks there is a space in the name. If you access the page without the last slash (/) then IE adds the annoying characters; this is known as URL Encoding. When I put the last slash on the end

http://www.suziemorettin.com/09_Contact/

it correctly displays in the browser window. Check the location of the virtual folders and make sure there are no spaces in there.

pmj7 · 10-02-2006, 02:34 PM

Thanks for checking.

The folders were FTP'd directly from the old server - a Windows Server 2000 machiine, where there are no problems. There are no spaces. It has nothing to do with the browser as this happens in Firefox and Explorer, it's a Windows Server 2003 issue.

Why URL encode a legit character? Alphanumerics, dashes and underscores are all legitimate url characters.

Peter

**bilbus** · 10-02-2006, 07:27 PM

remove spaces web does not like spaces

pmj7 · 10-02-2006, 08:50 PM

Please re-read my messages, the url, and the url legal character definition.

There are no spaces.

Peter

**bilbus** · 10-03-2006, 12:51 PM

i get sent to http://www.suziemorettin.com/09_Contact

your link is underlined in message kind of hard to tell

pmj7 · 10-03-2006, 01:26 PM

Bilbus, could you be a little more specific:

"I went to url http://www.suziemorettin.com/ with Explorer 6 under Windows XP, clicked on the 'Contact' link and was directed to http://www.suziemorettin.com/09%5FContact/".

Peter

DaMCT · 10-04-2006, 10:11 AM

Hey I wonder if he's getting kick backs each time someone visits the website?

**bilbus** · 10-05-2006, 06:45 PM

"I went to url http://www.suziemorettin.com/ with Explorer 7 under Windows XP, clicked on the 'Contact' link and was directed to http://www.suziemorettin.com/09_Contact/".

pmj7 · 10-05-2006, 07:09 PM

Hmmm... guess that's something they've changed in Explorer 7. Well, it looks like nobody knows how to fix this, so I guess I'll have to change the links on the site for the new server.

**bilbus** · 10-05-2006, 07:22 PM

shows up as 09%5FContact on my 2003 with ie6

lhuser · 10-05-2006, 07:44 PM

To me, I think Windows sets it like this in the order on how you are set up. Maybe it is for security resons on their servers that they do that. Maybe it's because they recieve _ as a %5F command text.

**bilbus** · 10-08-2006, 11:51 AM

underscores are not valid characters in dns namespaces, perhaps that holds true for virutal folders to?

DaMCT · 10-09-2006, 02:09 AM

Use dashes "-" instead if you have to.

10-02-2006, 05:23 AM	#1 (permalink)
pmj7 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 5 OS: XP	Windows 2003 server translates "_" to "%5F" in urls The hosting company I'm with uses Windows 2003 servers, which translates "_" to "%5F" in urls. Example: http://www.suziemorettin.com/ Click on the 'Contact' link which should direct you to: http://www.suziemorettin.com/09_Contact You are sent to: http://www.suziemorettin.com/09%5FContact/ Which works but looks ugly, and is plain wrong. Underscores are legitimate url characters, how do you enable Windows Server 2003 to stop messing with these characters? I've asked my hosting company and they haven't a clue. After a week of trying to get them to deal with it, they've asked me to figure it out! "send us all the information on the "fix" we will gladly review it and implement it if we can." BTW: Windows Server 2000 by default does not change underscore characters. Thanks! Peter

10-03-2006, 12:51 PM	#6 (permalink)
bilbus TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 949 OS: OS2 Warp	i get sent to http://www.suziemorettin.com/09_Contact your link is underlined in message kind of hard to tell Last edited by bilbus; 10-03-2006 at 01:18 PM.

10-04-2006, 10:11 AM	#8 (permalink)
DaMCT Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: St. Louis Posts: 21 OS: Windows Server 2003 R2	Hey I wonder if he's getting kick backs each time someone visits the website? __________________ PhysX by AGEIA

10-09-2006, 02:09 AM	#14 (permalink)
DaMCT Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: St. Louis Posts: 21 OS: Windows Server 2003 R2	Use dashes "-" instead if you have to. __________________ PhysX by AGEIA

10-02-2006, 02:17 PM	#2 (permalink)
DaMCT Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: St. Louis Posts: 21 OS: Windows Server 2003 R2	If the browser is adding the mysterious characters then it thinks there is a space in the name. If you access the page without the last slash (/) then IE adds the annoying characters; this is known as URL Encoding. When I put the last slash on the end http://www.suziemorettin.com/09_Contact/ it correctly displays in the browser window. Check the location of the virtual folders and make sure there are no spaces in there.

10-02-2006, 02:34 PM	#3 (permalink)
pmj7 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 5 OS: XP	Thanks for checking. The folders were FTP'd directly from the old server - a Windows Server 2000 machiine, where there are no problems. There are no spaces. It has nothing to do with the browser as this happens in Firefox and Explorer, it's a Windows Server 2003 issue. Why URL encode a legit character? Alphanumerics, dashes and underscores are all legitimate url characters. Peter

10-02-2006, 07:27 PM	#4 (permalink)
bilbus TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 949 OS: OS2 Warp	remove spaces web does not like spaces

10-02-2006, 08:50 PM	#5 (permalink)
pmj7 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 5 OS: XP	Please re-read my messages, the url, and the url legal character definition. There are no spaces. Peter

10-03-2006, 01:26 PM	#7 (permalink)
pmj7 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 5 OS: XP	Bilbus, could you be a little more specific: "I went to url http://www.suziemorettin.com/ with Explorer 6 under Windows XP, clicked on the 'Contact' link and was directed to http://www.suziemorettin.com/09%5FContact/". Peter

10-05-2006, 06:45 PM	#9 (permalink)
bilbus TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 949 OS: OS2 Warp	"I went to url http://www.suziemorettin.com/ with Explorer 7 under Windows XP, clicked on the 'Contact' link and was directed to http://www.suziemorettin.com/09_Contact/".

10-05-2006, 07:09 PM	#10 (permalink)
pmj7 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 5 OS: XP	Hmmm... guess that's something they've changed in Explorer 7. Well, it looks like nobody knows how to fix this, so I guess I'll have to change the links on the site for the new server.

10-05-2006, 07:22 PM	#11 (permalink)
bilbus TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 949 OS: OS2 Warp	shows up as 09%5FContact on my 2003 with ie6

10-05-2006, 07:44 PM	#12 (permalink)
lhuser Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 52 OS: My modified Windows XP My System	To me, I think Windows sets it like this in the order on how you are set up. Maybe it is for security resons on their servers that they do that. Maybe it's because they recieve _ as a %5F command text.

10-08-2006, 11:51 AM	#13 (permalink)
bilbus TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 949 OS: OS2 Warp	underscores are not valid characters in dns namespaces, perhaps that holds true for virutal folders to?