Embedding Non-printable Characters in LMHOSTS Computer Names

This article was previously published under Q104576

Under Windows NT, the LMHOSTS file enables you to specify names containing non-printable or extended characters. Custom applications that make use of special names to function properly in routed topologies may benefit from this feature.

To use this feature, you can specify non-printable characters by using their hexidecimal notations and surrounding the entire name in quotes, \nn or \0xnn, where "nn" is the two-digit hexidecimal number. For example:

   102.54.94.97   rhinodc     #DOM:rhino   #the rhino domain DC
   11.14.21.96    "appl\0x1f"              #internal db application
                                            gateway
		

NOTE: By using the special naming extension of the Windows NT LMHOSTS files, you surrender backward compatibility with Microsoft LAN Manager. (The LAN Manager TCP/IP implementation does not recognize the hexidecimal format.)

For additional information on LMHOSTS files in Windows NT, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   lmhosts