Windows 10 Some apps will not open networked files.

[Scientist and Saint]

Posting this here, although I'm not sure it is a network problem per-se, but it is network related.

The problem is that some applications will not open files on a networked PC via the list of recent files that appears when starting the app fromthe Start Menu.

I get

The item you selected is unavailable. It might have been moved, renamed or removed.

Now - the following are absolutely 100% the case:

1. The item is not unavailable.
2. It has not been moved, renamed or removed.
3. The remote system is up and running and the network is working.
4. File Explorer can navigate to the folder where the file is.
5. The pathname of the file is the one that appears when I hover over the entry in the Recent list
6. The application can open the file via its own Open dialogue/menu.
7. Not all applications have this problem.

I encounter it with Word (2007) and Notepad (Win10).

I do not encounter it with Excel, Powerpoint or Foxit.

So - is this a "feature" of Word and Notepad whose benefit Microsoft would never be able to articulate?

Is it a bug which they (probably) won't fix (obv. applies only to Notepad?

Or is it some obscure setting somewhere (e.g. in the registry) I can tweak?

 

[Neemobeer]

Would need to run something like wireshark and see what the network traffic is showing.

 

[Scientist and Saint]

OK - I'll get onto that.

 

[Neemobeer]

If you know the IP of the system the files reside on I'd suggest adding a filter. When you save the pcap file you can then select only to save the filter traffic.

Example IP filter