UNC Paths on Windows Operating Systems (HOST command)

To start in the IBM® SPSS® Statistics working directory, the HOST command actually issues an OS-level CD command that specifies the IBM SPSS Statistics working directory. On Windows operating systems, if you use UNC path specifications of the general form:

\\servername\sharename\path 

on IBM SPSS Statistics commands such as CD or INSERT to set the working directory location, the HOST command will fail because UNC paths are not valid on the Windows CD command.

Example

INSERT FILE=’\\hqserver\public\report.sps’ CD=YES.
HOST [’dir’].

• The INSERT command uses a UNC path specification, and CD=YES makes that directory the working directory.
• The subsequent HOST command will generate an OS-level error message that says the current directory path is invalid because UNC paths are not supported.