Private Declare Auto Function GetShortPathName Lib "kernel32.dll" _
     (ByVal lpszLongPath As String, _
      ByVal lpszShortPath As System.Text.StringBuilder, _
      ByVal cchBuffer As Int32) As Int32
 
    Private Function gspn(ByVal longName As String) As String
        Dim shortName As New System.Text.StringBuilder(256)
        Dim RetVal As Integer = GetShortPathName(longName, shortName, 256)
 
        If RetVal = 0 Then
            MsgBox("Es ist ein Fehler aufgetreten", MsgBoxStyle.Critical, _
              "Fehler")
            Return String.Empty
        Else
            Return shortName.ToString().Substring(0, RetVal)
        End If
    End Function

Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do - Isaac Asimov