Fails to find PDF when via UNC Path in symlink

Having successfully compiled a tex file TeXStudio does not find the resulting pdf when the path to the file passes through a symlink with a UNC path in.

Environment

• TeXstudio: TeXstudio 2.12.10 (git 2.12.10)
• Qt: Qt Version 5.8.0, compiled with Qt 5.8.0 R
• OS: Windows 10
• TeX distribution: miktex

Expected behavior

PDF appears in built in viewer after compile

Actual behavior

Blank PDF viewer. Error message

How to reproduce

The files are (apparently at:

C:\Users\jfd1\jfd1\group\papers\2018\PhysRevB_Stick\latex

In C:\Users\jfd1\jfd1 , group is a symlink:

06/07/2018 12:07 group [\\storage\electronics\Research\CommTech\EMC]

Error message at bottom of pdf viewer screen may say:

Failed to find file "C:\Users\jfd1\jfd1\group\papers\2018\PhysRevB_Stick\latex\Sticks_v01.pdf" ; perhaps it has been deleted

I have also seen the case where the text "UNC" erroneously appears in the path reported.

The pdf is present and readable by other viewers.

However if the simlink is:

31/07/2018 15:35 group [u:\Research\CommTech\EMC]

where u: is mapped to the same network file store.

The PDF is automatically loaded by the pdf viewer with no problem.

Reproduce on Windows 10 with TeXstudio 2.12.10, Qt 5.8.0, and MiKTeX using the reported UNC-path symlink and the mapped-drive symlink. Start with the PDF viewer's file lookup and path handling; done means the compiled PDF loads for the UNC symlink as it does for the mapped drive, without an incorrect UNC path error.