Impossible file name under XP Pro

  • Thread starter Thread starter JimL
  • Start date Start date
J

JimL

When IE imported internet links from another browser into the Favorites
folder it copied one with a slash mark in the title.

Now it is causing problems and not IE or anything else I've tried will edit
or delete the name. It always displays an error saying, "cannot read from
the source file or disk ".

Is there anything to do but ignore it? At one time I would have thought
about editing a character in a HD sector, changing the slash to a letter or
space, but I don't even know if there is such an editor for windows.
 
JimL said:
When IE imported internet links from another browser into the Favorites
folder it copied one with a slash mark in the title.

Now it is causing problems and not IE or anything else I've tried will
edit or delete the name. It always displays an error saying, "cannot read
from the source file or disk ".

Is there anything to do but ignore it? At one time I would have thought
about editing a character in a HD sector, changing the slash to a letter
or space, but I don't even know if there is such an editor for windows.
Click to expand...

Just a shot in the dark, but have you tried changing the name within the
command prompt environment? Command prompt will accept the 8.3 filename
format.

Thus if you have a favorite site named (say) "My Favorite Website.url" you
can rename it from command prompt with:

ren MYFAVO~1.URL "Some Other Website.url"

If you are unsure of the short 8.3 filename, then

dir /x

will display both the short and long names.

HTH.
 
M.I.5¾ said:
Just a shot in the dark, but have you tried changing the name within the
command prompt environment? Command prompt will accept the 8.3 filename
format.

Thus if you have a favorite site named (say) "My Favorite Website.url" you
can rename it from command prompt with:

ren MYFAVO~1.URL "Some Other Website.url"
Click to expand...


REN requires you to enter the old file name in order to change it. Since
the slash is not accepted in the entered file name REN fails.
 
M.I.5¾ said:
Will either leave the filename unchanged or delete it as an invalid file -
not what the OP is trying to achieve.
Click to expand...


Actually I'd be happy to have it deleted, because it interferes with XCOPY,
but chkdsk /f does not seem to do anything to it.
 
When IE imported internet links from another browser into the Favorites
folder it copied one with a slash mark in the title.

Now it is causing problems and not IE or anything else I've tried will edit
or delete the name.  It always displays an error saying, "cannot read from
the source file or disk ".

Is there anything to do but ignore it?  At one time I would have thought
about editing a character in a HD sector, changing the slash to a letter or
space, but I don't even know if there is such an editor for windows.
Click to expand...

If you can browse to it, KillBox can generally delete it with extreme
prejudice:

http://killbox.net/
 
When IE imported internet links from another browser into the Favorites
folder it copied one with a slash mark in the title.

Now it is causing problems and not IE or anything else I've tried will
edit
or delete the name. It always displays an error saying, "cannot read from
the source file or disk ".

Is there anything to do but ignore it? At one time I would have thought
about editing a character in a HD sector, changing the slash to a letter
or
space, but I don't even know if there is such an editor for windows.
Click to expand...

If you can browse to it, KillBox can generally delete it with extreme
prejudice:

http://killbox.net/


Thanks. The problem is that it is not a file, but a folder. KillBox just
says:

"This file does not seem to exist."
 
JimL said:
If you can browse to it, KillBox can generally delete it with extreme
prejudice:

http://killbox.net/


Thanks. The problem is that it is not a file, but a folder.
Click to expand...

That's news - you said in the subject that it's a file, described it as a
"internet link", and haven't questioned other suggestions on renaming a .URL
file! Exactly what problems is it causing? Does the "Cannot read..." error
come up only when you try to delete/rename it, or when you try to open the
site it points to (or open its contents, if it really is a folder)?

My suggestions:

- if it's possible to drag the item to a different location, try moving it
to the root of your C:\-drive and then zapping it

- in the Command Prompt, did you try to see whether the "8.3" name still
includes the slash (using "dir /x" as M.I.5¾ suggested)? If it doesn't, try
REN or DEL using that name

- in a Command Prompt try renaming it using wildcard/s ("*") in the
"source" filename to work around the inability to use the invalid character,
if you can do so specifically enough to distinguish it from anything else in
the same folder

- I was going to recommned that you try a tool called "delinvfile"
(http://www.purgeie.com/delinv/) but I see it's not freeware any more.
However, it would appear that payment only unlocks certain additional
features - the original freeware functionality is still retained for free
with no need to register, so I'd certainly give it a try if the above don't
work.

- boot to a live Linux CD (eg Ubuntu) and try deleting from that interface

Let us know how you get on!

<snip>
 
Olórin said:
That's news - you said in the subject that it's a file, described it as a
"internet link", and haven't questioned other suggestions on renaming a
.URL file!
Click to expand...

Sorry. When the Delete errored out it called it a file.

When IE imported my bookmark file - an HTML file - it constructed a
directory tree "duplicate." Yes, there are so called "folders" within that
file and they were "duplicated" as folders in my Documents and
Settings\username\Favorites\ sub-directory.
Exactly what problems is it causing?
Click to expand...

The thing that first caught my attention was when I was experimenting with
an XCOPY backup from C: to an external USB drive. I don't recall the exact
error words, because they fly by so fast, but it said the copy failed on
that "item."
Does the "Cannot read..." error come up only when you try to delete/rename
it, or when you try to open the site it points to (or open its contents,
if it really is a folder)?
Click to expand...

The following is complicated.

_At times_ when navigating (via explorer) to the Favorites sub-dir there
will be BOTH a folder and a "file" listed by the same name. (Just now there
was.) I went there, right-clicked on _the folder_ (got the "open folder"
icon) and clicked on Delete. It immediately went into the Recycle Bin
routine and both the folder and the file disappeared.

Skeptical, I re-navigated to Favorites. The _file_ was gone, but the folder
was back. I did the right-click-delete thing again and got the error,
"Cannot delete file: Cannot read from the source file or disk."

Oddly enough I have been able to store a txt file in it merely by clicking
on it and using New. But it took several tries, because it kept "jumping
out" of it back to the parent. Once I did put the txt file in there
(contents of 6 characters) it didn't jump out any more.
- if it's possible to drag the item to a different location, try moving it
to the root of your C:\-drive and then zapping it
Click to expand...

A drag attempt gets me the error, ""Cannot move file: Cannot read from the
source file or disk."

The original bookmark folder name was OS/2 It now APPEARS to be OS 2

- in the Command Prompt, did you try to see whether the "8.3" name still
includes the slash (using "dir /x" as M.I.5¾ suggested)? If it doesn't,
try REN or DEL using that name
Click to expand...

Hm. I just tried. DIR /x added OS2~1. Attempting to DEL by OS2~1 did
nothing. No error. Just the re-prompt and the same results from DIR or DIR
/x.
- in a Command Prompt try renaming it using wildcard/s ("*") in the
"source" filename to work around the inability to use the invalid
character, if you can do so specifically enough to distinguish it from
anything else in the same folder
Click to expand...

C:\Documents and Settings\Jim LaLone\Favorites>ren OS*2 OSS2
The system cannot find the file specified.

C:\Documents and Settings\Jim LaLone\Favorites>ren OS?2 OSS2
The system cannot find the file specified.

(Still using the word "file.")
- I was going to recommned that you try a tool called "delinvfile"
(http://www.purgeie.com/delinv/) but I see it's not freeware any more.
However, it would appear that payment only unlocks certain additional
features - the original freeware functionality is still retained for free
with no need to register, so I'd certainly give it a try if the above
don't work.
Click to expand...

Workin' on it.
- boot to a live Linux CD (eg Ubuntu) and try deleting from that interface
Click to expand...

Which you will snail mail to me, right?

Thanks
 
JimL said:
http://www.purgeie.com/delinv/

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Succeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!

Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks!
Click to expand...

Glad you zapped it in the end!

Ubuntu is free, btw - perhaps a large download for tackling a comparatively
small problem, but maybe worth it, and maybe of future use, too.
 
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