File Manager Cannot Modify File/Directory Names Containing "?"
Article ID: 103698
Article Last Modified on 12/5/2003
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Windows 3.1 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Windows 3.11 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.1
- Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11
This article was previously published under Q103698
SUMMARY
Microsoft Windows File Manager is unable to make any modifications (rename,
change attributes, delete, move, and so forth) to a file or directory name
that has a question mark (?) as the first character.
NOTE: Microsoft Undelete for Windows, which ships with MS-DOS 6.0 inserts a
question mark for the first letter of an undeleted file if no letter is
given. This problem was corrected in MS-DOS version 6.2 and later.
WORKAROUND
You can rename or delete these files from an MS-DOS command prompt in
Windows. (For more information on the REN and DEL commands, refer to your
"Microsoft MS-DOS User's Guide.")
If you use Microsoft Undelete for Windows and a directory name has a ? as
the first character, do one of the following:
- Use a third-party disk editor to rename the directory.
- Format the drive to remove the directory name.
- Run the ScanDisk utility (which ships with MS-DOS 6.2). ScanDisk
locates these directory names and makes them valid directories when
all is complete.
Additional query words: 3.10 error winfil scan disk
Keywords: KB103698