Problem: Files have become folders

[Guest nik allday]

I had a small problem with my hard drive and all the files have been copied

to a new drive. Now I find some of the files have become folders. I cannot

copy them or delete them. I get a message "The directory name is invalid".

 

So now I have lost my data. These folders are stuck there and won't move.

How can I tell them they are files or at least delete them?

[Guest nass]

RE: Problem: Files have become folders

 

 

 

"nik allday" wrote:

> I had a small problem with my hard drive and all the files have been copied

> to a new drive. Now I find some of the files have become folders. I cannot

> copy them or delete them. I get a message "The directory name is invalid".

>

> So now I have lost my data. These folders are stuck there and won't move.

> How can I tell them they are files or at least delete them?

 

Try to take the ownership of these files/folders then see if you can Open

them or delete them, also try in safe Mode!.

How to take ownership of a file or folder in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

 

If you want to delete them try this tool:

http://www.ccleaner.com

Please read the help file to get the best out of this tool.

How do you copy these Files/Folders? and what the problem was with the old

HDD, you could be copying a corrupt Files/Folders or the whole directory?.

HTH.

nass

---

http://www.nasstec.co.uk

[Guest nik allday]

RE: Problem: Files have become folders

 

Hi nass

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply in detail. I did try taking ownership

but that failed and it is not an access problem. These "folders" are

corrupt. They exist as a reference and somehow Windows decided that they

were folders when in fact they were corrupt files. Essentially the "content"

of these files does not have the correct arrangement for a folder. So when

Windows tries to access them it returns with error 267 which is "The

directory name is invalid." What I want to know from Micro$oft is how to

effectively access the reference, the file header perhaps, and to either

correct the definition to a file (an empty one perhaps) or anyway to delete

the things. Scandisk, ChkDsk ChkNTFS all have no result. These folders are

ther but their internal content is wrong. I think Micro$oft should be able

to help but they want to charge me $50+ for the privaledge.

 

"nass" wrote:

>

>

> "nik allday" wrote:

>

> > I had a small problem with my hard drive and all the files have been copied

> > to a new drive. Now I find some of the files have become folders. I cannot

> > copy them or delete them. I get a message "The directory name is invalid".

> >

> > So now I have lost my data. These folders are stuck there and won't move.

> > How can I tell them they are files or at least delete them?

>

> Try to take the ownership of these files/folders then see if you can Open

> them or delete them, also try in safe Mode!.

> How to take ownership of a file or folder in Windows XP

> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

>

> If you want to delete them try this tool:

> http://www.ccleaner.com

> Please read the help file to get the best out of this tool.

> How do you copy these Files/Folders? and what the problem was with the old

> HDD, you could be copying a corrupt Files/Folders or the whole directory?.

> HTH.

> nass

> ---

> http://www.nasstec.co.uk