Is my machine telling me porky pies?

[JayCee6828]

Assume I have a folder called "Fred" - if I right click on it and select "properties" it returns that it is a file folder with 1 file and 0 folders.

 

My question is why does it say 1 file when the folder is completely empty.

 

The exact same information is returned for a folder with 1 file inside it.

 

The reason I ask is that I want to know how many file I have in a particular folder which has subfolders and within those sub folders more subfolders then files as follows:

MP3s>A>Aaliyah>MP3 Files

 

The properties for "MP3s" is 50,022 files and 6214 folders but I suspect the number of files is incorrect as it is 52 more than a folder listing of the files shows. OK it isn't of earth shattering importance in this case but I would like to know I can rely on information provided by the machine.

 

Is it just my Windows 7 which seems to have quirks like this - see my previous post on Capitalisation. Which my brothers computer and Windows 7 appears to do correctly as we can't replicate the behaviour of my machine on his.

[JayCee6828]

Further to my original post in this thread I have done some more clicking about and found that one folder shows it's properties as 13 files and 0 folders when in fact there are only 12 files in it

[Plastic Nev]

Not too sure of this as yet and will look at my own system shortly, but I am wondering if the system is counting the folder itself as a file, which technically speaking, once a folder is created, though empty is a file.

[Plastic Nev]

Rather than edit the previous post, here is what I found.

So hum, you do seem to be finding all the odd quirks in windows7 my friend. Here is what I did.

I opened a folder I knew to have four pictures in it, fine that is all there was, so went back to the folder and found exactly what you found, it showed as having five files and no folders.

 

I then created a folder within it, but left it empty. That folder showed as empty with no files.

 

A click on properties showed me still five files, but now one folder. OK, go back, delete the new folder (which I had given a name of qwerty)

Back to five files, no folders. so temporarily moved the pictures to a different folder so it was now empty, and like yours still shows it has one file in it.

 

I now suspect it is a hidden reference file perhaps, so the indexing service can put it in the right place. I see no other reason for an empty folder that once did hold something to show it has a file in it.

 

Another odd thing you have found there, and unless someone else has a different idea or knowledge, I will go along with the idea it may well be a hidden file, put in there by the indexing service, or similar.

So, after being reminded of hidden files and folders options in your other thread, I tried ticking "Show hidden files and folders" but even that didn't show anything either. Very strange.

Nev.