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How would I make the My Documents folder accept a colon (:)?

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Barry Karas

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Jan 7, 2008, 1:21:29 AM1/7/08
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7/Jan/2008 1:15

How would I make the My Documents folder accept a colon (:)?

Thank you,

Barry Karas

PS I run Windows XP with SP2.


Shenan Stanley

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Jan 7, 2008, 1:41:23 AM1/7/08
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You do not/cannot do this.

XP restricts the use of the * . " / \ [ ] : ; | = , characters in a file or
folder's name.

http://grandstreamdreams.blogspot.com/2007/04/names-you-can-drop-with-xpvista.html

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html


Ken Blake, MVP

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Jan 7, 2008, 3:04:27 PM1/7/08
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On Mon, 7 Jan 2008 01:21:29 -0500, "Barry Karas"
<barryka...@comcast.net> wrote:

> 7/Jan/2008 1:15
>
> How would I make the My Documents folder accept a colon (:)?


For what? In a file name?

You can not.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

Barry Karas

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Jan 8, 2008, 3:32:59 AM1/8/08
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Then if it's XP, why are "*, /, \, ;, !, and =" restricted and EXACTLY where
can I find this restriction?

Thank you,

Barry Karas
*******************************************************************************************
"Shenan Stanley" <newsh...@gmail.com> wrote in message
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Gordon

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Jan 8, 2008, 3:46:52 AM1/8/08
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"Barry Karas" <barryka...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:h6udnWqt843RqR7a...@comcast.com...

> Then if it's XP, why are "*, /, \, ;, !, and =" restricted and EXACTLY
> where can I find this restriction?
>

Some info here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8.3_filename


Richard in AZ

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Jan 8, 2008, 9:55:50 AM1/8/08
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Here is the Microsoft Position on the subject.
Even in Windows XP, the command prompts still recognize these restricted characters as commands.

"Barry Karas" <barryka...@comcast.net> wrote in message
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Michael Walraven

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Jan 8, 2008, 10:55:58 AM1/8/08
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Help and Support
ask for 'file names'
see change the name of a file or folder

"Richard in AZ" <m...@mailinator.com> wrote in message
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Barry Karas

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Jan 27, 2008, 8:24:22 AM1/27/08
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So a perfectly acceptable part of the English language cannot be used?

Barry Karas

"Ken Blake, MVP" <kbl...@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
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Shenan Stanley

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Jan 27, 2008, 10:00:45 AM1/27/08
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Entire Conversation:
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support/browse_frm/thread/323c8f181f36c6d2/675ffdc024c16db7?tvc=1#675ffdc024c16db7

Barry Karas wrote:
> How would I make the My Documents folder accept a colon (:)?
>

> PS I run Windows XP with SP2.

Ken Blake, MVP wrote:
> For what? In a file name?
>
> You can not.

Barry Karas wrote:
> So a perfectly acceptable part of the English language cannot be
> used?

Sure - if you want to put it that way.

It has been that way in Windows for a LONG time - and as discussed in this
conversation - most other OSes have some limits as well.

http://www.comentum.com/File-Systems-HFS-FAT-UFS.html
http://www.xvsxp.com/files/forbidden.php

Notice that all but Unix/Linux restrict the colon (:) usage in a file or
folder name.

On Windows - there are even some full words that you cannot name your files.
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa365247.aspx


So - the answer is you will *not* likely be putting a colon (:) in your file
or folder names in the situation you have given.

Ken Blake, MVP

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Jan 27, 2008, 11:00:15 AM1/27/08
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On Sun, 27 Jan 2008 08:24:22 -0500, "Barry Karas"
<barryka...@comcast.net> wrote:

> So a perfectly acceptable part of the English language cannot be used?


If you want to call a colon part of the English language, yes (I would
consider it a punctuation mark, used in many languages).

There are several punctuation marks, or "perfectly acceptable part[s]
of the English language" that can not be used in file names. They are


* . " / \ [ ] : ; | = ,

The reason that they can not be used is that have other reserved
specialized uses.

> "Ken Blake, MVP" <kbl...@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
> news:ld15o351u0jv1u5pc...@4ax.com...
> > On Mon, 7 Jan 2008 01:21:29 -0500, "Barry Karas"
> > <barryka...@comcast.net> wrote:
> >
> >> 7/Jan/2008 1:15
> >>
> >> How would I make the My Documents folder accept a colon (:)?
> >
> >
> > For what? In a file name?
> >
> > You can not.
> >
> > --
> > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
> > Please Reply to the Newsgroup
>

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

Barry Karas

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Jan 30, 2008, 2:47:39 AM1/30/08
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If you want to call a colon part of the English language, yes (I would
consider it a punctuation mark, used in many languages).

There are several punctuation marks, or "perfectly acceptable part[s]
of the English language" that can not be used in file names. They are
* . " / \ [ ] : ; | = ,

The reason that they can not be used is that have other reserved
specialized uses.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At last...an answer that makes sense.

This is basically the Liberal Arts versus Engineering. In this case,
enginering won.

Barry Karas

"Ken Blake, MVP" <kbl...@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message

news:o4app3t48nvihsjej...@4ax.com...

Ken Blake, MVP

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Jan 30, 2008, 11:04:08 AM1/30/08
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On Wed, 30 Jan 2008 02:47:39 -0500, "Barry Karas"
<barryka...@comcast.net> wrote:

> If you want to call a colon part of the English language, yes (I would
> consider it a punctuation mark, used in many languages).
>
> There are several punctuation marks, or "perfectly acceptable part[s]
> of the English language" that can not be used in file names. They are
> * . " / \ [ ] : ; | = ,
>
> The reason that they can not be used is that have other reserved
> specialized uses.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> At last...an answer that makes sense.
>
> This is basically the Liberal Arts versus Engineering. In this case,
> enginering won.


Well, I'm glad my answer made sense to you, but I don't see it as a
conflict, or as anything having "won."

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