Rename a folder as "con", "com", ... etc
Issue
On Windows, it is impossible to name a folder "con", "com1", "com2", "com3" etc.. *
If you try to name a file using one of these names, it will not work or it will display an error:
Write Fault Error Writing Device <filename.ext>
Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail?
or
The device name specified is invalid.
Reasons
The MS-DOS uses these names for system drivers.
To avoid confusion, it is impossible to use one of these names for naming a file, text file, or even an HTML page.
- Here is the list of device names:
- CON Keyboard and Display
- PRN System list device, usually a parallel port
- AUX auxiliary device, usually a serial port
- CLOCK $ System Clock Real Time
- NUL Bit-bucket device
- A-Z: The letters are assigned to Drives
- COM1 First serial communication port
- LPT1 First parallel printer port
- LPT2 Second parallel printer port
- LPT3 third parallel printer port
- COM2 Second serial communications port
- COM3 Third serial communications port
- Fourth COM4 serial port communication
Solution
But there are still way to rename a folder "con", "com1", "com2", "com3" ...
The goal is to insert a special invisible character in the name:
ALT + 0160.
See also
Knowledge communities.
