Would a carat ^ at the beginning of a folder name cause copy operations to fail?

[LeMarchand]

A Google search doesn't throw up anything, but I have someone who uses carats to keep stuff at the top of lists (presumably) and I'm having heck of a job restoring backed up files... Edited March 10, 2020 by LeMarchand

[mavhc]

What are you using for backup/restore?

[LeMarchand]

What are you using for backup/restore?

 

Just a copy and paste.

 

Copied the user's files to an external disk, but it's not copying them all back to the reimaged machine.

[mavhc]

Interesting, what file systems on both ends?

[LeMarchand]

Interesting, what file systems on both ends?

 

NTFS.

 

Wondering if there's some limit to the amount of carats in a file path/copy operation, as copying and pasting the entire backup seems to work, but leaves loads of folders uncopied. Copying from/to closer to the end of the branch seems fine.

 

Doesn't help that this user is quite efficient/tidy but has a folder structure like: Planning\^2019-2020 Planning\^^Important Planning\Planning by Subject\Subject\Spring Term 2020\Subject\Week 1\Week 1 Planning\Topic\I am now going to store a file.doc.

[mavhc]

NTFS on both ends? "In addition to the above illegal characters the caret ^ is also not permitted under Windows Operating Systems using the FAT file system."

[southhamster]

Have you tried robocopy? It seems to copy things that cut and paste doesn't like. We've had people using all kinds of funky characters and it has caused problems

Like the time I deleted loads of old files with a tilde cos they are only temp aren't they? Oh......

[mikeprice]

and so the weird limitations rise from the depths of the 1970s and strike again

 

 

 

basic rule - don;t use weird characters in files

advanced rule - if you want to stop people getting access to something - use weird characters

techy rule - if someone wants something restored that includes an weird character you have 2 choices

1) kill them and dispose the body

2) spend loads of time working out how to get the thing back - then blackmail them to not reveal the contents

 

funny how limitations from the old days still creep in - DPS6 MOD400 used to use ^ - that takes me back

[oslan]

I have found PowerShell better at file management than Robocopy or RSync