Cannot Copy Folder...

Here's the problem:

I'm trying to copy a folder from one WD external HD to another using the Windows XP copy utility in XP Explorer

It seems to get stuck on a particular(sub)folder, with the message "Cannot move folder 583057_files: the filename or extension is too long" with an 'OK' button. When I click this the copy is stopped after 1.6GB of 32GB copied. There sre two folders with that name in different subdirectories of the folder I am copying. The offending folder is 19.9 KB in size and contains the attached files of an htm docment created by Firefox.

It has successfully copied this folder about 2 months ago between the same disks in the same direction.

Why is XP doing this this to me ?
What is wrong ?
How do I put right ?

Dumb_Question
19.January.2012
Compaq Presario S5160UK (DT261A - Celeron 2.7 GHz) - MSI MS6577 v2.1 -XP/SP3.
External HDs : Western Digital Elements 500GB, Passport 320GB

 

maybe you can try shortening the build path.

 

Defrag drive

Can you access those files on original drive?
IF YES---
I would suggest to first defrag your source drive and retry copying your files.

ELSE
There are chances of bad sectors in your drive.


Please let us know the result.

 

Thank you for your suggestions guys.

Please note that I copied 99% identical files including the problem one in November withe the same source/destination volumes and in 2012 copy doesn't work (in the fashion described)

-> Nick: I don't really know what you mean, what is the 'build path', why is it relevant ? How do I change it ? Please remember I am trying to copy hundreds of files here. Isn't it the job of the O/S to do that sort of stuff anyway?

-> StevenRoss: It copied these files in November, without any problems (99% the same files).
OK so ran CHKDSK from the DOS prompt (without /f) - no errors found (note 0 kbytes in bad sectors)
Now defrag using XP explorer:the result of the analysis is that I "do not need to defragment this volme", so I didn't. Yes, the folder and files in it open (a gif and a javascript, which I opened using wordpad)
The problems remains

Dumb_Question
19.January.2012
Compaq Presario S5160UK (DT261A - Celeron 2.7 GHz) - MSI MS6577 v2.1 -XP/SP3.
External HDs : Western Digital Elements 500GB, Passport 320GB

 

Re: Cannot Copy Folder...c:\

I think Nick T was alluding to the fact that if the file path is too long, a file cannot be copied. Take that folder and move it to the root of of your external drive then try the copy to the root of the other external drive.

If you still have problems, there is a way to try copying with Puppy linux but see if the above works for you.

Edit: I see Nick T is on the board so I will let him confirm if what I said is correct.

 

I have tried to copy the whole of the original folder into the root directory of the source disk (in case moving it went wrong) and I got another error on a different file/subfolder. I can't remember the the exact error but one of the things was certainly 'filename too long'. The source disk in this case a WD 500GB elements partition.

Dumb_Question
21.January.2012
Compaq Presario S5160UK (DT261A - Celeron 2.7 GHz) - MSI MS6577 v2.1 -XP/SP3.
External HDs : Western Digital Elements 500GB, Passport 320GB

 

Try using Puppy. Burn the iso with Imgburn or other software. Boot the CD and copy between the hard drives. If that does not work then it would seem to be some file system error.

http://help.artaro.eu/index.php/windows-xp/troubleshooting-xp/recover-files-from-hard-disk-xp.html

 

About 256 is the maximum amount of characters of a file path (build path), having long names for sub-folders and having sub-folders within sub-folders, within sub-folders (and on, and on) will take you over the 256 limit (MAX_PATH) and then Windows Explorer can't handle the folder or any files inside it. This means no deleting, copying, moving, renaming etc.
From the Microsoft Support article You cannot delete a file or a folder on an NTFS file system volume
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320081

Renaming the folders to the shortest name possible is the best solution because it will give you 'room to move' in the future.

By the way, if you search the web for an answer you will find expensive shareware software that (they say) can fix this problem, I don't know if it works but I know you don't need it. I also know that many of these software like to spam forums and I am a bit surprised one hasn't spammed this thread already (or maybe they did and the Mods nuked it)