The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.

[Spudgirlsa]

Hi I have a client's external drive which is supposed to consist of various folders that contain jpg files. The problem is all the folders seem to be corrupted and can't even be opened. Have tried chkdsk and scandisk to no avail. The filenames all literally look like : ãǑǒǼȍɅɷζ¥╓█⸗ Have also tried renaming a file to new01. I then get message saying file name is too long.
When you click on the folder to open it you get the following message.



H:\ãǑǒǼȍɅɷζ¥╓█⸗ is not accessible.

The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.




Please help. I have never come accross this before

 

[Drake2007]

Is it not maybe an encrypted drive/partition?

 

[Spudgirlsa]

No its not, you can get into one or two folders but that is about it. My client only uses the drive to store photos on

 

[Drake2007]

Hm I don't see any easy solutions to this but

first try the external drive in another system and eliminate if it's your pc
if it's not then all I can think of is to run some data recovery software against the external.

 

[Spudgirlsa]

have tried this drive in various pc's. The problem is that i can't even do an image copy as i can't change the filenames and windows wont copy the files because it cant read them. hmm wonder if linux would help, just to create an image of the drive

 

[wishblade]

Mak sure you (or rather, your account) have read access to the folders/files. Often, if the folder/file was transferred from someone's machine, it keeps the effective permissions from said machine. Hence, unless you have an account on this other machine, or the permissions of the file/folder were set to allow everyone read access, then you won't have permission to read/write the file/folder.

The funny file/folder names are indeed a sign of encryption, and possibly were taken out of a folder in which folder encryption was selected, which filtered down to child objects of that folder, ie: the files and folders stored in said folder.

Possibly try this: right click one of the folders > Properties > Securities tab > Make sure in the "Group or User name" listox, either your account on your machine is listed or the Everyone user is listed. If either of these are listed, check the permissions in the bottom listbox for these accounts, to make sure you have read/write access.

If you don't have you will need to add your account (edit button and then the add button) and setting permission for yourself. You may not have permission to add your account details, in which case you then need to set to the owner of the folder to yourself, add and assign permissions to yourself, and then possibly set the owner back.

 

[Drake2007]

Linux sounds like a plan, it might tell you what's going on with the drive.

Also can you take the drive out of it's external case? maybe try bypassing the usb.

check wishblade's suggestion fisrt though.

@wishblade, wouldn't those file permissions be replaced after the copy/move with the new folders attributes?

 

[Spudgirlsa]

Thanks for all the help. Managed to get the drive loaded into linux, but could still not see the drive. when i questioned the client he all of a sudden remembered that one of his staff "could have accidentally, perhaps" encrypted the drive. IDIOT

 

[wishblade]

Linux sounds like a plan, it might tell you what's going on with the drive.

Also can you take the drive out of it's external case? maybe try bypassing the usb.

check wishblade's suggestion fisrt though.

@wishblade, wouldn't those file permissions be replaced after the copy/move with the new folders attributes?

Not necessarily... it should, but if the destination folder does not filter permissions to its children objects, then it won't. Most prominent case I've seen is when the destination folder does not belong (is not owned) by the owner of the file, especially when the file is encrypted (or in the case of copying files to someone else's removable drive ).

 

[Drake2007]

Ah well looks like spudgirlsa either sorted out the problem or got fired for losing all the data

 

[wishblade]

lol

 

[N1sh]

What external HD is it?

 

[Drake2007]

Thanks for all the help. Managed to get the drive loaded into linux, but could still not see the drive. when i questioned the client he all of a sudden remembered that one of his staff "could have accidentally, perhaps" encrypted the drive. IDIOT

It happens.
NP