File Manager Cannot Modify File/Directory Names Containing "?"

• Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.1, 3.11
• Microsoft Windows for Workgroups versions 3.1, 3.11

SUMMARY

Microsoft Windows File Manager is unable to make any modifications (rename, change attributes, delete, move, and so forth) to a file or directory name that has a question mark (?) as the first character.

NOTE: Microsoft Undelete for Windows, which ships with MS-DOS 6.0 inserts a question mark for the first letter of an undeleted file if no letter is given. This problem was corrected in MS-DOS version 6.2 and later.

WORKAROUND

You can rename or delete these files from an MS-DOS command prompt in Windows. (For more information on the REN and DEL commands, refer to your "Microsoft MS-DOS User's Guide.")

If you use Microsoft Undelete for Windows and a directory name has a ? as the first character, do one of the following:

• Use a third-party disk editor to rename the directory.
• Format the drive to remove the directory name.
• Run the ScanDisk utility (which ships with MS-DOS 6.2). ScanDisk locates these directory names and makes them valid directories when all is complete.