I cannot open my files

Win 2000 refuses to allow me access to some files that I inadvertently gave bad file names (I put too many spaces in the names). Now I can do nothing with them, I cannot open them, or rename them, or copy them, or even look at their properties (it gives message of 'properties not available'). My files just sit there, inaccessible. They are not corrupt. Nor do I have a virus. I can see them sat there, in Explorer, but I can't do a single thing with them!

I just need to get at them and simply cannot. Please can anyone help? Liz

 

You say that you cannot rename them, when you right-click and choose rename, what does it do? If you mean that you can't get to the extension, try unchecking "hide file extensions for known file types" in the folder's Tools|folder options|view menu.

 

Hi, thanks for responding. When i use right mouse and choose 'rename' it does absolutely NOTHING. zero. It will not allow me to rename. It just sits there as though I had not evenrequested a rename? By the way, it is not the extension that I want to rename, but the first part. I want to get rid of the spaces in the filename.

 

I don't think it's the name that is stopping you from accessing those files. Windows can handle the spaces under long filenames, and if they were too long it wouldn't have allowed you to name them incorrectly to begin with. Perhaps it would help if you told us what type of files they are. Give us the full filename you used. Also, since it is Win2K, make sure that you have full administrator priviledges.

 

Dear Orndog, yes I'm full administrator - its my personal PC. The files are photos that I downloaded from my digital camera. They are all jpg's. On day one I downloaded them all (and they had consecutive serial numbers as filenames). I looked at them all and they were fine. On day two I decided to rename some of them, to make recognition easier. I renamed them, saved, then quit. On day three I went to look over these pics and the only ones that I could access were those originally named by the camera download process - with serial numbers.

I tell a little lie - there were some that I could access that I HAD renamed, but these new names never had any spaces in.
You wont understand this file name I'm about to tell you, but here it is anyway (I am photographing a logging some streets and buildings)........... the filename is.....

" Milne place on right out of site Park on left facing West.jpg "

without the quotes of course.

What has happened to these files do you think? And how to access them? Help!

 

If you just select them without trying to open them, what does it say about the file on the left side of the window? Does it give a file size? I was going to suggest checking the settings in your picture viewing software, but if it opens some of the pics, then it's a long shot. Maybe that software doesn't support the long filenames? Try having a different viewer open the files.

 

Try another image viewer like Irfanview. www.irfanview.com Small, free, & is a beauty! While trying to open them, highlight the file, then hold down shift button, then right click & select Open With. Slide to Irfanview, & it'll tell you it's a wrong filename, would you like it corrected, (maybe), you can work from there! Hth, enjoy, George.

 

Solved! Huge big thank you to those that tried to help me. I solved it by accident!

It WAS to do with Win 2000 and long filenames (and long path too). First I tried to open the files from 'Word', yes I was trying EVERYTHING. Anyway, Word gave me a message which said something about the 'path and name being invalid. So I thought Hmm, path? Then I managed to drag a folder full of my naughty files to the root directory - to shorten the path. (as my files were embedded extremely deep in a series of folders, which Win 2000 seemed to dislike intensely).

It worked! I tried to open my files with a normal photo program and it worked. I was then able to rename my files and do all sorts with them.

So - thanks everyone - and warning......... Win 2000 does not like too many embedded folders, or long file names with spaces - whatever they tell you otherwise!