[chuckeee]

Hi,
I wrote a VBScript file that mistakenly created a folder called "."

Now, when I try to delete it, Windows XP says:
"Cannot delete file: Cannot read from the source file or disk".

Could it be reporting this because I named the folder this particular name? (It has the same name as the convention for the current directory you are in when you are working at the command prompt).
Windows doesn't allow folders called "." to be created normally, so how can I delete this one that was created by a VBScript file.

Thanks

[avisitor]

Did you try rmdir *.* in cmd. No guarantees that that won't do something totally unintended.

IGNORE THIS ADVICE!!! I misread the problem.

[chuckeee]

I would be reluctant to try that because I have this problem on a work computer.

[avisitor]

Let me try it in a VM and we'll see what happens. However, I need a way to make a *.* directory.

[chuckeee]

To create this folder, you can run the following code (just save it in a .vbs file).
Warning - do not run this unless you are prepared to have the same problem that I have right now.
Please change the "newFolderPath" variable to be wherever you want to create this "." folder.
--------------------

Dim objFSO
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

Dim newFolderPath
newFolderPath = "C:\."
objFSO.CreateFolder(newFolderPath)

[avisitor]

Whoops, didn't realize it was just . I thought it was called *.*. Hmm, . makes it even harder since that's the reference to current directory.

[Broni]

I'm trying to run your script on my VM XP installation, but I'm getting an error:

[avisitor]

Wait a minute: do you actually see the folder in Windows Explorer?

"." always means this directory in DOS. For example, if I'm in C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox and I execute ./Firefox.exe that's the same as executing Firefox.exe

I got an error upon running that script as well in Windows Server 2008 Standard:

[Broni]

Something wrong with this line:
objFSO.CreateFolder(newFolderPath)

[TerryNet]

If you do see it in Windows Explorer try to rename it.

[avisitor]

The folder "." exists in every directory and is a symlink/windows equivalent to that directory. As does the folder ".." which is a symlink to the directory above it.

[chuckeee]

Avistor: yes I do see the folder in Windows Explorer. I can even enter the folder. When I look at the containing folder in the command window, I see TWO folders, both of which are called "." (a single dot)

Broni, try the following code. Make sure you already have a folder at C:\temp

Const workFolderBase = "C:\temp\"
Dim objFSO
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

Dim newFolderPath
newFolderPath = workFolderBase & ". "
objFSO.CreateFolder(newFolderPath)

[chuckeee]

Terry - I cannot rename the folder either. When I try to do that it comes up with the same error message.

[avisitor]

On running that, I got "Type mismatch: '[string "C:\Users\Administrat"]'"

EDIT: Ignore that. I had a * instead of a & on the 2nd to last line.

Now I get File Already Exists which is the same error as before.

OS is Windows Server 2008 Standard.

[Broni]

Same error.