- #Word this is not a valid file name windows 10
- #Word this is not a valid file name code
- #Word this is not a valid file name windows
#Word this is not a valid file name code
Use any character in the current code page for a name, including Unicode characters and characters in the extended character set (128–255), except for the following: For example, "D:\" and "d:\" refer to the same volume. Volume designators (drive letters) are similarly case-insensitive. Note that NTFS supports POSIX semantics for case sensitivity but this is not the default behavior. For example, consider the names OSCAR, Oscar, and oscar to be the same, even though some file systems (such as a POSIX-compliant file system) may consider them as different. For more information about UNC names, see the Maximum Path Length Limitation section.ĭo not assume case sensitivity. Use a backslash as required as part of volume names, for example, the "C:\" in "C:\path\file" or the "\\server\share" in "\\server\share\path\file" for Universal Naming Convention (UNC) names. You cannot use a backslash in the name for the actual file or directory because it is a reserved character that separates the names into components. The backslash divides the file name from the path to it, and one directory name from another directory name in a path. Use a backslash (\) to separate the components of a path. Use a period to separate the base file name from the extension in the name of a directory or file. The following fundamental rules enable applications to create and process valid names for files and directories, regardless of the file system:
#Word this is not a valid file name windows
The Windows FAT and NTFS file systems are not limited to 8.3 file names, because they have long file name support, but they still support the 8.3 version of long file names. This is commonly known as an 8.3 file name.
For example, the older MS-DOS FAT file system supports a maximum of 8 characters for the base file name and 3 characters for the extension, for a total of 12 characters including the dot separator. This is further complicated by support for backward compatibility mechanisms. For more information, see the Paths section.Ĭharacter count limitations can also be different and can vary depending on the file system and path name prefix format used. The term path refers to one or more directories, backslashes, and possibly a volume name. Because of this, unless otherwise specified, any naming or usage rules or examples for a file should also apply to a directory. Because the term directory simply refers to a special type of file as far as the file system is concerned, some reference material will use the general term file to encompass both concepts of directories and data files as such. Note that a directory is simply a file with a special attribute designating it as a directory, but otherwise must follow all the same naming rules as a regular file. However, each file system, such as NTFS, CDFS, exFAT, UDFS, FAT, and FAT32, can have specific and differing rules about the formation of the individual components in the path to a directory or file. File and Directory NamesĪll file systems follow the same general naming conventions for an individual file: a base file name and an optional extension, separated by a period.
#Word this is not a valid file name windows 10
To learn about configuring Windows 10 to support long file paths, see Maximum Path Length Limitation.
For additional information, see Hard Links and Junctions and Reparse Points and File Operations.įor additional information, see the following subsections: Some file systems, such as NTFS, support linked files and directories, which also follow file naming conventions and rules just as a regular file or directory would.
Files and directories, along with namespaces, are part of the concept of a path, which is a string representation of where to get the data regardless if it's from a disk or a device or a network connection for a specific operation. Windows developers working with the Windows APIs for file and device I/O should understand the various rules, conventions, and limitations of names for files and directories.ĭata can be accessed from disks, devices, and network shares using file I/O APIs. All file systems supported by Windows use the concept of files and directories to access data stored on a disk or device.