Cannot copy files to removable drive

[Dan R]

When I attempt to copy files to a removable drive I get the error message
"Cannot create or replace (Filename) the directory or file cannot be cretaed".
What am I doing wrong?

[Mike Williams]

Dan R wrote:
> When I attempt to copy files to a removable drive I get the error message
> "Cannot create or replace (Filename) the directory or file cannot be cretaed".
> What am I doing wrong?

What sort of removable drive is it? HDD? Zip? How much disk space remaining?

[Malke]

Dan R wrote:

> When I attempt to copy files to a removable drive I get the error
> message "Cannot create or replace (Filename) the directory or file
> cannot be cretaed". What am I doing wrong?

What kind of removable drive? If a usb thumbdrive, is it the kind that
has a little switch to toggle read-write? My Memorex has a switch, for
instance and if yours does too, then you probably have it in read-only
mode.

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

[Alan]

"Dan R" > wrote in message
...
> When I attempt to copy files to a removable drive I get the error message
> "Cannot create or replace (Filename) the directory or file cannot be
> cretaed".
> What am I doing wrong?

Some details are needed. Tell us what you are copying to what, file size(s)
affected, drive space, ........

[Tim Slattery]

"Dan R" > wrote:

>When I attempt to copy files to a removable drive I get the error message
>"Cannot create or replace (Filename) the directory or file cannot be cretaed".
>What am I doing wrong?

Since it's a removable drive, it's most likely using the FAT32 file
system. In FAT32 there is a limit of 65,536 entries per directory.
Each file or subdirectory will take from 2 to 13 entries depending on
the length of the name, so that limit can fill way before you expect
it to. Once you hit the limit you won't be able to add files or
subdirectories to the affected directory, even though there's lots of
space left on the disk.

The solution would be to reorganize the files on your removable drive
to be in subdirectories, instead of all in the root directory.

--
Tim Slattery
MS MVP(DTS)

[Dan R]

I wish that were the problem.
I have the files in around 12 directories

And there are not that many files before the problem happens - it seems to
be sort of random (I have wiped the drive and started over 5 or 6 times)
sometimes after a few MB sometimes after 100 or so _ BUT this thing is
supposed to be 4GB!! and in Properties it shows as 4 GB

[Dan R]

Its a "flash" drive (i think - loks like a lozenge about 2 inches long) 4GB
I have this problem sometimes after 18MB, sometimes after 105MB - each time
I have erased the whole drive and started over

[Dan R]

No switch - but it is a USB drive.

[Dan R]

Alan:
I am trying to copy my data files. There are photos, XLs, Doc, Pfd - all sorts
I have the problem (see some of my other answers) with "random" file types
(ie i have had it with several) and different sizes.
There is about 1.6GB of data.
The largest file is 100MB
The smallest is 1KB
there's 4GB on the drive and I have never gotten more than 105MB copied
before this message.

[Alan]

"Dan R" > wrote in message
...
> Alan:
> I am trying to copy my data files. There are photos, XLs, Doc, Pfd - all
> sorts
> I have the problem (see some of my other answers) with "random" file types
> (ie i have had it with several) and different sizes.
> There is about 1.6GB of data.
> The largest file is 100MB
> The smallest is 1KB
> there's 4GB on the drive and I have never gotten more than 105MB copied
> before this message.

Can you give some specific details about the medium and connection type.
What make/model is this card? What type? How connected? If USB what version?
If USB is it through a program like activesync to your pda?