Why can't you create a folder called 'con' in Windows?

[Virdi]

Hi all,

Why can't you create a folder called 'con' in Windows?

 

[AJUK]

Well I never!
What's all that about?

 

[Didzi]

I think it relates back to the DOS days when the word "con" was used for "console"

 

[Carter]

How weird, seems like there is a fair bit of info on google. Never heard of this bug before.

 

[Didzi]

The same is for "prn" and "nul"

 

[basmic]

For fun, install Windows 98 on a machine. Don't install any updates, or anything.

Now try this: Start menu > Run > c:\con\con.exe

Should result in a BSOD.

I remember when people use to play a sound called c:\con\con.wav in IRC, and half the room would drop like flies.

 

[bledd]

if you make a ping testing file called ping.bat that doesn't work either (at least it didn't used to)

 

[Burnsy2023]

if you make a ping testing file called ping.bat that doesn't work either (at least it didn't used to)

That works in XP.

I never knew about that, very interesting

Burnsy

 

[oddjob62]

if you make a ping testing file called ping.bat that doesn't work either (at least it didn't used to)

That's because the batch file tries to call itself.

 

[randal]

copy con config.sys etc... springs to mind, ah those where the days. F6 to EOF...

I remember when people use to play a sound called c:\con\con.wav in IRC, and half the room would drop like flies.

Quality

 

[fail at the internets]

 

[badbob]

ha ha you lose. That isn't windows folder.

 

[fail at the internets]

No sorry you're right it's a mac folder..

 

[Rebelius]

try creating C:\WINDOWS\con - if C:\WINDOWS\ is where your vista is installed.

 

[JaffaJedi]

EDIT *scrub this I cant delete it now

 

[JaffaJedi]

yay it works now

to make con dir

mkdir \\.\c:\con

to remove rd \\.\\c:\con

 

[Muffin`]

Alt181 + con

 

[gumbald]

alt181? = Á?

 

[Uhtred]

also try NUL, COM1 to COM9 and LPT1 to LPT9

 

[Uhtred]

ha ha you lose. That isn't windows folder.

it's not possible to create those folders anywhere in xp, not just c:\windows