3

This has happened to me so many times and in each one of them I had no idea why on earth this would happen.

When I copy / move / extract files to an empty folder, the process pauses on some file, claiming it already exists and asks me if I want to replace it or not.

It happens to me on Windows, in various versions.

My only explanations to this would be:

1 - A failure that left a partial file.

2 - Inefficient copying process that tries to copy some files twice.

Why would that happen?

Extra information:

  • No hidden files nor system hidden files exist in the destination folder, I said it was empty.
  • The names of the files I'm prompted to replace aren't always the same.
  • It's probably not a virus, it happened to me on multiple computers, in different locations and time frames, sometimes right after reformatting Windows I just got curious why this would happen. Also, sometimes it happens when extracting files from RAR/ZIP archives.
Improve this question
8
  • 1
    File systems differ? If so it might be the destination filesystem doesn't accept LONG filenames and truncates them -> files with similar names get copied over each other.
    – Hannu
    Aug 26, 2015 at 12:16
  • @Hannu: Interesting suggestion. Though I've seen it happen on NTFS 3.1.
    – qasdfdsaq
    Aug 26, 2015 at 12:28
  • I can imagine more similar situations; copying from a Linux filesystem that allows differing case within filenames and still consider them not the same. e.g. echo 1 >File && echo 2 >file && dir will display two files on ext2, 3, and 4 for starters - Try to copy such a directory onto NTFS (where case doesn't matter) -> same situation.
    – Hannu
    Aug 26, 2015 at 12:36
  • @Hannu It makes a lot of sense, Though today I experienced this on NTFS as well
    – RagZ
    Aug 26, 2015 at 13:15
  • Hmm... there are characters that are illegal in NTFS filenames, isn't that so? Check?
    – Hannu
    Aug 26, 2015 at 14:33

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
2

One plausible cause: Transferring files from a system where capitalization of filenames makes them distinct (separate).

Example:

~/Projects/z$ pwd
/home/hannu/Projects/z

~/Projects/z$ uname -srp
Linux 3.16.0-46-generic x86_64

~/Projects/z$ mount | grep home
/dev/sdb1 on /home type ext4 (rw,noatime,nodiratime,errors=remount-ro)

~/Projects/z$ dir

~/Projects/z$ echo 1 >File && echo 2 >file && dir
file  File

~/Projects/z$ for f in * ;do echo -e "\n--- $f ---" ; cat $f ;done

--- file ---
2

--- File ---
1

~/Projects/z$


Second plausible cause:
Copying files from a filsystem (e.g. NTFS) which retains long filenames, to a filesystem that has more restricted length on filenames (e.g. FAT12 and others of similar age).

Improve this answer
1
0

There are many hidden file you can't see and then if you select all the file and try to copy in other destination there might be a possibility that the file is already exists over there so windows will ask this definitely to you.

The most possible reason for existing the same file in an empty folder is a virus which copies itself to all the files in directories..

Or put the specific file name which windows is asking to you that its already exists so that you will get exact answer to your question.

Improve this answer
6
  • None of the cases you described is present, any other ideas? I added some info in the question.
    – RagZ
    Aug 26, 2015 at 11:43
  • Then your question is ambiguous to me...and that case would never happen..
    – smali
    Aug 26, 2015 at 12:13
  • @ali786: That case does happen.
    – qasdfdsaq
    Aug 26, 2015 at 12:20
  • @qasdfdsaq, Can you put any case like that, Any example...,That would only happen if either Microsoft put an untested code in OS, or because of a virus..
    – smali
    Aug 26, 2015 at 12:24
  • And that isn't the correct explanation for down-voting as the user has not added the cases which i have written in my answer.
    – smali
    Aug 26, 2015 at 12:26

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .