Sietse Fliege said:
Chances are that it is one of those, mostly older, programs that do not
let you browse through folders that have the system attribute set.
On XP there simply are more of these folders. They often also have a
desktop.ini file and a special icon.
If you, like me, are also in the habit of giving some very often used
folders a different icon, to let them stand out in the folder tree for
easy navigation, then that adds significantly to the problem.
I do that. And, my top-level pictures directory is one that has a special
icon, and thus the S attrib. I've been surprised when having come across
programs that render themselves blind to its existence.
In that circumstance at least, I usually become aware of the problem
right away. Where I did get stumbled up not that long ago, however, it
was in a slightly different situation. An S-R program that I use: "Simple
Search-Replace" by RJL Software. I spent about an hour one day, in trying
to figure out what was wrong, after one replace operation repeatedly failed.
Only at the end realizing that the problem involved the target directory
having an S attrib.
Sometimes even installers do not let me install where I want, for this
very reason. Unless I really must, I will then not proceed any further
with the install.
Fortunately this happens really seldomly nowadays, because to disable
browsing of 'system' folders really is a thing of the past (if it ever
was of any use, anyway).
If this applies to Iomega Photo Printer that would be a shame.
I don't have the Iomega Photo Printer in order to finalize proof --
but the explanation that it is one of those older progs having that
prob with S attrib'd folders, that satisfies the mystery for my reading.
Agree that it regrettable. Like you, I am not willing to turn off my
special folder icons, and instead tend to bypass programs with that
limitation.
By the way, in the case of my recent stumbling, the one with the prog SSR,
there was an extra complication. It can "see" those directories that have
the "S" attrib, and it can even process them -- if they or their children
are given as the search path. It's when I give it a higher level folder
for it to process that it then goes blind to any subdirectories within
which have the S attrib.
In theory, I ought request the developer of SSR to do a fix. Or at least
make it optional toggle if they imagine there could ever be a case where
it would be wanted behavior.
