Sharing files on a wireless network

[Gene E. Bloch]

| On Thu, 23 Aug 2012 00:25:41 +0100, Dave Rado wrote:
|
|> "Problem copying
|>
|> "An error has occurred.
|>
|> "The destination you have specified does not exist. It might be an
offline
|> network location or an empty CD or DVD drive. Check the location and try
|> again."
|>
|> Given the location it claims doesn't exist is on the C:\ drive of the
|> Windows 7 machine, this must be the craziest error message in history.
|>
|> I get exactly the same problem if I try to copy any file from my
external
|> USB drive to the C: drive of my Windows 7 machine.
|>
|> Any idea what could be going on?
|>
|> Yours, tearing my few remaining hairs out!
|>
|> Dave
|
| You said you saw this message:
|
| "The destination you have specified does not exist. It might be an
| offline network location or an empty CD or DVD drive. Check the location
| and try again."
|
| What, pray tell, was the destination that you specified? It *could* be
| significant information...
|
| --
| Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

I tried:

C:\Temp
C:\Localdocs
the "Documents" folder

and several others.

And I didn't type the destinations, I dragged the files I wanted to copy
into them or used the copy and paste commands. But the Windows 7 machine
keeps telling me that none of the folders on its own drive exist.

Interestingly, it does let me copy .txt files, but nothing more than that.

It also does let me download files from the internet into the folders that
it thinks doesn't exist.

Dave

I see a can of worms now.

1. I'm not sure why you'd want to copy files to Temp.

2. There's no Localdocs here, so I don't know what that might be. Google
only gives me a bunch of items about local doctors (MDs).

3. There's no folder here called Documents. Do you mean My Documents? If
so, do you mean the normal one or the hidden one? Or do you mean
C:\Documents and Settings? The latter two are junction points and are
not accessible to you (or to me on my machine). They serve a special
purpose to Windows.

4. Does it let you copy txt files into all of the folders you list or
hint at? Have you tried copying non-txt files into all of those folders?

5. Are you running the download to one machine from another machine on
the network, or from that machine itself?

The answers won't help me, I suspect, but they might help people who
actually know something

 

[Paul in Houston TX]

I tried:

C:\Temp
C:\Localdocs
the "Documents" folder

Those folders do not exist default on Win7.
Did you create them?

and several others.

And I didn't type the destinations, I dragged the files I wanted to copy
into them or used the copy and paste commands. But the Windows 7 machine
keeps telling me that none of the folders on its own drive exist.

So you can see those Win7 folders from the XP machine?

Interestingly, it does let me copy .txt files, but nothing more than that.
It also does let me download files from the internet into the folders that
it thinks doesn't exist.

From the XP machine?

 

[Dave Rado]

Hi Gene


|
| I see a can of worms now.

No can of worms at all.

| 1. I'm not sure why you'd want to copy files to Temp.

I created a folder called Temp in my root in order to store files
temporarily. Unlike most people I don't like storing files temporarily on my
desktop, which on most machines I've seen is terribly cluttered. So I
created a folder for them. But what I happen to have named the folder is is
quite irrelevant. The point is that I cannot copy files from an external
drive to ANY folder whatsoever on my Windows 7 machine. That is what I want
help with, not with discussions of the phiosphy ofl how one should name
one's folders.


| 2. There's no Localdocs here, so I don't know what that might be. Google
| only gives me a bunch of items about local doctors (MDs).

I created it by selecting File + New + Folder.

| 3. There's no folder here called Documents. Do you mean My Documents?

Are you using Windows 7? XP had a My Documents folder but my Windows 7
machine does not. It has a folder called "Documents".


| 4. Does it let you copy txt files into all of the folders you list or
| hint at? Have you tried copying non-txt files into all of those folders?

I can copy any file whatsoever from any folder whatsoever on my Windows 7
machine to any other folder whatsoever on my Windows 7 machine.

I cannot copy any file whatsoever other than .txt files from any external
drive other than a CD drive to any folder whatsoever on my Windows 7
machine.

 

[Dave Rado]

| Dave Rado wrote:
|
| > I tried:
| >
| > C:\Temp
| > C:\Localdocs
| > the "Documents" folder
|
| Those folders do not exist default on Win7.
| Did you create them?
|
| >
| > and several others.
| >
| > And I didn't type the destinations, I dragged the files I wanted to copy
| > into them or used the copy and paste commands. But the Windows 7 machine
| > keeps telling me that none of the folders on its own drive exist.
|
| So you can see those Win7 folders from the XP machine?
|
| > Interestingly, it does let me copy .txt files, but nothing more than
that.
| > It also does let me download files from the internet into the folders
that
| > it thinks doesn't exist.
| From the XP machine?

I have no desire to do that.

I am not using the XP machine. I am sitting on the Windows 7 machine, on
which I can see the drive that id on the XP machine, and all the files on
it, and on which I can also see my external USB drive. But I cannot copy any
files other than .txt files from those two external hard drives into any
folder on the Windows 7 machine.

I CAN copy any file whatsoever from any folder whatsoever on my Windows 7
machine to any other folder whatsoever on my Windows 7 machine. I can also
download files from the internet into any folder on my Windows 7 machine. I
can also copy files from a CD to ANY folder on my Windows 7 machine, then I
get a message saying that the destination folder doesn't exist.

Dave

 

[Dave Rado]

Sorry typo in previous post or rather I somehow deleted some text just
before posting it. Where it said:

| I can also copy files from a CD to ANY folder on my Windows 7 machine,
then I
| get a message saying that the destination folder doesn't exist.


It should have said


I can also copy files from a CD to ANY folder on my Windows 7 machine. But
if I try to copy any file whatsoever, other than .txt files, from my
external USB drive or from the mapped drive that is on my other machine, to
any folder on my Windows 7 machine, while operating my Windows 7 machine,
then I get an error message saying the destination folder doesn't exist. Txt
files copy without problems.

 

[glee]

Sorry typo in previous post or rather I somehow deleted some text just
before posting it. Where it said:

| I can also copy files from a CD to ANY folder on my Windows 7
machine,
then I
| get a message saying that the destination folder doesn't exist.


It should have said


I can also copy files from a CD to ANY folder on my Windows 7 machine.
But
if I try to copy any file whatsoever, other than .txt files, from my
external USB drive or from the mapped drive that is on my other
machine, to
any folder on my Windows 7 machine, while operating my Windows 7
machine,
then I get an error message saying the destination folder doesn't
exist. Txt
files copy without problems.

Is the external USB drive you are referring to, connected to the Windows
7 computer, or to the XP computer? Is there only the one USB drive? (in
an earlier post you stated that two USB drives were involved).

Did you share the C: drive on the XP machine, or did you "Map a network
drive" on the Win7 machine? You keep using the term "mapping the drive"
but your original post was about sharing the drive. At this point I
don't know what exactly you have done.

 

[Dave Rado]

Hi Glen

|
| Is the external USB drive you are referring to, connected to the Windows
| 7 computer, or to the XP computer?
The Windows 7 computer. Why would I attach it to the XP computer in order to
access it from the Windows 7 one?

In any case, in my first post I said that the reason for this exercise is
that the XP computer no longer recognises USB drives, and therefore I
couldn't back up and restore data using that method.

| Is there only the one USB drive? (in
| an earlier post you stated that two USB drives were involved).

No I have never had more than one, not sure what I said that you
misinterpreted.

| Did you share the C: drive on the XP machine, or did you "Map a network
| drive" on the Win7 machine? You keep using the term "mapping the drive"
| but your original post was about sharing the drive. At this point I
| don't know what exactly you have done.

I shared the drive and then after that, in order that I could assign a drive
letter on the Win 7 machine to the XP drive, I mapped it, so that it now
appears as drive letter Z on the Win 7 machine.

 

[glee]

replies inline...

Hi Glen

|
| Is the external USB drive you are referring to, connected to the
Windows
| 7 computer, or to the XP computer?
The Windows 7 computer. Why would I attach it to the XP computer in
order to
access it from the Windows 7 one?

I have no idea why one would do that, but since you weren't clear, I
asked for clarification. People do far stranger thing than that when
working on computers.

In any case, in my first post I said that the reason for this exercise
is
that the XP computer no longer recognises USB drives, and therefore I
couldn't back up and restore data using that method.

I must have forgotten what the first post said... it was 3 days ago and
I've done a lot of other things in that time.

| Is there only the one USB drive? (in
| an earlier post you stated that two USB drives were involved).

No I have never had more than one, not sure what I said that you
misinterpreted.

Actually I didn't misinterpret... apparently you mis-typed. In one of
your replies to Paul in Houston, you wrote:
"But I cannot copy any files other than .txt files from those two
external hard drives into any folder on the Windows 7 machine."
Note the "two external hard drives".

| Did you share the C: drive on the XP machine, or did you "Map a
network
| drive" on the Win7 machine? You keep using the term "mapping the
drive"
| but your original post was about sharing the drive. At this point I
| don't know what exactly you have done.

I shared the drive and then after that, in order that I could assign a
drive
letter on the Win 7 machine to the XP drive, I mapped it, so that it
now
appears as drive letter Z on the Win 7 machine.

I don't think the mapped drive letter is the problem, although you could
try unmapping the Z: drive and just try copying files via Windows
Explorer> Network> Workgroup, for troubleshooting purposes.

I'm wondering if the issue is file size. Text files tend to be small.
Are the files you are failing to get copied over a certain size? I saw
this once before between all XP machines on a network. One machine
suddenly stopped letting me access files or copy files to it if they
were over about 16MB in size. I never figured out what the issue was
because I didn't have time to play with it. If I copied to the Shared
Documents folder, there were no problems, so I just used that folder for
transfers instead.

I suggest you try copying the files to the Shared Documents folder on
the Win7 system, from the XP computer, and see if that works. Also try
it from the USB drive to Shared Documents.... though the USB drive issue
may be something else.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Hi Gene


|
| I see a can of worms now.

No can of worms at all.

| 1. I'm not sure why you'd want to copy files to Temp.

I created a folder called Temp in my root in order to store files
temporarily. Unlike most people I don't like storing files temporarily on my
desktop, which on most machines I've seen is terribly cluttered. So I
created a folder for them. But what I happen to have named the folder is is
quite irrelevant. The point is that I cannot copy files from an external
drive to ANY folder whatsoever on my Windows 7 machine. That is what I want
help with, not with discussions of the phiosphy ofl how one should name
one's folders.

| 2. There's no Localdocs here, so I don't know what that might be. Google
| only gives me a bunch of items about local doctors (MDs).

I created it by selecting File + New + Folder.

| 3. There's no folder here called Documents. Do you mean My Documents?

Are you using Windows 7? XP had a My Documents folder but my Windows 7
machine does not. It has a folder called "Documents".

| 4. Does it let you copy txt files into all of the folders you list or
| hint at? Have you tried copying non-txt files into all of those folders?

I can copy any file whatsoever from any folder whatsoever on my Windows 7
machine to any other folder whatsoever on my Windows 7 machine.

I cannot copy any file whatsoever other than .txt files from any external
drive other than a CD drive to any folder whatsoever on my Windows 7
machine.

I'm going to go fishing now.

 

[Char Jackson]

I'm going to go fishing now.

That's the beauty of these volunteer positions. We can "go fishing"
whenever we feel like it. When it comes to this thread, I went fishing
yesterday and have no plans to return. ;-)

I brought along that 'can of worms' that you mentioned earlier. They
come in handy when the fish are biting.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

That's the beauty of these volunteer positions. We can "go fishing"
whenever we feel like it. When it comes to this thread, I went fishing
yesterday and have no plans to return. ;-)

I brought along that 'can of worms' that you mentioned earlier. They
come in handy when the fish are biting.

They are also good fried.

 

[Char Jackson]

They are also good fried.

Yummo! Try frying them in bacon fat for an extra bit of goodness.

 

[glee]

Yummo! Try frying them in bacon fat for an extra bit of goodness.

Heck, I may as well join the fishing trip.... the OP has apparently
decided to disappear without replying to my last suggestions.
Mmmm.... worms!

 

[Jim]

Hi Glen

|
| Is the external USB drive you are referring to, connected to the Windows
| 7 computer, or to the XP computer?
The Windows 7 computer. Why would I attach it to the XP computer in order to
access it from the Windows 7 one?

In any case, in my first post I said that the reason for this exercise is
that the XP computer no longer recognises USB drives, and therefore I
couldn't back up and restore data using that method.

| Is there only the one USB drive? (in
| an earlier post you stated that two USB drives were involved).

No I have never had more than one, not sure what I said that you
misinterpreted.

| Did you share the C: drive on the XP machine, or did you "Map a network
| drive" on the Win7 machine? You keep using the term "mapping the drive"
| but your original post was about sharing the drive. At this point I
| don't know what exactly you have done.

I shared the drive and then after that, in order that I could assign a drive
letter on the Win 7 machine to the XP drive, I mapped it, so that it now
appears as drive letter Z on the Win 7 machine.

Have you tried on the XP box going into Administrative Tools -->
Computer Management --> Storage--> Disk Management and see it its listed
there?

If it is, see if it is assigned a drive letter.
I forget if I deleted the drive or assigned a letter when this happen to
me 6 years ago.

Jim

 

[Char Jackson]

Heck, I may as well join the fishing trip.... the OP has apparently
decided to disappear without replying to my last suggestions.
Mmmm.... worms!

Welcome! Always room for another pole in the water. Got any
marshmallows? Great bait, great snack.

 

[Gene Wirchenko]

[snip]

Yummo! Try frying them in bacon fat for an extra bit of goodness.

Heck, I may as well join the fishing trip.... the OP has apparently
decided to disappear without replying to my last suggestions.
Mmmm.... worms!

"Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, guess I'll go eat worms..."

Pass. You can have my share, guys.

Sincerely,

Gene Wirhcenko

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Welcome! Always room for another pole in the water. Got any
marshmallows? Great bait, great snack.

This has been very educational.

Based on the information in this subthread, I am considering writing the
definitive edition of the Alt.Windows7.General Cookbook.

 

[glee]

On Thu, 23 Aug 2012 19:20:40 -0700, "Gene E. Bloch"

[snip]

I brought along that 'can of worms' that you mentioned earlier.
They
come in handy when the fish are biting.

They are also good fried.

Yummo! Try frying them in bacon fat for an extra bit of goodness.

Heck, I may as well join the fishing trip.... the OP has apparently
decided to disappear without replying to my last suggestions.
Mmmm.... worms!

"Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, guess I'll go eat worms..."

Pass. You can have my share, guys.

It isn't about liking or hating me, it's about wasting my time trying to
help someone who does not follow up. As for the worms, good! More for
us!

 

[Dave Rado]

Hi Glen

Sorry for the delay in replying but I was away for a couple of days.

I'm a bit surprised by the sarcastic comments elsewhere in the thread - not
everyone is able to be constantly attached to their computer.

Anyway, the problem seems to have resolved itself although I have no idea
why. Details below.


| > | Is there only the one USB drive? (in
| > | an earlier post you stated that two USB drives were involved).
| >
| > No I have never had more than one, not sure what I said that you
| > misinterpreted.
|
| Actually I didn't misinterpret... apparently you mis-typed. In one of
| your replies to Paul in Houston, you wrote:
| "But I cannot copy any files other than .txt files from those two
| external hard drives into any folder on the Windows 7 machine."
| Note the "two external hard drives".

No, I didn't mistype, but maybe I wasn't clear enough. I was referring to
the XP drive and the USB drive. There was never more than one USB drive, and
I didn't say there was; but the drive on the XP machine, from the
perspective of the Windows 7 machine, is also an external drive as far as
I'm concerned.


| I don't think the mapped drive letter is the problem, although you could
| try unmapping the Z: drive and just try copying files via Windows
| Explorer> Network> Workgroup, for troubleshooting purposes.

That made no difference, but I tried rebooting the machine, and suddenly it
started copying the files over without problems. It wasn't the first time
I'd rebooted the machine though, and the fact that I don't know what the
cause of the problem was makes me wonder whether it has really gone for
good, but it's working now.

Dave

 

[Dave Rado]

I should have added, many thanks to you and John Williamson for all your
help in getting the workgroup set up.

Dave


| Hi Glen
|
| Sorry for the delay in replying but I was away for a couple of days.
|
| I'm a bit surprised by the sarcastic comments elsewhere in the thread -
not
| everyone is able to be constantly attached to their computer.
|
| Anyway, the problem seems to have resolved itself although I have no idea
| why. Details below.
|
| |
|| > | Is there only the one USB drive? (in
|| > | an earlier post you stated that two USB drives were involved).
|| >
|| > No I have never had more than one, not sure what I said that you
|| > misinterpreted.
||
|| Actually I didn't misinterpret... apparently you mis-typed. In one of
|| your replies to Paul in Houston, you wrote:
|| "But I cannot copy any files other than .txt files from those two
|| external hard drives into any folder on the Windows 7 machine."
|| Note the "two external hard drives".
|
| No, I didn't mistype, but maybe I wasn't clear enough. I was referring to
| the XP drive and the USB drive. There was never more than one USB drive,
and
| I didn't say there was; but the drive on the XP machine, from the
| perspective of the Windows 7 machine, is also an external drive as far as
| I'm concerned.
|
|
|| I don't think the mapped drive letter is the problem, although you could
|| try unmapping the Z: drive and just try copying files via Windows
|| Explorer> Network> Workgroup, for troubleshooting purposes.
|
| That made no difference, but I tried rebooting the machine, and suddenly
it
| started copying the files over without problems. It wasn't the first time
| I'd rebooted the machine though, and the fact that I don't know what the
| cause of the problem was makes me wonder whether it has really gone for
| good, but it's working now.
|
| Dave
|
|