File Count Different

[Brian Krontz]

I'm having an issue on numerous directories that contain a single file type
(MSG). If I right click and choose Properties on a directory, it may show a
file count of 1000. If I Right Click and choose search "*.MSG", it will
always show a higher file count... let's say from 1001 - 1050. Any ideas on
why Search shows more files than Properties?

 

[Brian Krontz]

If the files/folders/paths were, in some cases, longer than 256 characters,
would this affect the count?

 

[Howard Kaikow]

I'm having an issue on numerous directories that contain a single file type
(MSG). If I right click and choose Properties on a directory, it may show a
file count of 1000. If I Right Click and choose search "*.MSG", it will
always show a higher file count... let's say from 1001 - 1050. Any ideas on
why Search shows more files than Properties?

Open a Command Prompt window and do a dir/s/-p > SomeFileName.txt

 

[Brian Krontz]

I understand where you are going with this, but it doesn't solve my
situation. Let me give you another example:

Windows Explorer opened > Browse to directory > Visually count 21 files

[Or]

Windows Explorer opened > Browse to directory > Right click directory and
select Properties > "Contains: 20 files"

The files are stored on a 2003 server... and I have the same issues when
using Explorer on the desktop or the server. It would be one thing if the
directory properties said more (ie: hidden file), but when they say LESS than
the visual count... I start to get worried.

 

[Howard Kaikow]

I understand where you are going with this, but it doesn't solve my
situation. Let me give you another example:

Windows Explorer opened > Browse to directory > Visually count 21 files

[Or]

Windows Explorer opened > Browse to directory > Right click directory and
select Properties > "Contains: 20 files"

The files are stored on a 2003 server... and I have the same issues when
using Explorer on the desktop or the server. It would be one thing if the
directory properties said more (ie: hidden file), but when they say LESS than
the visual count... I start to get worried.

Do any of the files have the System or Hidden properties checked.

Could be that some counting methods do not include those files, depending
on the options you have chosen.

 

[Brian Krontz]

Thank you both. The example I gave (21 visual files counted with 20 listed in
the Folder Properties)... there are 21 .MSG files in the directory... and 20
files in the Properties count. None are hidden or system.

This behavior is not specific to this example directory... and the counts
are correct on some directories that have MSG's while incorrect on others.

Windows Explorer opened > Browse to directory > Visually count 21 files

[Or]

Windows Explorer opened > Browse to directory > Right click directory and
select Properties > "Contains: 20 files"

The files are stored on a 2003 server... and I have the same issues when
using Explorer on the desktop or the server. It would be one thing if the
directory properties said more (ie: hidden file), but when they say LESS than
the visual count... I start to get worried.

Do any of the files have the System or Hidden properties checked.

Could be that some counting methods do not include those files, depending
on the options you have chosen.

He's comparing a VISUAL count against what Explorer counts... and that
visual count is larger

READING is a skill.

 

[Brian Krontz]

One thing that I'm noticing is that a lot, if not all, of the directories
with this issue have "copies" of files...

Example:
filename.msg
filename (1).msg

The problem, though, is that they aren't really copies of files. When we
export MSG's, filenames are assigned by Subject Line... so 2 emails with a
Subject Line of "Microsoft Windows 7 Release Date" would create 2 separate
files that would be called:

Microsoft Windows 7 Release Date.msg
Microsoft Windows 7 Release Date (1).msg

The contents of both MSG's are usually completely different as well as the
filesize.

Again... this is a trend I'm seeing, but not the end all difference between
directories with a correct count and directories with an incorrect count.
Either way, there are still two files... not one... right?

Thoughts?

Thank you both. The example I gave (21 visual files counted with 20 listed in
the Folder Properties)... there are 21 .MSG files in the directory... and 20
files in the Properties count. None are hidden or system.

This behavior is not specific to this example directory... and the counts
are correct on some directories that have MSG's while incorrect on others.

Windows Explorer opened > Browse to directory > Visually count 21 files

[Or]

Windows Explorer opened > Browse to directory > Right click directory and
select Properties > "Contains: 20 files"

The files are stored on a 2003 server... and I have the same issues when
using Explorer on the desktop or the server. It would be one thing if the
directory properties said more (ie: hidden file), but when they say LESS
than
the visual count... I start to get worried.

Do any of the files have the System or Hidden properties checked.

Could be that some counting methods do not include those files, depending
on the options you have chosen.

He's comparing a VISUAL count against what Explorer counts... and that
visual count is larger

READING is a skill.

 

[Brian Krontz]

We are taking in evidence from law firms in the form of emails... processing
it... and we need to make sure we get it ALL processed and back to them.
Sometimes files are dropped in processing and when the base file counts on
thousands of folders and subfolders are off, it becomes a problem. We can't
say for sure whether or not we have all of the data to hand back to the law
firm... and nobody wants to be responsible for dropping the email that has
evidence to put the guys at Enron in jail... right?

 

[Bob I]

I think perhaps the Windows Explorer GUI is not the tool for the job?

 

[Brian Krontz]

Thank you. While that may make sense to some, I'm staring at 21 files and the
Folder Properties say 20. I'm under the impression that there must be an
explanation.

 

[Bob I]

I can't say where your "problem" is popping in, but I do know that you
can "see" the same file twice due to "paths" that Windows uses to show
you files. Frequently they will be found in the "My Documents" folder,
sam file but can be seen through the real path and the "displayed" path.
People "attempting" to reduce file counts, get really confused when
they delete the "extra" file and they both disappear. I'd suggest
looking via the command line, or some third party file manager software.

 

[Howard Kaikow]

Windows Explorer opened > Browse to directory > Visually count 21 files

[Or]

Windows Explorer opened > Browse to directory > Right click directory and
select Properties > "Contains: 20 files"

The files are stored on a 2003 server... and I have the same issues when
using Explorer on the desktop or the server. It would be one thing if the
directory properties said more (ie: hidden file), but when they say

LESS
than

the visual count... I start to get worried.

Do any of the files have the System or Hidden properties checked.

Could be that some counting methods do not include those files, depending
on the options you have chosen.

He's comparing a VISUAL count against what Explorer counts... and that
visual count is larger

READING is a skill.

READ what I wrote and stop wasting our time.

 

[Howard Kaikow]

Thank you. While that may make sense to some, I'm staring at 21 files and the
Folder Properties say 20. I'm under the impression that there must be an
explanation.

I have cases where Windows Explorer states that file are non-zero length,
but Properties shows 0 length.
If you have such files, you can read them using
http://www.standards.com/index.html?ReadFile.

Using the program to read the files, the files are not zero length.

So, Windows Explorer and Properties clearly use different Windows APIs to do
their job.

 

[Bill in Co.]

Windows Explorer opened > Browse to directory > Visually count 21 files

[Or]

Windows Explorer opened > Browse to directory > Right click directory
and
select Properties > "Contains: 20 files"

The files are stored on a 2003 server... and I have the same issues
when
using Explorer on the desktop or the server. It would be one thing if
the
directory properties said more (ie: hidden file), but when they say
LESS
than the visual count... I start to get worried.

Do any of the files have the System or Hidden properties checked.

Could be that some counting methods do not include those files,
depending
on the options you have chosen.

He's comparing a VISUAL count against what Explorer counts... and that
visual count is larger

READING is a skill.

READ what I wrote and stop wasting our time.

LOL.