How to UNcompress files all at once

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  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Hi Guys (and other Gals),

I went to compress OLD files only on my (Media Center Edition 2005) PC and
when it was done it told me that some operating system files were replaced
with older versions, did I really want to do this? It asked me to insert the
Windows CD, of course being a Dell PC - I didn't have an OS CD, so I finally
accepted the option to accept the replacement of the files. I don't know why
this error message came up!! The PC was NOT connected to the internet and
only thing ON the PC is the OS! I rebooted the system & all seems ok so far.

Has anyone else ever had an error like this while compressing files??
And should I really be concerned about whatever files got replaced, if any?

Anyway, just to undo the compression, in case that had something to do with
the error message, I tried all the following from a command prompt:

1.) compact /u /s:c:\windows
worked -- but only for files in main Windows directory!


2.) compact /u /s: c:\windows\*.*
I got the following err message ---- C:\Windows\*.*: file name,
directory name or vol label is incorrect.


3.) compact /u /s: c:\windows *.* ----- Left out the backslash before *.*
worked -- but only for files in Windows directory!

4.) compact /u /s
Only worked for directory I was in!

How do I format the "compact" command to UN-compact all folders, subfolders,
and files on "C" without having to do each & every directory and subdirectory
individually??

I have looked up and read about the "compact" command and its' parameters
but can not get it to work on anything other than 1 directory at a time.

What am I missing in using the command??? Or does it NOT work that way,
which I find hard to believe?

Thanks as always!

CP
 
Right-click the folder Properties|General|Advanced and uncheck the box for
"compress contents...."

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| Hi Guys (and other Gals),
|
| I went to compress OLD files only on my (Media Center Edition 2005) PC and
| when it was done it told me that some operating system files were replaced
| with older versions, did I really want to do this? It asked me to insert
the
| Windows CD, of course being a Dell PC - I didn't have an OS CD, so I
finally
| accepted the option to accept the replacement of the files. I don't know
why
| this error message came up!! The PC was NOT connected to the internet and
| only thing ON the PC is the OS! I rebooted the system & all seems ok so
far.
|
| Has anyone else ever had an error like this while compressing files??
| And should I really be concerned about whatever files got replaced, if
any?
|
| Anyway, just to undo the compression, in case that had something to do
with
| the error message, I tried all the following from a command prompt:
|
| 1.) compact /u /s:c:\windows
| worked -- but only for files in main Windows directory!
|
|
| 2.) compact /u /s: c:\windows\*.*
| I got the following err message ---- C:\Windows\*.*: file name,
| directory name or vol label is incorrect.
|
|
| 3.) compact /u /s: c:\windows *.* ----- Left out the backslash before *.*
| worked -- but only for files in Windows directory!
|
| 4.) compact /u /s
| Only worked for directory I was in!
|
| How do I format the "compact" command to UN-compact all folders,
subfolders,
| and files on "C" without having to do each & every directory and
subdirectory
| individually??
|
| I have looked up and read about the "compact" command and its' parameters
| but can not get it to work on anything other than 1 directory at a time.
|
| What am I missing in using the command??? Or does it NOT work that way,
| which I find hard to believe?
|
| Thanks as always!
|
| CP
 
"How do I format the "compact" command to UN-compact all folders,
subfolders, and files on "C" without having to do each & every directory and
subdirectory individually??"

This was the question I answered.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| Dave,
|
| I know how to do THAT, please reread my 1st posts questions!
| Thanks,
| Cin
 
cutie_pyie said:
Hi Guys (and other Gals),

I went to compress OLD files only on my (Media Center Edition 2005) PC and
when it was done it told me that some operating system files were replaced
with older versions, did I really want to do this? It asked me to insert the
Windows CD, of course being a Dell PC - I didn't have an OS CD, so I finally
accepted the option to accept the replacement of the files. I don't know why
this error message came up!! The PC was NOT connected to the internet and
only thing ON the PC is the OS! I rebooted the system & all seems ok so far.

Has anyone else ever had an error like this while compressing files??
And should I really be concerned about whatever files got replaced, if any?

Anyway, just to undo the compression, in case that had something to do with
the error message, I tried all the following from a command prompt:

1.) compact /u /s:c:\windows
worked -- but only for files in main Windows directory!


2.) compact /u /s: c:\windows\*.*
I got the following err message ---- C:\Windows\*.*: file name,
directory name or vol label is incorrect.
Click to expand...

This is very close, but what you really want is:

compact /u /i /s:"C:\Windows" *

/u to uncompress
/i to keep going even if a file fails to uncompress
/s to recurse subdirectories starting with C:\Windows
* to grab every file

This will also set the entire C:\Windows directory structure to not
compress new items.

BTW, *.* _will not_ match every file, only files with an extension.
 
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