Long file names not being accepted, causing problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ken
  • Start date Start date
K

Ken

Bear with me on this, if you will, as there's a bit of backstory ...

I've Windows XP Home on my Acer Aspire 3620 laptop computer.

A couple of months ago, my JetFlash thumb drive, which plugs into a USB
2.0 port on the side of the computer, stopped being recognised by My
Computer - though the Safely Remove Hardware program (with its icon in
the Taskbar) continued to recognise it. Result: I could no longer
access the thumb drive to store or input information for that computer.
(The thumb drive works fine in another laptop computer in the house.)

I rang Microsoft who tried a few things after going into Disk
Management, but without success. They couldn't get a re-allocated drive
letter for the thumb drive to 'stick' and be recognised by My Computer.
They spoke of a path or file having become corrupted. They said that
a Folder Reinstall (I think that was the term they used) would be
needed, which is little short of a full Windows Reinstall. I baulked at
this.

Then, recently, a computers-savvy friend thought that he had found me a
work-around. He said: 'Go into Disk Management. See if a letter has
been allocated to the thumb drive (say G: or J:). If necessary,
allocate one by clicking on "Change Drive Letter and Paths" and "Add".
Now, right-click on the shaded or unshaded area on the screen for that
drive, then click on Open. The thumb drive will now be accessible and
files, etc., can be pasted into it or dragged and dropped into it.'

This does work okay for simple text files. But, unfortunately, long
file names are not being accepted, which is a problem when, for example,
I want to store my RoboForm Default Profile and its contents, the latter
containing many long file names.

Any suggestions for a fix?

Thanks - Ken
 
Ken said:
Bear with me on this, if you will, as there's a bit of backstory ...

I've Windows XP Home on my Acer Aspire 3620 laptop computer.

A couple of months ago, my JetFlash thumb drive, which plugs into a USB
2.0 port on the side of the computer, stopped being recognised by My
Computer - though the Safely Remove Hardware program (with its icon in
the Taskbar) continued to recognise it. Result: I could no longer
access the thumb drive to store or input information for that computer.
(The thumb drive works fine in another laptop computer in the house.)

I rang Microsoft who tried a few things after going into Disk
Management, but without success. They couldn't get a re-allocated drive
letter for the thumb drive to 'stick' and be recognised by My Computer.
They spoke of a path or file having become corrupted. They said that a
Folder Reinstall (I think that was the term they used) would be needed,
which is little short of a full Windows Reinstall. I baulked at this.

Then, recently, a computers-savvy friend thought that he had found me a
work-around. He said: 'Go into Disk Management. See if a letter has
been allocated to the thumb drive (say G: or J:). If necessary,
allocate one by clicking on "Change Drive Letter and Paths" and "Add".
Now, right-click on the shaded or unshaded area on the screen for that
drive, then click on Open. The thumb drive will now be accessible and
files, etc., can be pasted into it or dragged and dropped into it.'

This does work okay for simple text files. But, unfortunately, long
file names are not being accepted, which is a problem when, for example,
I want to store my RoboForm Default Profile and its contents, the latter
containing many long file names.

Any suggestions for a fix?

Thanks - Ken
Click to expand...

Here are a few things that could help:

Click Start, Run, type SFC /SCANNOW, click OK. If any are damaged or
missing files, they'll be replaced. You may need to reboot afterwards
so damaged files will be replaced.

Troubleshooting for USB drives
http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbtrouble_e.html

This site has specific patches for devices, chipsets, etc.
http://www.usbman.com/WinME USB Guide.htm

General USB troubleshooting in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310575
 
Elmo said:
Here are a few things that could help:

Click Start, Run, type SFC /SCANNOW, click OK. If any are damaged or
missing files, they'll be replaced. You may need to reboot afterwards
so damaged files will be replaced.
Click to expand...

Confusing. I did the above but soon got told 'Insert your Windows XP
Professional Service Pack 2 CD now'. Well, as reported in my original
post, I have XP Home. Nonetheless, I went ahead and inserted a disk
that Microsoft had sent me: 'Windows XP Home Edition - includes Service
Pack 2 Version 2002'. But soon again I was being asked what option I
wanted, the first being to install Windows XP. I selected this but then
chickened out by hitting the Esc key.

Can you advise me further please, Elmo, or anyone?

Thanks - Ken
 
Ken said:
Confusing. I did the above but soon got told 'Insert your Windows XP
Professional Service Pack 2 CD now'. Well, as reported in my original
post, I have XP Home. Nonetheless, I went ahead and inserted a disk
that Microsoft had sent me: 'Windows XP Home Edition - includes Service
Pack 2 Version 2002'. But soon again I was being asked what option I
wanted, the first being to install Windows XP. I selected this but then
chickened out by hitting the Esc key.

Can you advise me further please, Elmo, or anyone?

Thanks - Ken
Click to expand...

Press the Shift key when you insert the CD so it won't auto-run. Or if
it won't stop, cancel the window. Then click OK to the Insert the
Windows CD prompt so the files can be repaired.
 
Elmo said:
Press the Shift key when you insert the CD so it won't auto-run. Or if
it won't stop, cancel the window. Then click OK to the Insert the
Windows CD prompt so the files can be repaired.
Click to expand...

Dear Elmo. Thanks for the above. Meanwhile I had gone to the German
site you had recommended for troubleshooting USB drives. There, I just
happened to spot a series of posts from people whose problem (thumb
drives, etc., not showing up in Windows Explorer/My Computer) was
similar to mine. These people, it turned out, had once used something
called Daemon Tools 4.0 - and I vaguely remembered that I had tried that
product, too. The fix, it appeared, was to remove a file called
sptd.sys left behind in C:\Windows\System 32. I did a search and, lo,
there was that very file on my computer. I deleted it and re-booted.
NOW MY THUMB DRIVE IS BEING RECOGNISED AND IS WORKING PERFECTLY! Thanks
so much, Elmo, for pointing me to a solution!

Cheers - Ken
 
Ken said:
Dear Elmo. Thanks for the above. Meanwhile I had gone to the German
site you had recommended for troubleshooting USB drives. There, I just
happened to spot a series of posts from people whose problem (thumb
drives, etc., not showing up in Windows Explorer/My Computer) was
similar to mine. These people, it turned out, had once used something
called Daemon Tools 4.0 - and I vaguely remembered that I had tried that
product, too. The fix, it appeared, was to remove a file called
sptd.sys left behind in C:\Windows\System 32. I did a search and, lo,
there was that very file on my computer. I deleted it and re-booted.
NOW MY THUMB DRIVE IS BEING RECOGNISED AND IS WORKING PERFECTLY! Thanks
so much, Elmo, for pointing me to a solution!

Cheers - Ken
Click to expand...

Well that's great! and thanks for the report.

Happy Holidays.
 
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