Fuck You Microsoft, right in the fucking ass

[Aristotle]

So I am working on some code today, and I need to save a file with the filename portion "con" (before the extension). Every time I try, it says "That file or folder already exists."

So I think something is fubar, and try about 20 different things to save the file. I try saving it as something else and renaming it. I try uploading it somewhere with a different name, renaming it there, and trying to download it back. I try moving it. I try other directories. I reboot thinking something might be messed up and a non-existent file thinks it exists. I try removing the whole directory. I try going into DOS to do the deleting of the whole directory.

Nothing works.

Finally, I learn this:

Fucking Microsoft assholes

Do not use the following reserved device names for the name of a file: CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4, COM5, COM6, COM7, COM8, COM9, LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, LPT4, LPT5, LPT6, LPT7, LPT8, and LPT9. Also avoid these names followed by an extension, for example, NUL.tx7.

How about a fucking worthwhile error message you goddamn lazy pigs.

Instead of "That file or folder already exists", how about "CON is a reserved name and cannot be used for a file or folder."

Is that too fucking much to ask?

Inject yourself with cancer, Microsoft. Oh wait, you already did... its called Windows.

[Rosuav]

Ahh, that's what you were referring to when you said stuff on Cit about things called "con". Yes, it's a pain... I wouldn't so much mind not being allowed to have a file called "con", but why not "con.txt" etc?? There's nothing wrong with "copy con con.txt", it's not ambiguous.

What is it you're needing to do? Does it absolutely have to be called con.*? Can you use con_.*or c0n.* or something, anything that'd disrupt the reserved-word check?

"con\xff" would work too, FWIW. But that's a dodgy technique, mainly used by people who are trying to cover their tracks.

[Gesslar]

Doh! I actually knew that, because of something I was writing once. Feel your pain, I do.

[anthson]

This is just the kind of acidic hate that makes me warm and fuzzy on the inside. A great start to my morning!

[Sebboe]

Originally posted by Rosuav

What is it you're needing to do? Does it absolutely have to be called con.*? Can you use con_.*or c0n.* or something, anything that'd disrupt the reserved-word check?

"con\xff" would work too, FWIW. But that's a dodgy technique, mainly used by people who are trying to cover their tracks.

I think you are reading WAY too much into the desired result. This is not about some great need to name a file con.txt as much as it is Microsoft put in some really stupid restrictions on file names but then really made matters worse by having a completely erroneous error message.

Ari then had to go and research why he could not perform the simplest of tasks, naming a file.

So if the stuff is for tcon he can name the file tcon.txt if its for some paper on congress he can name it congress.txt.

The simple point is MS sucks ass and no matter how many times they prove it, they will insist on proving it again and again and again.

[Aristotle]

Originally posted by Sebboe
I think you are reading WAY too much into the desired result. This is not about some great need to name a file con.txt as much as it is Microsoft put in some really stupid restrictions on file names but then really made matters worse by having a completely erroneous error message.

Ari then had to go and research why he could not perform the simplest of tasks, naming a file.

Right. I don't have a problem naming it something else (although con.c was better). But the error message was so worthless, I thought something was screwed up with my computer, or I'd somehow saved it as some weird file that was screwed up, or god knows what else.

[Brannick]

Right. You gotta love Microsoft At least for digging their own grave all the deeper. Let's hope that some day they'll just slip and fall in it

That's why at home it's all Firefox&Thunderbird for me - better, faster, more effective. And -not- Microsoft, that counts for a lot, too (though I'm too stupid to get on the Linux , but that's the price you pay for being less into "science", more into "arts"... )

[Rosuav]

Originally posted by Brannick
Right. You gotta love Microsoft At least for digging their own grave all the deeper. Let's hope that some day they'll just slip and fall in it

They will. And you're helping us work towards it:

That's why at home it's all Firefox&Thunderbird for me - better, faster, more effective.

If you're having trouble kicking the OS, but love the idea of not using Microsoft software, try OS/2. It does have a partly-MS history, but MS threw it over (naturally, it had too much quality and too little eye-candy). www.ecomstation.com - and there's plenty of good OS/2 software around.

[Aristotle]

Rosuav, please stop pimping OS/2 to people.

That has to be some of the most horrible advice you could possibly give anyone.

OS/2 is dead - as dead as Amiga - though both continue to somewhat exist solely in the universe of the pure hobbyist. Neither should be used by anyone other than ultra-geeky hobbyists with an overgrown sense of nostalgia for those ancient, dead operating systems.

There is absolutely ZERO official support for OS/2 by anyone, and suggesting it to people means recommending a lifetime of searching around for hobbyist written drivers and all sorts of other kludged bullshit.

[Dalaena]

I don't think the word "fuck" was mentioned enough times in the original post. TSK.