Grrr. Can't copy to flash drive...

[Loiseau]

Yesterday I installed a PNY 128MB flash drive ("Attaché") on my PC.

I was rather proud of myself, as it involved downloading and installing the right driver (required for W98).  Then I managed to copy a load of files off my PC and onto it successfully. 

However, later on - and again today - I can't drag *any* more files onto it.  Every time I try, I get the message
"Cannot copy <filename>. The directory or file cannot be created".
It doesn't matter *what* kind of file it is: Word, Excel, jpeg, even Notepad.

There is plenty of room on the drive (100+MB remaining).
I have looked at "details" to see if the files are locked up in some way, but can't find anything there that would explain it.

I think I have had this problem with the odd file in the past, copying onto the C or the A drive.  I can't remember how I solved it (probably by luck, or maybe I just gave up!).   But this time the problem seems to be with *any* file that I want to copy...

Can anyone out there help, please?

Angela

[Dick Smith]

Have you tried the obvious and switched off for a few seconds and restarted? I lost a USB hub yesterday (unfortunately the one with the keyboard plugged in to it) and that worked for me.

[George]

Angela

Some USB flash drives have a small button/slider that can be moved to lock the files, keeping them safe from being erased. Not sure about the PNY, but check all over it to see if anything like that, you may have moved it accidently?

 

 

[Loiseau]

Thanks guys, for these prompt thoughts...

Yes, Dick, the computer has been off - and on - more than once since the problem arose...  So often that is a cure for things - but sadly apparently not in this case. 

George, I know what you mean, and I did check the write/protect button, which is still resolutely in the "unlocked" position - and is so deep-set that it looks as if it would be very hard to move, even on purpose!

Angela (still through gritted teeth; is there a smiley for that?)

[Mazan]

"Cannot copy <filename>. The directory or file cannot be created".

Do the filenames contain non-standard characters? These are a no-no.

[Ron Avery]

May sound obvious but you get this message on all software if you try and move an item that is "open".  Have you tried dragging and dropping or copying the files you want to move in Windows Explorer?

[George]

Angela

Another possibility, in my computer, right click on the drive, go to properties and see what options you have.  Anything there to check the drive etc?

 

[Loiseau]

Sorry folks, I have been away for 24 hours, hence my apparent churlishness in not thanking you for these other suggestions.

Mazan:  No, the filenames don't contain any funny characters.

Ron: Yes, I was dragging-n-dropping from Windows Explorer each time, and did check that the files weren't open.

George: I tried, at your suggestion, right-clicking and checking Properties, which showed me stuff like how much space was left on the disk (10.7MB used space; 109MB free space), but nothing else very useful.  Somewhere I also found an option to scan this "disk" for errors, so I did that, too - but it didn't find any.

The flash drive still won't accept any new files when I attempt to copy them across via Windows Explorer, nor can I save a new file direct to that drive. 

HOWEVER it WILL let me overwrite some of the 171 files that I originally managed to put on the flash drive (the contents of a folder that I am currently working on).  That's bizarre, isn't it?  Or not?

I have transferred the flash drive to the USB port of the laptop, and moved the files over to the laptop (ready for a week's research trip) with no problem.  There again, though, I can't copy anything else from the laptop *to* the flash drive, though I can overwrite to the flash drive new versions of the files that it already has on it... 

Angela

[Loiseau]

 

FIXED IT !!!!

I did a Google search on "cannot be created", and found several Q&A sites where people were complaining of similar problems.
The consensus from the experts seemed to be that though the flash drive/floppy/zip might not actually be *full*, there were in fact a limited number of *files* that could be stored on them. 

So I took everything off the flash drive (as I have already copied the files successfully onto the laptop), and GUESS WHAT - I can copy whatever I want onto the empty stick now!

In fact, some experts said that if you gathered the files into *folders* you could get more on.  I didn't try this.

Gosh Mazan - I hope you're impressed...

Thanks a million to you all

Angela

[Mazan]

Glad you got to the bottom of this. I've not come across that particular problem before.

I don't think you mentioned how many files there actually were? This isn't normally an issue unless there really are a lot of them. Did you have a great number?

This issue is in fact tied up with the possible illegal character/file name problem that I mentioned and very long file names can also cause this to happen. Having many levels of folders and sub-folders can also do it. It's all to do with the file allocation table (FAT). The suggestion to put the files into more folders would probably do the trick also.

[Loiseau]

I had copied the contents of a folder that had 171 files.  There was no reason I couldn't have copied the *folder*, but somehow I seemed to have it open, so I just did Ctrl-A to highlight the lot, and dragged them across.

I'll know better next time!

Angela