Folder Changed To File

[a_sen]

Hi,

I have a strange problem. One of my folderS, all of a sudden started showing as a file.. I mean, windows is not recognizing the folder as a folder but is recognizing as a file.

Anyone have any clue as to why this can happen and how to solve this problem?

Os IS Win XP

Thanks in advance.

Anirban Sen

p.s. how do Windows identify between a file and a folder?

[yashved]

Are you sure it was a folder? I mean I haven't heard of such a problem before.... Please provide with some details like a screen shot, etc.

[Kiran_tech_mania]

What happens when you Double click the folder? If it's not opening
Go to command prompt>
>cmd.exe> and use 'cd' command to open the folder.

A snap-shot of the same folder with right-click 'context menu' here would be very useful in solving the problem.

[Apollo]

I have a strange problem. One of my folderS, all of a sudden started showing as a file.. I mean, windows is not recognizing the folder as a folder but is recognizing as a file.
Seems Windows is meant to go haywire, in one way or the other! :D

Jokes apart, I've never even heard of something like this happening. I'm curious to know more.

[jz2linkinpark]

what the...?
maybe it was a zip. or rar, or iso or something file, and then maybe you uninstalled the program for opening it and now it seems as if windows is not recognizing the file???:confused:

[Ishan]

My friend "hrushij" our new digit member says its a virus...check out. scan ur system..

also tell us are thos folder->files show arnd 42kb of size?
then its sure a virus...which i dont know?

[a_sen]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for sharing your views.

Let me try to clarify on the issue further.

This folder, which I had named "as" contains about 30.5 MB of data and contains almost all the files that I normally access in a day.

I was downloading some document into that folder one day when suddenly it changed to a shortcut (to nothing), I mean it started showing as "as.lnk". I renamed it from "as.lnk" to "as" but of no help because windows still identifies the same as a file. When I double click, I see a list of programs with which I want to open the file. I have tried with the DOS prompt but as the system recognises "as" as file, cd command from DOS prompt doesn't help.

Thanks again.

Regards,

Anirban

[Vishal Gupta]

OK! Now do as following:

1.) Open Command prompt and goto this folder.
2.) Give following command:

attrib -h -s -r

3.) Now give following command:

del desktop.ini

bcoz I'm sure that there should be a "desktop.ini" file in the folder, which causing this problem!

[a_sen]

But Vishal, which folder to go to? The Folder "as" is not showing as folder and that is the problem.

[SE><IE]

@VG: looks like windows is really thinking of it as a file. otherwise context menu must have had option to open it which rather turns out to be open with... in his case.
@a_sen: did you see its properties? (right-click> properties)

perhaps a screenshot of the parent folder (the folder where 'as' resides) and as's properties would help a lot. :)

one more thing. Try renaming it to as.lnk back. Now double click and see where it leads you.

[marek.lutz]

Hey.
I have the same problem. Plenty of folders on my external HDD changed into file of 32 kB size, unopenable.
Here is the screenshot (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zkIwyF9VvP8clU_Z063GRQ?authkey=sEfQ4LFhEiQ).
If anybody has an idea how to solve this strange problem, let me know.;)