OT: Why does XP choke on the filename - "com1.gif"

[xbury.cs at clearstream.com]

Com1 and com2 are reserved names for "communication" ports such as serial 
ports or virtual ports...

You can for example test a cd by echoing it through the com port as if it 
was a disk...

com3 and 4 might also be taken btw...

cheers
Xavier

On 09.02.2005 15:11:32 use-revolution-bounces wrote:
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>Chalk up another Windoze issue!  I just tried this under W2K:
>
>1. Create a folder on the desktop (right-click, new, folder)
>2. Name it "com1" or "com2"
>
>This also complains -- a file with that name already exists!!!   I
>don't see it!  Where?!?!?
>
>;-)
>
>On Feb 9, 2005, at 3:17 AM, Martin Baxter wrote:
>
>> Please excuse the more or less OT question but I thought maybe one of
>> the
>> wise people here might know the reason for this.
>>
>> Yesterday I decided to transfer some old files from mac to PC via USB
>> flash
>> disk.
>> Turned out there was a file in there called "com1.gif" (someone else
>> sent
>> this to me a long time ago)
>> Windows XP refused to copy this to the PC hard disk.
>> It also refused to rename or delete it. Displaying an alert saying
>> "Access
>> denied".
>>
>> The files weren't important so I just gave up.
>> Then I tried to dial up using the modem on COM1. It failed to connect
>> because COM1 was already in use.
>>
>> I cleared COM1 simply by restarting.
>> But I'm puzzled why this should occur. Despite the filename, I don't
>> see
>> why trying to write an image file with this name should apparently
>> result
>> in COM1 being opened. It makes me wonder if there are any other
>> filenames I
>> should avoid.
>>
>> Of course the cause might be something peculiar to my machine, but I
>> wouldn't know what.
>>
>> Martin Baxter
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> use-revolution mailing list
>> use-revolution at lists.runrev.com
>> http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
>>
>>
>- -----------------------------------------------------------
>Frank D. Engel, Jr.  <fde101 at fjrhome.net>
>
>$ ln -s /usr/share/kjvbible /usr/manual
>$ true | cat /usr/manual | grep "John 3:16"
>John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
>Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
>everlasting life.
>$
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>m8ZYi667MUz2p6SpY8BbsJE=
>=1x0D
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>
>
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