KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q77463: ‘INVALID PATH’ Message Following ‘DISK IS FULL’ Message

Article: Q77463
Product(s): Microsoft Disk Operating System
Version(s): MS-DOS:5.0,5.0a,6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 21-NOV-1999

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 5.0, 5.0a, 6.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

When you use the MS-DOS Shell COPY command to copy a file or files to a disk,
the following message may be displayed:

  DISK IS FULL

This message indicates that the destination disk is full. If you replace the disk
with a new disk and then continue the COPY operation, the following error
message is displayed:

  INVALID PATH

This message is located in the Copy File window. This window also gives the
following options:

- Skip this file or directory and continue.

-or-

- Try this file or directory again.

This message persists if you make any attempt to copy other file(s) to the new
disk.

WORKAROUND
==========

1. Record which file(s) was not copied and CANCEL the operation. You can then
  recopy the recorded file(s) (that is, the file(s) that was not copied
  previously) onto the new disk.

2. If you want to copy all the files in a certain subdirectory, do the
  following:

  a. Cancel the operation and return to MS-DOS.

  b. Use the ATTRIB command to add the archive attribute to all the files
     located in the specific directory. For example:

  attrib +a *.*

  c. Use the XCOPY command (with the /M switch) to copy all the files in the
     specific subdirectory to the destination disk. For example:

  xcopy *.* /m <destination>

     where <destination> identifies the destination disk.

  The XCOPY /M command copies all of the files with the archive attribute to the
  destination disk. As the files are copied, archive attributes are removed, so
  the original and copied file do not have the archive attribute.

  NOTE: The reason this can be an effective workaround is because as XCOPY
  copies the files from the subdirectory to the destination disk, it removes
  the archive attribute, so when the destination disk becomes full and the
  "Disk is Full" message occurs, you simply need to reenter the XCOPY *.* /M
  <destination> command. This command only copies those files that still
  have the archive attribute, (that is, those files in the subdirectory that
  have not yet been copied to the destination disk).


Additional query words: 5.00 5.00a 6.00 errmsg err msg

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS600 kbMSDOS500 kbMSDOS500a
Version           : MS-DOS:5.0,5.0a,6.0

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.