Q93383: Windows Err Msg: File Manager Cannot Label the Disk

Article: Q93383
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 95.x Retail Product
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.1,3.11
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 31-OCT-1999

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows versions 3.1, 3.11 
- Microsoft Windows for Workgroups versions 3.1, 3.11 
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SUMMARY
=======

Using File Manager to create a disk label containing a space character generates
the following error message:

  

  File Manager cannot label the disk.

  Make sure the disk is not write-protected, is not a network
  drive, and that the label is valid.

  Labels cannot contain the following characters:
  [space] * ? / \ | . , ; : + = [ ] ( ) & ^ < > "

The error message is correct, but confusing because all versions of MS-DOS allow
space characters in a disk label.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Page 517 of the "Microsoft MS-DOS User's Guide and Reference" manual for MS-DOS
version 5.0 includes the following misleading statement:

  A volume label can contain as many as 11 characters and can include spaces
  but no tabs. Consecutive spaces may be interpreted as a single space.

Using the MS-DOS label command to create a label of "A B C D E F" will return a
label of "A B C D.E F". Because the first eight characters of an MS-DOS filename
cannot end in a space, one or more spaces will be removed and a period inserted.
For reasons such as this, it was decided to simplify the label parsing
validation in File Manager to disallow space characters.


REFERENCES
==========

"Microsoft MS-DOS User's Guide and Reference," version 5.0, page 517

Additional query words: 3.10

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbWin3xSearch kbWFWSearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbWin310 kbWin311 kbWFW310 kbWFW311
Version           : WINDOWS:3.1,3.11

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