can't create new folder with file type column

still on WinXP Pro SP1

[nancyb]

I'm becoming unhinged, my normal reaction when I can't figure something out.

>added Please see EGADS note at bottom of this explanation...

I was re-organizing some files/folders on my h/d and discovered a few folders in My Documents that didn't contain a "file type" column even though Windows is set to show file extensions. Just a few folders

I have existing folders in:
My Documents
>logsabc
>>01-2004
>>02-2004
>> etc
>>08-2004

When I created a new folder as:
>logsabc
>>09-2004
>>10-2004
columns were created for:
Name
Size
Date Modified
Date Created
Date Accessed
there is no column for file type

but if I created sub sub folders as:
>logsabc
>>08-2004
>>>09-2004
>>>10-2004
columns were created for:
Name
Size
Type
Date Modified
Date Picture Taken
Dimensions

Notice that the columns names are also different

Now, if I drag

>>>10-2004
back up to logsabc as:
>logsabc
>>10-2004
the columns change back to:
Name
Date Modified
Date Created
Date Accessed
and the type column is GONE again

It doesn't matter if there are files in the folders when I drag them up or down or if the folders are empty!

Now here is where I got really confused

I renamed
>logsabc to >Logs

and now when I create a new folder as
>Logs
>>10-2004
these columns are created:
Name
Size
Type
Date Modified
Date Picture Taken
Dimensions

The only things I can think of is that I installed Picasa a couple months ago, but I uninstalled it the next day.

I've been trying all kinds of combinations of creating folders in >logsabc and >Logs, renaming them, and dragging them back and forth and nothing makes sense.

EGADS!, now all of a sudden Windows won't let me rename logsabc to Logs. It says it is either write protected or in use! That happend a while ago, but I had another Explorer window open and when I closed it I could rename ok. I haven't done anything else in over an hour except create. move, rename these folders, no surfing, no email d/l, nothing!

Have I got a spy that Ad-aware, Spybot and Webroot Spy Sweeper can't find?

I'm now in full blown paranoia, please help!

[kaled]

RELAX................this is just Windows at play.

Since Windows 95, additional information is kept in the registry about what columns to show in a folder, etc. For instance, you could rename the startup folder but when you next reboot, the links in it will still be launched because the registry will be updated when the folder is renamed.

(Of course, this doesn't work if you rename programmatically using the approved API function SHFileOperation).

If you select the menu View¦Choose Columns... you should be able to sort things out.

NOTE: be aware that special folders contain a file (that may be hidden) called desktop.ini. This contains critical information about the folder.

RE : Rename problems
If rename/delete is refused, a handle to the file/folder is still open. If an application crashes, Windows does not always perform a proper cleanup of handles. The only solution is normally a restart. However, if the crashed application was opened from another program (e.g. a program launcher) closing that program will often clean up the stray handles.

Kaled.

[nancyb]

Thanks, kaled. Whew.....

Although I wiped sweat from brow and dried the keyboard from my damp fingers, can you explain a little more.....

If you select the menu View¦Choose Columns... you should be able to sort things out.

ah, that helped, but why would folders in the same tree have different columns checked? I've never used that option before, so how does Windows "decide" which folder columns to check - or is that like asking why it's raining immediately after washing the car? ;)

RE : Rename problems

If rename/delete is refused, a handle to the file/folder is still open.....

I did know about that, but nothing had been open except Opera and Firefox , no other programs, so I didn't know how/why it was preventing me from renaming even with successive tries over a 5 minute interval.

[kaled]

I don't know why the default selection for columns is wrong but it might possibly be related to use of the option that allows you to set the appearance of all folders to that of the current folder... maybe. You may have done this accidentally.

Kaled.

[vkaryl]

nancyb: fairly frequently Win XP Pro SP1 does this to me. In most cases, there's no apparent reason for the file in question to be open, but WinXPP thinks it is, and that's pretty much the bottom line - you mostly can't convince the OS that YOU know better....

If a reboot doesn't fix it, I just usually resort to reboot then bypass into a c: prompt, navigate to the folder with the file in question and rename or delete it from there. About the only files that won't work with are "protected operating system" files (though I have other ways of doing things to those when necessary....)

[nancyb]

you mostly can't convince the OS that YOU know better....

thanks vkaryl. That put a smile on my face.

Next time, I swear, I'm going with any OS other than windoz.

[vkaryl]

I'm going with any OS other than windoz.

That's my OTHER long-winter's-night project: setting up a linux box and a network (after my Christmas present laptop.... which will probably get ordered in January after they all realize they didn't sell as many as they needed to so they slash the prices.... I hope.)