How to search Windows Explorer for file names containing invalid characters?
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I have downloaded over 10,000 files and need to move them to a different folder than my downloads folder. Unfortunately, these files have miscellaneous names, and some of them contain invalid characters (particularly a forward slash "/", such as when a file is named "filename 1/2").
These files are individually placed in folders, so I need to remove them by searching with "*", sorting by file type, and selecting the files not in folders. When clicking/dragging to a new folder, the entire window freezes and needs to be restarted. As a workaround, I was attempting to compress the files into a zipped folder to move more easily.
Unfortunately, the compression does not work with file names containing invalid characters. Attempting to search for a forward slash produces no results. Escaping the forward slash with a ~="/" search also produces no results, which is unfortunate since that is the only answer I've found via Google.
A manual search will take far too long. Attempting to compress gives a specific filename (in an error message) which I can then search for, but the compression attempt also takes a significant amount of time, so this process would be lengthy as well.
I'm willing to use any other workarounds for moving large quantities of files as well, but I think it would be productive to clean the file names to prevent similar issues in the future. Does anyone have any advice?
windows windows-explorer search special-characters
asked Nov 25 at 13:09
chokfull
62
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
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I have downloaded over 10,000 files and need to move them to a different folder than my downloads folder. Unfortunately, these files have miscellaneous names, and some of them contain invalid characters (particularly a forward slash "/", such as when a file is named "filename 1/2").
These files are individually placed in folders, so I need to remove them by searching with "*", sorting by file type, and selecting the files not in folders. When clicking/dragging to a new folder, the entire window freezes and needs to be restarted. As a workaround, I was attempting to compress the files into a zipped folder to move more easily.
Unfortunately, the compression does not work with file names containing invalid characters. Attempting to search for a forward slash produces no results. Escaping the forward slash with a ~="/" search also produces no results, which is unfortunate since that is the only answer I've found via Google.
A manual search will take far too long. Attempting to compress gives a specific filename (in an error message) which I can then search for, but the compression attempt also takes a significant amount of time, so this process would be lengthy as well.
I'm willing to use any other workarounds for moving large quantities of files as well, but I think it would be productive to clean the file names to prevent similar issues in the future. Does anyone have any advice?
windows windows-explorer search special-characters
asked Nov 25 at 13:09
chokfull
62
If those files are already in a separate folder, just moving the folder to another location should be instantaneous. Have you tried usingmvfrom the commandline?
– Lieven Keersmaekers
Nov 25 at 15:02
The problem with that is that I do not only need to move the files, I also need to restructure them since each single file is in its own separate folder. That was the purpose of the * search.
– chokfull
Nov 25 at 15:39
If you don't mind using Powershel, I'd start with building a list of file using[System.IO.Directory]::EnumerateFiles(<yourdownloadfolder>,"*","AllDirectories"). With that info at hand, it becomes easy(ier) to match each file to a specific pattern and usemove-itemto move it to where you want.
– Lieven Keersmaekers
Nov 25 at 17:17
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
I have downloaded over 10,000 files and need to move them to a different folder than my downloads folder. Unfortunately, these files have miscellaneous names, and some of them contain invalid characters (particularly a forward slash "/", such as when a file is named "filename 1/2").
These files are individually placed in folders, so I need to remove them by searching with "*", sorting by file type, and selecting the files not in folders. When clicking/dragging to a new folder, the entire window freezes and needs to be restarted. As a workaround, I was attempting to compress the files into a zipped folder to move more easily.
Unfortunately, the compression does not work with file names containing invalid characters. Attempting to search for a forward slash produces no results. Escaping the forward slash with a ~="/" search also produces no results, which is unfortunate since that is the only answer I've found via Google.
A manual search will take far too long. Attempting to compress gives a specific filename (in an error message) which I can then search for, but the compression attempt also takes a significant amount of time, so this process would be lengthy as well.
I'm willing to use any other workarounds for moving large quantities of files as well, but I think it would be productive to clean the file names to prevent similar issues in the future. Does anyone have any advice?
windows windows-explorer search special-characters
asked Nov 25 at 13:09
chokfull
62
I have downloaded over 10,000 files and need to move them to a different folder than my downloads folder. Unfortunately, these files have miscellaneous names, and some of them contain invalid characters (particularly a forward slash "/", such as when a file is named "filename 1/2").
These files are individually placed in folders, so I need to remove them by searching with "*", sorting by file type, and selecting the files not in folders. When clicking/dragging to a new folder, the entire window freezes and needs to be restarted. As a workaround, I was attempting to compress the files into a zipped folder to move more easily.
Unfortunately, the compression does not work with file names containing invalid characters. Attempting to search for a forward slash produces no results. Escaping the forward slash with a ~="/" search also produces no results, which is unfortunate since that is the only answer I've found via Google.
A manual search will take far too long. Attempting to compress gives a specific filename (in an error message) which I can then search for, but the compression attempt also takes a significant amount of time, so this process would be lengthy as well.
I'm willing to use any other workarounds for moving large quantities of files as well, but I think it would be productive to clean the file names to prevent similar issues in the future. Does anyone have any advice?
windows windows-explorer search special-characters
windows windows-explorer search special-characters
asked Nov 25 at 13:09
chokfull
62
asked Nov 25 at 13:09
chokfull
62
edited Nov 25 at 13:38
asked Nov 25 at 13:09
chokfull
62
asked Nov 25 at 13:09
chokfull
62
asked Nov 25 at 13:09
chokfull
62
62
If those files are already in a separate folder, just moving the folder to another location should be instantaneous. Have you tried usingmvfrom the commandline?
– Lieven Keersmaekers
Nov 25 at 15:02
The problem with that is that I do not only need to move the files, I also need to restructure them since each single file is in its own separate folder. That was the purpose of the * search.
– chokfull
Nov 25 at 15:39
If you don't mind using Powershel, I'd start with building a list of file using[System.IO.Directory]::EnumerateFiles(<yourdownloadfolder>,"*","AllDirectories"). With that info at hand, it becomes easy(ier) to match each file to a specific pattern and usemove-itemto move it to where you want.
– Lieven Keersmaekers
Nov 25 at 17:17
add a comment |
If those files are already in a separate folder, just moving the folder to another location should be instantaneous. Have you tried usingmvfrom the commandline?
– Lieven Keersmaekers
Nov 25 at 15:02
The problem with that is that I do not only need to move the files, I also need to restructure them since each single file is in its own separate folder. That was the purpose of the * search.
– chokfull
Nov 25 at 15:39
If you don't mind using Powershel, I'd start with building a list of file using[System.IO.Directory]::EnumerateFiles(<yourdownloadfolder>,"*","AllDirectories"). With that info at hand, it becomes easy(ier) to match each file to a specific pattern and usemove-itemto move it to where you want.
– Lieven Keersmaekers
Nov 25 at 17:17
If those files are already in a separate folder, just moving the folder to another location should be instantaneous. Have you tried using
mv from the commandline?– Lieven Keersmaekers
Nov 25 at 15:02
If those files are already in a separate folder, just moving the folder to another location should be instantaneous. Have you tried using
mv from the commandline?– Lieven Keersmaekers
Nov 25 at 15:02
The problem with that is that I do not only need to move the files, I also need to restructure them since each single file is in its own separate folder. That was the purpose of the * search.
– chokfull
Nov 25 at 15:39
The problem with that is that I do not only need to move the files, I also need to restructure them since each single file is in its own separate folder. That was the purpose of the * search.
– chokfull
Nov 25 at 15:39
If you don't mind using Powershel, I'd start with building a list of file using
[System.IO.Directory]::EnumerateFiles(<yourdownloadfolder>,"*","AllDirectories"). With that info at hand, it becomes easy(ier) to match each file to a specific pattern and use move-item to move it to where you want.– Lieven Keersmaekers
Nov 25 at 17:17
If you don't mind using Powershel, I'd start with building a list of file using
[System.IO.Directory]::EnumerateFiles(<yourdownloadfolder>,"*","AllDirectories"). With that info at hand, it becomes easy(ier) to match each file to a specific pattern and use move-item to move it to where you want.– Lieven Keersmaekers
Nov 25 at 17:17
add a comment |
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If those files are already in a separate folder, just moving the folder to another location should be instantaneous. Have you tried using
mvfrom the commandline?– Lieven Keersmaekers
Nov 25 at 15:02
The problem with that is that I do not only need to move the files, I also need to restructure them since each single file is in its own separate folder. That was the purpose of the * search.
– chokfull
Nov 25 at 15:39
If you don't mind using Powershel, I'd start with building a list of file using
[System.IO.Directory]::EnumerateFiles(<yourdownloadfolder>,"*","AllDirectories"). With that info at hand, it becomes easy(ier) to match each file to a specific pattern and usemove-itemto move it to where you want.– Lieven Keersmaekers
Nov 25 at 17:17