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Thread ID: 76440	2007-02-01 05:42:00	Ren Alt255 in DOS	B.M. (505)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
521554	2007-02-01 05:42:00	Way back in June 2003 b1naryb0y told us how to hide a folder using the Ren Alt255 facility in DOS. The system has worked well all this time but all of a sudden has stopped working and I can’t get into my Private folder. I thought I must have stuffed up my rename but I’ve found that having made a test folder I can’t hide it using Alt255 to rename it. I’ve tried from the DOS prompt in WinME which used to work and I’ve tried from DOS off a WinME start-up Floppy and a Win98 start-up floppy. No luck, but a message “Required Parameter Missing” Any DOS guys out there with any ideas? Got me licked. :o	B.M. (505)
521555	2007-02-01 06:25:00	Sure you didn't just make a mistake with the renaming? dos.rsvs.net	pctek (84)
521556	2007-02-01 18:40:00	Sure you didn't just make a mistake with the renaming? dos.rsvs.net Positive I didn't make a mistake with the renaming. I can't even Rename a new test folder. However that's an interesting link you provided. Good old DOS aye. :thumbs:	B.M. (505)
521557	2007-02-02 01:38:00	The Alt/ thing needs the Num Lock key on, I think. If it's off, you don't get the appropriate code. :)	Graham L (2)
521558	2007-02-02 08:37:00	The Alt/ thing needs the Num Lock key on, I think. If it's off, you don't get the appropriate code. :) Dead right Graham, and the Number Keyboard must be used as opposed to the top row, but nooop, no joy. I can’t believe I can’t even get it to hide a new folder. Another setback is my other computer runs XP and that’s little better than useless when it comes to DOS. :rolleyes:	B.M. (505)
521559	2007-02-03 00:44:00	It's a legacy thing, dating from the fixed 8.3 file (and directory) naming. The NUL character 0x00 which is what you get from Alt/000 was an illegal character in names. Such names are invisible because they are like the names of deleted files. This new (mis)behaviour is likely to have come from a change ("improvement") in the keyboard entry routines,which eliminates the NUL before it's passed to the command processor. Are you trying to rename the directory so you can access the files? You might be able to do this by creating a file in Notepad called, say FIXIT.TXT containing the command line: e.g. rename C:\[NUL]thename C:\thename Did it work? Echo will display it on the screen, but it will also pass it to the command processor, and it doesn't go through the keyboard entry routines. (You should be able to use the Alt/000 scheme in Notwead, but if you can't, use the character set cut/paste ... the very first "character" displays as a space, but has to be 0x00). Then in a DOS window, echo FIXIT.TXT This is not guaranteed to work, but it should be OK in real DOS or WinME. I don't know how XP would behave.	Graham L (2)
521560	2007-02-03 01:49:00	P.S. It's so long since I've done anything like this ... I think you need to do echo < FIXIT.TXT. That would mean ... "run the echo command, giving it input from the file". The original line I gave would just type the filename. Not useful ;(	Graham L (2)
521561	2007-02-03 02:14:00	Thanks Graham I’ll give it a go . :D I thought it might be the keyboard but changing that changed nothing . :rolleyes: The “Required Parameter” missing definitely comes somewhere within “Alt255”	B.M. (505)
521562	2007-02-03 02:39:00	Are u talking about this ( . org/archive/t8137 . html" target="_blank">governmentsecurity . org) open explorer new dir f2 alt255 hiddendosdir under dos can't be accessed This works, I just tried it . Opened up a prompt and cd to the hdd . The folder I tried it on doesn't appear . By the looks of it u don't do it in DOS . You do it in my computer .	Speedy Gonzales (78)
521563	2007-02-03 04:17:00	Are u talking about this ( . org/archive/t8137 . html" target="_blank">governmentsecurity . org) open explorer new dir f2 alt255 hiddendosdir under dos can't be accessed This works, I just tried it . Opened up a prompt and cd to the hdd . The folder I tried it on doesn't appear . By the looks of it u don't do it in DOS . You do it in my computer . Yep, that’s what I’m talking about Speedy . :thumbs: The file is already there and been named . It appears in Explorer as a (Underscore) _ registering 0 bytes . (Even though it’s about 200k) It has worked brilliantly for over 3 years and has been hidden and un-hidden umpteen times . Yep, the folder can be made via explorer but is hidden and un-hidden in DOS . I haven’t got Grahams idea to work yet but I haven’t given up yet . :D	B.M. (505)
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