Have you ever tried to create folders with names such as “con”, “prn”, “nul” “com1″ “com2″ “lpt1″ etc. but failed? Is it impossible to create folders with such names in windows?

Well, the answer is NO and YES!

NO because, when create a new folder and try to rename it to any one of the above specified names, you know what happens! In Windows XP the folder
name automatically changes back to “New Folder” no matter you try to renaming it any number of times. Where as in case of Windows Vista and Windows 7, when you try to rename the file you get an error message saying “The specified device name is invalid”.

What is the reason behind this? Simple, these names represent the internal devices of the operating system and hence we cannot create folders with the above names.

YES because it is still possible to create these folders using some simple methods as explained below:con folder

  1. Using Command Prompt:

Here is a step-by-step procedure to create the “con” folder using the command prompt:

  1. Go to the command prompt:
  2. Type in the command prompt (For ex. To create a folder in the E: drive by name: “CON”)

C:>md \.e:con


  1. In case if you wish to delete the folder, use the following command:

C:>rd \.e:con

NOTE: This folder can only be deleted from the command prompt. You cannot remove it by right-click delete.

  1. Using ALT Key and Numeric Keypad:

You can also use the Alt key and the Numeric keypad to accomplish the same job in a much easier way. Here is how you can do it:

  1. Create a New folder (Right-click -> New -> Folder)

  2. Once the new folder is created, right-click on it and select the option “Rename”.

  3. Hold down the ALT key and type 0160 from the numeric keypad (ALT+0160) and release the ALT key.

  4. Now, the folder name should go blank so that you can type any name of your choice such as “con”, “prn” “nul” etc. and press Enter. That’s it, you’re done!

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