Invisible Files?

[saturndude]

Hello,

Recently I bought a digital camera. I'm very careful installing software, and didn't want to mess up my XP drive, so I installed Canon ZoomBrowser 5.6 on my Win98 drive (removable drive "sleds" from www.startech.com let me shut down the computer, insert/remove drives, devote drives to multimedia files, different OSes, etc).

I'm organizing the photos from this camera and several others I've had/borrowed for the past 5 years (it cost $$$, but I finally have my own!).

Using XP SP2, I copied photos from my secure digital cards to a FAT 32 partition roughly 100 GB in size. it was convenient to use XP rather than install drivers for my USB card reader on my 98 drive.

Windows XP cannot see any files in the directory "\My Pictures\corn maze\wendelfarms-10-13-06" (whether using "My Computer" or a command window). Windows 98SE cannot see the files either (whether in "My Computer" or at a command window). Linux (Mandriva 2006, 2.6.x kernel) can see the files, though. Haven't tried Picasa for Linux, but if the OS can see the files, apps should be able to as well.

I could understand if the Canon software was "crippleware", if it looked at the EXIF header (camera shooting info) inside JPEGs and ignored photos made by other camera makes. But:

1. It ignores photos taken with another Canon that had the same software bundle.

2. TWO DIFFERENT Windows OSes cannot see the files.

3. Win XP displayed the files in "My Computer" long enough to copy from SD card (drive letter H, IIRC) and paste to the 100 Gig FAT32 partition. I think if I close "My Computer" and reopen it, the files will vanish. I'll try it soon.

What is going on here?

Since Windows or ZoomBrowser did not create any "thumbs.db" file yet (probably attrib +h, have not checked), the Windows command prompt should have at least listed the JPEGs. Should I run 98 or XP "Find Files" and search for *.jpg to get this file created?

I could not post this in "Windows 98", "Windows XP", etc. because this clearly spans Win-versions and is probably FAT32-related. Hope people will see it.

Should I boot Linux and copy the files to a USB external hard drive, reboot to 98 and copy the files back to the 100 Gig partition? If Linux can see my card reader, maybe do the initial transfer from SD to FAT32 partition under Linux?

P.S. Thanks in advance for all your kind help and consideration.

saturndude

Edited October 20, 2006 by saturndude

[saturndude]

I rebooted to Win98, and basically I got an error message that said "log file initialization error" on the 100 Gig FAT32 drive even before the prompt for MS Networking. Is this a message from Norton Utilities 2001's protected recycle bin, or is it something that Windows 98 "find files" was running.

Windows 98 doesn't have deamons (Windows calls them services) where I can go to the Wayback Machine and look at Black Viper's pages.

I'll boot into XP and see if I can re-create some directory structure that XP can see without wiping more JPEGs.

After that, I guess I'll have to use Linux to back up the entire "My Pictures" directory from the 100 Gig FAT drive (could be a couple of Gigs!) to the USB drive then boot to Windows XP and restore.

Any suggestions welcome, indeed!

[saturndude]

I think I fixed it. On my old 20 GB "Win98/Linux/FAT32 Data Area" drive, there was a problem with the directory structure in "My Pictures". Linux did not use whatever was broken, and had no problems viewing or adding files/directories to "My Pictures" and any child directories.

Windows 98 (both "My Computer" and at the comman prompt) and ZoomBrowser EX 5.6 can read things just fine now. Backing up "My Pictures" (with all child dirs), deleting, and restoring fixed me up just right.

Most of the important photos were on the 160 GB drive (XP/Linux/FAT32 Docs, Spreadsheets, Pictures,etc). Thanks for all of your kind thoughts.

Saturndude/Mike

Edited October 20, 2006 by saturndude

[DigeratiPrime]

was the folder or files just set to hidden?

*in explorer* Tools>Folder Options>View> *check* "Show Hidden Files and Folders"

glad to hear you figured it out though