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I just rebuilt my system after a new Power supply fired my CPU, MBD, Video card & a Blu-Ray drive.

During all this I had to restore Windows from a backup (sector copy).

All seems well, but today I went into Sample Pictures (by accident) and was clicking out of it when my eye caught something weird - Several files had identical names!

Here's what I have so far:

  1. Chkdsk shows no errors, drive is fine. Obviously rebooted. I always have Windows showing extensions, and Hidden files (doesn't apply here, none are hidden).
  2. The files are: (all are .jpg) Chrysanthemum, Desert , Hydrangeas, Jellyfish , Koala , Lighthouse , Penguins , and Tulip. Rest of them show single names, so not all dups. Stranger & Stranger.
  3. If I single click, twice, on the names (like you would to rename) one will highlight the first part, but if I do that to the second copy it highlights the whole name including EXTENSION! Ex:Tulip.jpg on 1st, Tulip.jpg on second. Second one's the "dup". Win7 normally only highlights the first part, not the extension.
  4. The names are identical. Not almost, no hidden characters, identical.
  5. If I "Open a Command Prompt here" and do a DIR, the names show properly! So the 8.3 names are right, but Windows is showing them wrong.
  6. They will re-sort properly if I change the view, with two Tulips next to each other.
  7. Opening Properties shows the same name for both, but, if you look at Details it shows the proper info - Camera, taken date, etc.
  8. If I open them, like in Irfan Viewer, they show fine with the proper name. I thought - "must be pulling the 8.3 name" but the names are long, like Chrysanthemum.
  9. If I switch to Large Icons, the thumbnails show different pictures with the same name under it! Ex: Tulip (#2) is really Waterfall, but shows the name Tulip.

So my question is:

How is it possible to have identical files, with the exact same name, in the same directory? And what could have caused that?

Gnoupi
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PuterPro
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  • When you say "If I "Open a Command Prompt here" and do a DIR, the NAMES SHOW PROPERLY!", what exactly do you mean? Do you have duplicates? – Gnoupi Aug 20 '12 at 14:29
  • Chrysanthemum is easy, I work in IT supporting the Horticulture industry... There's lots worse! (all names are Latin) :P – HaydnWVN Aug 20 '12 at 14:45
  • What exactly is the problem here? Can't you remove them? – Tamara Wijsman Aug 20 '12 at 14:52
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    @Tom the problem is most likely understanding why this happened. – Gnoupi Aug 20 '12 at 16:20
  • @Gnoupi - EXACTLY!! – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 16:48
  • @Gnoupi RE:Tom EXACTLY!! Re: Open command prompt - If you hold shift and right click a folder you can open a Command Prompt window with THAT folder selected. Faster than CD'ing to it. If I do a DIR there are no dups, the files show fine, but if I open Explorer and go to that folder there's dup'd names. Weird. – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 16:54
  • @HaydnWVN - Now THAT'S Funny! Easy for YOU, my Friend. :-) – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 16:58
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    Do you have the option to **Hide extensions for known types** set in explorer? – Joshua Drake Aug 20 '12 at 17:45
  • @PuterPro: Could you provide a screenshot? – Oliver Salzburg Aug 20 '12 at 18:09
  • @Gnoupi: That's called *research* and is not an actual problem. – Tamara Wijsman Aug 20 '12 at 18:19
  • @JoshuaDrake - Nope. I'm a tech, all files visible, I like to get in trouble ;-) I don't get fooled by filename.bmp and filename.jpg. I hate that option is enable by default. MS thinks people are inherently stupid. I think they're just untrained. Thanks! – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 18:21
  • @OliverSalzburg - Hi Oliver! Ummm sure, snipping tool is our Friend! 1st time here tho' - how to upload? – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 18:23
  • @PuterPro: Are you sure you are *not* in a library? Because you describe the library samples behavior. – Tamara Wijsman Aug 20 '12 at 18:23
  • @TomWijsman - Hey Tom! Valid Q. Yeah, I'm sure. That was my very 1st thought too. If I go directly to C: and end up here: C:\Users\Public\Pictures\Sample Pictures SOME files have duplicate names in Explorer, but DON'T show that behavior if I DIR the directory. – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 18:30
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    @PuterPro: There should be a little picture icon in the editor (Ctrl+G). But it's possible that you can't link images yet. In that case, just put the link into your question. – Oliver Salzburg Aug 20 '12 at 18:35
  • @OliverSalzburg - OK thanks, have to go out and earn my keep will try to post pics later... – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 18:53
  • @PuterPro: Did you compare the `Location` in the `Properties` of both? – Tamara Wijsman Aug 20 '12 at 20:20
  • @OliverSalzburg - If this fits: Windows Explorer shows: Autumn Leaves.jpg Chrysanthemum.jpg Chrysanthemum.jpg Desert Landscape.jpg Desert.jpg Desert.jpg Garden.jpg Humpback Whale.jpg Hydrangeas.jpg Hydrangeas.jpg Jellyfish.jpg Jellyfish.jpg Koala.jpg Koala.jpg Lighthouse.jpg Lighthouse.jpg Oryx Antelope.jpg Penguins.jpg Penguins.jpg Tree.jpg Tulips.jpg Tulips.jpg Winter Leaves.jpg – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 22:45
  • @OliverSalzburg 1st of two comments (size restriction): While DIR at Command Prompt shows: Volume in drive C is Local Disk C Volume Serial Number is D20A-2AE3 Directory of C:\Users\Public\Pictures\Sample Pictures 08/20/2012 06:35 PM . 08/20/2012 06:35 PM .. 11/02/2006 08:37 AM 276,216 Autumn Leaves.jpg 07/14/2009 01:32 AM 879,394 Chrysanthemum.jpg 11/02/2006 08:37 AM 264,409 Creek.jpg 11/02/2006 08:37 AM 228,863 Desert Landscape.jpg 07/14/2009 01:32 AM 845,941 Desert.jpg – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 22:47
  • 11/02/2006 08:37 AM 128,755 Forest Flowers.jpg 11/02/2006 08:37 AM 664,489 Forest.jpg 11/02/2006 08:37 AM 108,051 Frangipani Flowers.jpg 11/02/2006 08:37 AM 516,424 Garden.jpg 11/02/2006 08:37 AM 378,729 Green Sea Turtle.jpg 11/02/2006 08:37 AM 262,368 Humpback Whale.jpg 07/14/2009 01:32 AM 595,284 Hydrangeas.jpg 07/14/2009 01:32 AM 775,702 Jellyfish.jpg 07/14/2009 01:32 AM 780,831 Koala.jpg 07/14/2009 01:32 AM 561,276 Lighthouse.jpg 11/02/2006 08:37 AM 297,834 Oryx Antelope – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 22:51
  • .jpg 07/14/2009 01:32 AM 777,835 Penguins.jpg 11/02/2006 08:37 AM 114,852 Toco Toucan.jpg 11/02/2006 08:37 AM 770,042 Tree.jpg 07/14/2009 01:32 AM 620,888 Tulips.jpg 11/02/2006 08:37 AM 287,631 Waterfall.jpg 11/02/2006 08:37 AM 211,207 Winter Leaves.jpg 24 File(s) 10,663,913 bytes 2 Dir(s) 42,137,124,864 bytes free – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 22:51
  • @TomWijsman - Hey Buddy, thanks for the help - answer below, a messed up (duplicated) desktop.ini ! – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 23:08
  • @OliverSalzburg Same -Thanks mucho for the help - answer below. – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 23:09
  • @HaydnWVN - Thanks for the help AND the humor! I often tell my Clients I wear three hats - 1. Repair Tech, 2. Teacher or Tutor, and 3. Psychological Counselor - that one gets the most use since if they called ME they're STRESSED! {Grin} – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 23:13
  • One of the 'hidden' talents of support is having the patience (and the diplomacy) to be objective in your workload and solutions. Being flexible is only part of that... Keeping a level head is more important :) – HaydnWVN Aug 21 '12 at 09:16
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    @HaydnWVN - SO true. If I ran a Tech Center rather than being "a one-man-band", I'd put that on a big sign for all the Techs to be reminded daily. Might use that as a tag line on my Signature! (With CREDIT, of course!!) TTFN & Thanks again – PuterPro Aug 21 '12 at 11:38
  • No worries, glad you found your solution! – HaydnWVN Aug 21 '12 at 14:38

3 Answers3

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It's probably an issue with localization. There's a desktop.ini file in the C:\Users\Public\Pictures\Sample Pictures folder, that has some lines like these 

[LocalizedFileNames]
Chrysanthemum.jpg=@%systemroot%\system32\SampleRes.dll,-101

The 8 files you listed in your question are the ones that are listed in my copy of this desktop.ini file. So my guess is that when you restored from backup somehow the localization cache got 'messed up'. List the content of your desktop.ini in your question and the language of windows (I'm guessing English) please.

frozenkoi
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  • Hmmm Interesting thought .... I'll go look. I'm liking the thought!! – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 22:54
  • MY HERO!! THAT WAS IT! I normally have Hidden files shown but System files hidden unless I'm troubleshooting. How OBVIOUS in retrospect! (Always is, eh? LOL) I moved the TWO desktop.ini's. One was desktop (1).ini - dated 12/16/2008), the other 10/13/2010. The 2010 one had the files right, the 2008 was missing about half of them, the 2010 was fine. Moved both to a dummy dir and TA-DA! All was right. Wow, that one was weird, I'll have to read up more about localization I see! So much to know and no time to know it {Sigh} Thanks EVER so much!! – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 23:07
  • @PuterPro glad I could help you solve your mystery. Could you mark this as the accepted answer if you feel it does solve your problem? – frozenkoi Aug 21 '12 at 00:57
  • Nice, I wouldn't have thought of that! – Gnoupi Aug 21 '12 at 08:00
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    Good info, never realised an invalid desktop.ini could cause ghost files! – HaydnWVN Aug 21 '12 at 09:28
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From what I recall in Windows 7, the Libraries are something particular, which regroups the content from several folders. They do not behave like your regular folder.

In your particular case, it is highly possible that you have in there images from "all users", and your main account, with the same names.

It doesn't explain why you would have different pictures for something supposed to be "Tulips", but it could justify the possibility to have files with the same names.

Gnoupi
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  • Yeah, I know about Libraries, and the multiple location thing, but these are in the same folder. You DID give me an idea tho' - I'll try copying them. Regardless of the outcome of that, tho' I STILL want to know what's causing it, too many years as a Tech, I MUST KNOW THE ANSWER syndrome! LOL! Thanks for the reply! – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 14:27
  • "Sample pictures" is usually inside a library, that's why I thought it might be the issue. – Gnoupi Aug 20 '12 at 14:29
  • Wow! You're FAST! :) I just tried copying and, of course there were OK at the destination. I turned on Details and edited the columns to show Folder Location, and they're all in C:\Users\Public\Public Pictures\Sample Pictures ... Hmmm. Really odd. – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 14:31
  • Sample library + include public folders ;) – rtf Aug 20 '12 at 14:35
  • @r.tanner.f Thanks but I'm afraid I didn't get what you meant .. ?? (On my 1st cup of coffee today) – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 15:01
  • If I remember correctly there's a setting to include the libraries under \Users\Public in your libraries. The public library also contains a sample set of images. I can't find it now though... maybe it was only for sharing? Delete an image in the Public folder and see what happens. – rtf Aug 20 '12 at 15:20
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    I know what you mean, but this doesn't seem to be a "libraries dups" issue where it's showing dups from two locations, they're in the SAME folder. Deleting one deletes it. Restoring returns it, complete with "dup'd" name. Good thoght,tho'! – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 15:40
  • @r.tanner.f - Well you were sniffing in the right area - Answer below, thanks! – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 23:14
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It's quite possible with your repairs/fixes that the original files were corrupted/rebuilt/recovered by any 1 of the tools used (particually a sfc or windows reinstall).

It may well just be that folder that's affected, but it's certainly worth checking others!

If you don't want them - delete away! They're more than safe enough to remove.

HaydnWVN
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  • I did not do any "Windows repairs (SFC)" or reinstall. I restored the Boot drive from a Clone, Sector-by-Sector. I'm not finding any other files like this & everything runs fine. I'm VERY familiar with my files, I live on this machine and am a Tech. ;-) I have no desire to delete them, and yes, I know they're samples. The POINT is I want to find the answer to how Windows could show identical file names in a Folder. It should be impossible. Thanks for the thoughts! – PuterPro Aug 20 '12 at 16:47
  • You're correct in thinking it * shouldn't * be possible, but i've seen many strange things in my years of support... Including a (recovered) folder with 1000's of files all named the same... Files with invalid characters in names one boot and then valid upon reboot, even... Ghostly/Phantom files! – HaydnWVN Aug 21 '12 at 09:19