Computer Hope

Microsoft => Microsoft DOS => Topic started by: Computer_Hopeless on April 22, 2007, 06:08:52 AM

Title: "Cannot move multiple files to a single file."
Post by: Computer_Hopeless on April 22, 2007, 06:08:52 AM

When I execute the command:
move *.* ..\test\test1\

I get the message:
Cannot move multiple files to a single file.

Can anyone please help me out with this? It is rather frustrating...

Title: Re: "Cannot move multiple files to a single file."
Post by: Sidewinder on April 22, 2007, 06:13:39 AM

The directory ..\test\test1\ must exist. Move does not make new directories.

 8)

Title: Re: "Cannot move multiple files to a single file."
Post by: Computer_Hopeless on April 22, 2007, 06:19:15 AM

It does: I'm moving the contents of testy1 (a subdirectory within test1) to test1.

Title: Re: "Cannot move multiple files to a single file."
Post by: 2k_dummy on April 22, 2007, 06:31:13 AM

Quote

moving the contents of testy1 (a subdirectory within test1) to test1.

Move didn't make a new directory. It moved the contents of one directory to another.

Title: Re: "Cannot move multiple files to a single file."
Post by: Computer_Hopeless on April 22, 2007, 06:38:22 AM

I guess I worded that kinda funny, when I said

Quote

It does: I'm moving the contents of testy1 (a subdirectory within test1) to test1.

, I meant the directory does exist, not that the command does make directories, because it doesn't. Does that clear that up? Does does even look or sound like a word anymore, because it doesn't to me...

Title: Re: "Cannot move multiple files to a single file."
Post by: 2k_dummy on April 22, 2007, 06:46:42 AM

You can rename a directory with move:

move testy1 testy2

Title: Re: "Cannot move multiple files to a single file."
Post by: Computer_Hopeless on April 23, 2007, 03:07:01 PM

Yeah, it says that when you type help move. The message is the part that has me confused.

Anybody have any ideas? (If I'm completely missing the point, please make me feel like an idiot  :))

Title: Re: "Cannot move multiple files to a single file."
Post by: contrex on April 24, 2007, 02:23:39 AM

I think you're confoozlicating yourself with all these oh-so-similar folder names.

Quote

I'm moving the contents of testy1 (a subdirectory within test1) to test1.

So when you're going from testy1 to test1, you're going from one directory to its parent directory, you're going up one level. (Look at what you wrote.)

This is what you have described as the relationship between the folders testy1 and test1

(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p29/badoit/testy-1.jpg)

The command you said you used was this

Quote

move *.* ..\test\test1\

If executed from testy1, as you have written, the two dots take you up one level, to test1, then into a subdirectory of test1 called "test" (Huh?) then to a subdirectory of that called test1.

That's different from what you said about testy1 being a subdirectory within test1!

I just tried it and this is what i got

Code: [Select]


I:\test1\testy1>move *.* ..\test\test1\
Cannot move multiple files to a single file.

I:\test1\testy1>

To move everything from a folder to the one directly above, which is what you said you want to do, you do this

move *.* ..

Like this

Code: [Select]

I:\test1\testy1>move *.* ..
I:\test1\testy1\image001.jpg
I:\test1\testy1\image002.jpg
I:\test1\testy1\image003.jpg
I:\test1\testy1\image004.jpg
I:\test1\testy1\image005.jpg

I just peeked and they are there, in test1.

Title: Re: "Cannot move multiple files to a single file."
Post by: Computer_Hopeless on April 24, 2007, 01:30:39 PM

Thanks, I'll give that a try. The reason for the confusing names (you confused me with your recount :)) is that I was completing an exercise for a class I'm currently enrolled in. The publishers of the exercise weren't very creative...

Thanks for the help, it worked. I think you were right when you said I was "confoozlicating" myself with the names, I felt like smashing my head off my keyboard while reading your post ;D.