Setup Creates a Folder Named !$!$!$!$.$!$ (132602)

SYMPTOMS

When you upgrade Windows 95 or Windows 98 from an earlier version of Windows 95 or Windows 98, Setup may create a folder named "!$!$!$!$.$!$" instead of a folder named Program Files.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if you change the MS-DOS name of the Program Files folder from PROGRA~1 to anything else. Setup cannot install files to the Program Files folder because it tracks the folder's MS-DOS name as PROGRA~1.

RESOLUTION

To restore the MS-DOS name for the Program Files folder and verify that the programs function correctly, follow these steps:

Use the right mouse button to click the Program Files folder and then click Properties on the menu that appears. Verify that the folder's MS-DOS name is not PROGRA~1.
Remove the "!$!$!$!$.!$!" folder and all its contents.
Rename the Program Files folder to Test. Acknowledge the error messages that occur.
Rename the Test folder to Program Files. Acknowledge the error messages that occur.
Re-install any of the following programs that you want to use:
- WordPad
- Paint
- Backup
- HyperTerminal
- The Microsoft Network
- Microsoft Exchange
Verify that you can still use the Start button to start any other programs you manually installed in the Program Files folder.

MORE INFORMATION

The problem described in this article can also occur if you upgrade from an earlier version of Windows to Windows 95 and you have a folder named Program or Programs on your hard disk.

This problem can also occur if the value NameNumericTail has been added to the

Hkey_Local_Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem

registry key with a value of 0.

This setting causes the file system to create file names that do not contain the numeric tail (for example, "~1") for the first instance of the 8.3 file name. If this occurs, there will not be a PROGRA~1 folder.