Re: OT: Try this out...

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 14:07:35 -0700

**
Hi Joe,
 
If you really want a file named con in Windows, try typing the name as follows:
   press c
   press o
   press n
   press and hold ALT
   press 2 on the number pad (not the numbers above the alpha section)
   press 5 on the number pad
   press 5 on the number pad
   release ALT
 
This actually creates a file named con[hard space].  The hard space is different than a conventional space, so Windows will allow it at the end of a file name, but it will still display it as if it were a space.
 
If you want two files named con, you can use the same trick as above, but end with two hard spaces, or a space and a hard space:
   C:\>dir|find "con"
   10/13/2006  05:01 PM                 0 con  
   10/13/2006  05:02 PM                 0 con 
Eric Cleereman
-----Original Message-----
From: Action Request System discussion list(ARSList) [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]On Behalf Of Joe DeSouza
Sent: Friday, October 13, 2006 4:53 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: OT: Try this out...

**
A little different from what I thought the reason was... Interesting links though...
 
Joe.


----- Original Message ----
From: Axton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, October 13, 2006 4:33:19 PM
Subject: Re: OT: Try this out...

**
 
It's because of the old days of DOS. CON is for the console (screen), PRN for printer, NUL basically means NULL or nothing. Try typing in DIR > PRN into a command window. The directory listing will print. DIR > NUL will not show anything. (In the old days programmers would run commands and have the output go to NUL so that they ran "transparently.")
 
Looks like con, prn, nul can not be used.
 
Now for the real reason:

What's this bulletin about?
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS00-017 announces the availability of a patch that eliminates a vulnerability in Microsoft® Windows® 95, Windows 98, and Windows 98 Second Edition. Under certain circumstances, the vulnerability could cause affected systems to crash. Microsoft is committed to protecting customers' information, and is providing the bulletin to inform customers of the vulnerability and what they can do about it.

What causes the vulnerability?
The vulnerability results because of a flaw in the way Windows 95 and 98 (including Windows 98 Second Edition) parse file path names. Device names such as COM1, CON or LPT1 are reserved words, and they can't be used as folder or file names. When parsing a reference to a path, Windows 95 and 98 check for the presence of a single DOS device name in the path. If one is found, the path is correctly treated as invalid and an error is returned. However, neither Windows 95 nor 98 check for multiple DOS device names. This is the source of the vulnerability.
If a read or write operation is attempted to a path whose name contains multiple DOS device names, it will cause Windows 95 and 98 to attempt to access invalid resources. In some cases, the effect of this invalid access would be to cause the application that supplied the path to hang, but the more likely effect is that the machine would present a blue debug screen and crash.

Axton Grams

 
On 10/13/06, Thad Esser <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
**
Isn't con the output stream for the "con"sole in DOS.  Similar to stdout in *nix?

From a DOS prompt:
 echo xxx > con

puts xxx on the screen anyway.

Thad
"Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours."-- Richard Bach


"Joe DeSouza" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent by: "Action Request System discussion list(ARSList)" < [email protected]>

10/13/2006 01:15 PM

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OT: Try this out...




**
I'm almost positive I know the 'real reason' to this, a friend of mine who is not really from an IT background sent me a mail saying that even engineers at Microsoft do not know the answer to this (which I find hard to believe). Reason being after he sent me that mail I immediatly guessed the reason behind this, and I am willing to bet I am right about it..
 
Wanted to see if anyone here can figure it out... Try this out..
 
Try creating a directory or a file (with no extension) named con and it wont let you.. while creating a directory using the GUI it simply wont let you create it (no error displayed) but if you try using DOS it will return an error - invalid name.. Similary if you create a file and try to name it con, it says this name is 'reserved for a device'..
 
Personally I do not think this is reserved for a device as such. It is reserved for 'something else'. At least thats my guess...
 
Does anyone know why you cant name a file or directory named con? I have a good guess and am willing to bet I'm right... Just want to compare my guess to that of others around here...
 
Write to me off list...
 
Cheers

Joe D'Souza
Remedy Developer / Consultant,
Shyle Networks,
New Jersey.

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