Hope someone can help ! It’s stupid and I should know the answer but I just plain don’t.
Screen comes up saying “Top level folder is full. Delete some files from that folder……”
What is that saying……take stuff off the C:\ altogether and put it somewhere else or just reorganise the files ? Any suggestions gratefully received as it’s driving me nuts today. Cheers
What are you trying to do? Run Scandisk? If so the error you describe can be caused by having a filename over 259 characters long and having ‘Automatically Fix Errors’ enabled.
Uncheck the auto fix box and when scandisk gets to this directory it’ll stop and ask you what you want to do. Ignore the error and continue.
Microsoft says this can happen with the Microsoft Internet Explorer cache folder. You can empty the cache folder and start again with Auto Fix enabled.
I vaguely recall a limit of X files in the root directory of a FAT filesystem, where X is probably 512. Other directories could have unlimited contents, but the root directory had a limit.
Note that this is one of those things like “No one will ever need more than 640 K RAM” that cropped up in the original PC/DOS designs and were only marginally improved upon in subsequent loser OSes. If you are using Windows 98, which as I recall is still just a wrapper around DOS version Y, this could be the problem. I haven’t used one of these OSes in about 3 years, so my memory is rusty.
My suggestion: If you have a folder on your hard disk, move a few files from the root into that folder, then make a folder called “My crap” in the root and move all the files in the root folder that don’t need to be there into the folder, and you should be good to go. Oh, then grab the few files you moved into the other folder and put them where they should go.
Yes guys, I was trying to run scandisk but I think the problem is more fundamental. Every time I start up now, I get the ‘Safe Mode’, then restart and – only sometimes – it fires up ok. Other times I’m in a ‘Safe Mode’ loop.
Douglips - I am running Win98 with 640k Ram and the hard drive is saying I’m using 3.2 of 6.
Any views on whether running the scandisk as Jeff_42 (BTW thanks for the advice) suggests will get rid of what seems to be a bigger issue ?
Jees, i’d like a quiet word with Bill Gates just at this moment. Thanks for your help, guys.
You are probably using a FAT32 file system. To find out which you have, boot using your Windows 98 emergency startup floppy, or boot to command-prompt only, and run FDISK. One of the menu items (I think the last one) lists partition information. If you are running FAT32, ignore the rest of this message.
FAT16 is limited to 512 root directory entries, FAT32 has no limit other than disk space.
Each file or directory in the root directory uses one directory entry plus each long file or directory name in the root directory uses one more directory entry for each 12 characters in the long name.
It is likeley that you should move some files or directories out of your root directory.
douglips - hope you’re still around. Could you walk me through a little more about moving files from the root to another directory (i thought they all (kid of had to) come off the root) ?
I presume you’re using Linux since you say it’s been a while ?
Jeff_42 - I tried the idea you suggested and it worked for a while, there was an issue with long file names (also, i cleaned ourt the cache). But it still wouldn’t finish the scan. Which leads me to another problem:
When i fire it up i get “An exception has occured at (then a whole lot of numbers/letters). This was called from (another lot of numbers/letters)”. That sounds seriously unfortunate - any idea’s ?
If you guys are still around any views would be great. Think i may need to get someone here to deal with thie, though. Thanks again, Andy
‘I am running Win98 with 640k Ram’
Oh come on, it needs 16 to 32 megs of ram… 
Anyway, stick any message you get in the broswer search box, youll have the answer. Ah, let me do it, here is what happened putting quotes around it & dropping it at snap.com:
Solved: Top level folder? | Experts Exchange
JonF - just saw your port. Thanks. Trying to digest your advice. Still not sure how to move stuff off the root…but i’m looking at it now. Cheers.
did you try moving some folder from the root directory to lower directories or just removing some folders or files from the root directory? yes there is a limit of 512 to the root directory. do this in safe mode, then restart in normal mode, or try just seeing whats running at startup, may be something there,
go into your start menu,
then settings
taskbar and start menu
start menu
advanced
unfold the tree on the left in programs, then click on start up, on the right you will see anything your computer is set to start up with, one of those may be your problem, just delete any you think are unnecessary, this will not hurt your system, it will just stop a certain program from starting up with your computer at startup, the application will still be there, it just won’t start at the same time as all the other files. then restart and see if it starts in normal mode.
The root folder (or directory – I hate new, friendly terminology) called \ as in C:\ or D:\ etc has a preset limit on the number of files it can hold. Regular directories that are created later can hold as many files as you want to put in them but the root should be kept as clean as possible.
The solution is, 1) create a new directory inside tour \TEMP or \WINDOWS\TEMP directory called STUFF. 2) Move everything from the root directory that doesn’t belong there into STUFF. 3) Never again put any file in the root directory unless you’re sure it belongs there.
In general, if you remember creating it at some point, or it has the extension DOC, HTM, XLS, etc, then it doesn’t belong in the root directory.
OK guys, it’s been a major ordeal but I think progress has been made (hmm, yet to restart so, in the words of Captain Oates, “I may be gone for some time”).
Jeff_42 and handy:
Lot of hassle but I got your suggestion to happen in the end. Seems I had quite a lot of long named downloaded Gif’s. Scandisk is now fully operational. Cheers. Handy, that’s a very useful site you put me onto. Thanks for that, also.
As for moving stuff off the root well, the jury’s still out. Looked at what I have and there are a few heavy duty downloaded programs coming off the route and a lot of small stuff. But nothing of note – to my knowledge - that’s a Doc, htm of XLS.
So to all of of guys for the imput on this, douglips, JonF, soulsling and aramis thank you each and all very much.
BTW, I think you’re right, I just can’t figure out what I should move – guess it has to be the less used program files ?
So, now I’m going to defrag and shut it down. Fingers crossed. And thanks to all of you. Great job.
sheesh, downloaded gifs huh? there’s help for you ya’know 
jk, good luck
Very funny, soulsling, but THOSE would probably be mostly jpegs. Ya never use gif for photographic images unless you want to animate them, or you’re stupid.
shows ya how much you and i know about THOSE things Chronos, 
but it was-A-JOKE. As a graphic designer, i do know these things. Thanx for looking out though kid.
Noooo, soulsling not that kind of thing ! I was trying to find buttons and stuff for a web site but i’ve given up looking. Trying to work with Fireworks now and i’m hopeless - which is just one more problem…
Well, ok. Think the first problem - scandisk, etc, is settled (for now) but that leaves me with this little issue:
“An exception has occurred at: 0028:C0060A25 in V X D VNETBIOS(01) + 000009BI This was called from: 0028:C024C5D5 in V X D UM)13) + 0000005D5”
Tells me to either use Ctrl/Alt/Delete or press any key.
Neither of those options works so I just shut the thing down
This sounds deeply worrying and don’t think i can deal with this one. Tried booting (and with the WIN98 CD in the rom)
but it’s not happening. Any suggestions…at all ?
Yes, It seems like windows has gone into self-destruct mode. Usually when my windows gets to this point and no amount of maintenance works, I tend to format and start over.
It’s a PITA, but in the end you’ll be much more happy.
So, back up those, um…GIF’s, and program files, format, install!
Fun, fun, fun!
-Sam
London_Calling, ok, i believe you, but now you’re playing with fireworks? y’know, you can take out an eye, or lose a hand with that stuff, i’d be real careful if i were you… boy, talk about living on the edge, you sure do it London. 
ok, enough jokes. GaWd is right:
If it’s this much trouble, without someone actually there to see it, you can probably just format and reinstall and then never do whatever it is you did before again.
actually, it’s a safe bet, and before you do install, partition your drive so there’s a small enough space for you to just copy the entire win directory from the install cd, so later, you won’t need the cd to install with again either. back up your files through dos my friend. feel free to ask if you need the help.
For W98, run the system file checker, Run:SFC, it’ll get w98 going …be sure you have your cd ready.
Thanks guys,
handy – seems like this is a suggestion to try before committing the horrors as recommended by soulsling and GaWd. Only problem is you write in shorthand and I’m a Neanderthal.
Look, I found this C:\WINDOWS\Sfcsync.txt – is that what you’re suggesting I run prior to backing up and re-installing the whole kebang-kaboodle ? If it’s the correct file…………hmm, how exactly would I run it (that file is just a notepad document) ?
(souslingl. Yep, background images. Don’t ask,…it’s really hell over here)
Pass the smelling salts, Matron……
Sorry I didn’t get back sooner!
You must be REALLY careful when moving crud around under Microsoft.
Basically you only want to move YOUR files (Word documents, JPEG porno pictures, etc.). Moving programs via copying is a no-no. Installers make all sorts of references in a place called the Registry pointing to where certain items can be found. If you move stuff the operating system or programs may no longer be able to find what they are looking for. (FYI: DO NOT mess around in the Registry yourself…very easy to screw up your system royally if you do not know exactly what you’re doing and even then I’ve seen computer guru guys mess things up big time).
Basically this is what the ‘My Documents’ folder is for. A one-stop shop for all files you create so if you need to move, delete or whatever you can do so with confidence. I also personally create a folder called ‘Download’ to place all the crud I grab off the internet. Same deal here…I can safely whack anything in there without affecting my system. You want to avoid touching ANYTHING in the WINDOWS directory and PROGRAM FILES directory unless you’re really sure what you’re grabbing. The rest of your directories are a bit of a toss-up.
As for the 512 directory limit that is true but I’ve only seen 1 person in 5 years of support actually run into this limit. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. 512 only applies to directories off of the root (C:–for example C:\DOWNLOAD is 1 directory at the root…C:\DOWNLOAD\JPEG is still only 1 directory entry at the root).
If you have someone (a techy) who can get to your PC it sounds as if there is a good chance for recovery. If not I think it might be too hard to provide support via this board and you may be better off with a re-build. The FSYNCH.TXT is just a text file…it won’t do anything for you if you need to re-build…probably licensing info and some instructions for something or other.
Your VNETBIOS thing looks like an issue with a network card (or perhaps a modem configured for dial-up networking). A uninstall/re-install of those items may do the trick for you.
Good luck!