Python Error 123 The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect

Question

I am trying to make directory using os.mkdir in python
It works fine when path is D:\screenshots\data

os.mkdir("D:\screenshots\data")

but it gives error when path is D:\screenshots\subs:air.com.freshplanet.games.MoviePop:moviepop.vip.1month

os.mkdir("D:\screenshots\subs:air.com.freshplanet.games.MoviePop:moviepop.vip.1month")
[Error 123] The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect: 'D:\\screenshots\\subs:air.com.freshplanet.games.MoviePop:moviepop.vip.1month'

I don't know why it is giving this error

@Francisco Couzo is correct. Additionally, when you deal with windows filepaths, you should use the r"C:\mypath\containing\backslashes" syntax, that will avoid backslashes to be interpreted as special characters. — Guillaume, Nov 07 '16 at 16:52

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 07 '19 at 02:41

2

I experienced a similar error while working in jupyter notebook.similar to OSError: [WinError 123] The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect: And i figured it out to be a double slash instead of single. I don't know why i had to give double back slash(\) instead of single. How ever it solved my problem Even before a day i used the same single back slash() to change directory. Please comment if someone knows about it.

answered Dec 07 '19 at 02:41

S k

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You need to use single quotes or a raw string, not double quote – OneCricketeer Dec 07 '19 at 02:43
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@cricket_007: Are you mixing things up with shell quoting syntax? Single quotes and double quotes do the same kind of quoting in Python. – user2357112 Dec 07 '19 at 02:45
@user235 they're not the same for escape characters – OneCricketeer Dec 07 '19 at 02:47
@cricket_007: [That doesn't sound right.](https://ideone.com/4eZ72T) – user2357112 Dec 07 '19 at 02:48
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@cricket_007: Yeah, but that's not because of any difference in backslash handling. You can't end either a single-quoted string or a double-quoted string with a single backslash. Backslashes are escape characters either way. – user2357112 Dec 07 '19 at 02:53

Python Error 123 The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect

1 Answers1