A

Anonymous

Question

Illegal character error on good filename

Forum|Forum|16 years ago
May 15, 2009
8 replies
12433 views

I created a new RoboHelp project and tried to insert a graphic named Timeline.jpg. I got the following error:

Unable to rename file, "Timeline.jpg".

The filename contains illegal characters.

I tried inserting a graphic that I had used in a previous RoboHelp project and got the same error. Then I opened a previous RoboHelp project and was able to successfully insert the Timeline.jpg graphic into that project.

I'm on Windows XP and RoboHelp 8. I would really like to avoid having to re-install RoboHelp, but I'm not sure where to look to troubleshoot this error message. Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Classic

This topic has been closed for replies.

R

Rob_in_Cleveland

New Participant

PROBABLE SOLUTION:

I don't know if this is your issue, but I had this same problem and this was the solution for me. RoboHelp hates special characters. If anywhere in the file path of the image or the project -- from C:\ on out -- there is an apostrophe or an ampersand or any special character in a folder name, the image import will crap out even if there are no special characters in the image name itself. I had to change a folder name in my directory tree and the import worked immediately. Good luck.

M

Ms_Lee_Anne_Ward

Known Participant

I took the spaces out of the directory name, and was able to place the previously-unplaceable graphic! What weird, demented developer at Adobe was responsible for this bizarre requirement?

Lee Anne

Peter Grainge

Community Expert

In Tools > Options do you have the Use Underscore in File Names field ticked or cleared?

You haven't told us what "previously-unplaceable graphic" you are referring to. This seems to be your first post in this thread so we have no idea what problem you are referring to. What were you trying to do that gave you a problem with a space in the folder name?

What version of RoboHelp are you using?

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

Help others by clicking Correct Answer if the question is answered. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

J

Johnt555

Participating Frequently

Here's an update:

I copied an image into Robo's "Gallery," clicked Insert>>Image and that worked.

Any advice from the "robotic sages" out there?

johndaigle

Brainiac

>>Did you see my note that I can insert images as long as they're in the Robo "Gallery?"

I did not see anything about a Gallery reference from you up-thread but down below??? I'm a bit confused now. This thread was started in 2009 and is getting a bit long in the tooth

Is your problem that you are not able to import images, or is it that you are interrupted by illegal character errors as shown by NL_Derek in post 18?

If you can import from the Gallery (where we know there are no mis-named folders) maybe you were trying to insert the original image from a mis-named folder? Honestly I don't know.What is the image format and does it display correctly once it's in your project?

>>although my directory structure is going to be messed-up.

This should not be a problem. Once you insert your image from the Gallery or anywhere else, it is automatically copied to your RoboHelp Project folder. From the Images pseudo-folder (as Rick calls it) in Project Manager you can then locate it and move it to any project subfolder you like by dragging and dropping.

John

John DaigleAdobe Certified RoboHelp and Captivate InstructorNewport, Oregon

johndaigle

Brainiac

Just to be clear also. Did you do the "Rename the .cpd file and reboot RoboHelp to recreate it?" as referred to by Peter up-thread?

John DaigleAdobe Certified RoboHelp and Captivate InstructorNewport, Oregon

J

Johnt555

Participating Frequently

I'm getting the same error.

This happened after I "upgraded" to 8.0.1.204 this morning. Worked fine yesterday before the upgrade. Now I can't insert any images at all, even ones I had inserted to the project earlier.

It says, "Unable to rename file," but I'm not trying to rename it at all.

Beats me...I'm at a standstill now.

johndaigle

Brainiac

It's extremely important that you now update to 8.0.2.208

You'll find it here:

http://www.adobe.com/support/robohelp/downloads.html

Then return here if your problem still isn't fixed.
Thanks

John Daigle

Adobe Certified RoboHelp and Captivate Instructor

www.showmethedemo.com

John DaigleAdobe Certified RoboHelp and Captivate InstructorNewport, Oregon

J

Johnt555

Participating Frequently

Yes, I did that - download 8.0.2. Problem persists...

Did you see my note that I can insert images as long as they're in the Robo "Gallery?"

But, it's the message, "Unable to rename file," that sounds like a bug, you know? Didn't ask Robo to rename a file.

Meanwhile the work-around helps...although my directory structure is going to be messed-up.

And THANKS, btw!

John

N

NL_Derek-56V59O

Known Participant

Bang! bang! bang! That's the sound of the bug being nailed to the wall !

It turns out that there was an apostrophe (') in a folder name in the path (not the filename at all). When I renamed

D:\author_df\_MyNotes\RHtests\oldMyProduct\Generic

into

D:\author_df\_MyNotes\RHtests\oldMy'Product\Generic

I was unable to import an image. I changed the name back and I could import OK.

We had no problems with RoboHelp X5, so it's presumably appeared since then. Interestingly Windows allows the apostrophe -- see grab

That'll help to assure me of a relaxed vacation

--- Derek

Message was edited by: NL_Derek

N

NL_Derek-56V59O

Known Participant

In January I posted that a colleague had this problem. The beastie has now hit another colleague, so that 40% of our team is suffering.

Did anybody ever get a workaround?

--- Derek

Peter Grainge

Community Expert

I don't see anyone in this thread saying they have tried renaming the CPD and reopening the project. Just wondering if something got screwed up there.

Maybe also time to copy a project from someone with the problem to someone who is OK. Does the problem persist?

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

Help others by clicking Correct Answer if the question is answered. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

N

NL_Derek-56V59O

Known Participant

Now now, Peter, it's a bit early in the day but both LarryTX and I clearly stated the we had tried the CPD route.

Unfortunately these are pretty big projects (3000 topics) so copying is not a five-minute job. And my vacation starts tomorrow so I don't have time until the middle of August. Johan (my colleague) is monitoring this thread and will try any useful ideas.

--- Derek

L

LarryTX

Inspiring

We're having the same problem. With three copies of RoboHelp 8 HTML running in the office (all under Windows XP Pro), two of us can insert images with absolutely no problem, and the third gets an "illegal characters" error on virtually every image. In fact, I'm able to insert the very same images with no problem at all, while my co-worker gets the error message. We've done all the usual, including rebooting, deleting the CPD file, and so on.

I guess our next step will be to re-install RoboHelp. It does seem like this is becoming a a more pervasive problem.

A copy of the image is attached, although it shouldn't be the source of the problem because I can import it with no problem.

Gravenstein

Inspiring

Did your colleague try inserting a graphic into a test project that was placed in a totally separate folder? This would be the fix used by the original poster. If that works, then I'd try copying the project (minus cpd) into a new location and trying again.

HTH,

G

N

NL_Derek-GsBV5a

Inspiring

Did anyone ever make progress on this?

A colleague is now unable to import images to her project (RH8.02, CHM output, Windows XP, local disk, no source control); she gets 'Unable to rename file, "SAXS_1_32_slit.png". The filename contains illegal characters'. Other images give a similar message.

I can import the image to a test project on my PC; her project is quite large (some 3000 topics) so I don't want to copy it to my PC if I can avoid it.

What strikes me as odd is that RoboHelp has no need to rename anything. It should simply copy the image to the project directory and insert it into the HTML. We can verify that the image is copied in OK; she just can't import it.

Jeff `jonestech' described a similar problem in http://forums.adobe.com/message/2390997#2390997

Obviously we tried zapping the CPD and rebooting -- no help. Any ideas?

--- Derek

A

Anonymous

We're having trouble with this too. Any solutions?

RoboColum_n_

Brainiac

Hi kjc90 and welcome to the RH community.

I'm wondering if the project name is at fault here. Can you tell us what the project title is?

Read the RoboColum(n) for mutterings on RoboHelp, Technical Communication Suite and technical communication.

A

Anonymous

Sure. The project name is: Online Guide to Performance Management

Is it possibly too long?

RoboColum_n_

Brainiac

It is longer than any project title I've ever used but it isn't too long. It also doesn't contain any special characters which I thought might be the issue. Is the project on a network drive?

Read the RoboColum(n) for mutterings on RoboHelp, Technical Communication Suite and technical communication.

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