ScanDisk Err Msg: Directory Tree on This Drive Too Deep... (109847)



The information in this article applies to:
    Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.2
    Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.21
    Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.22

This article was previously published under Q109847

SYMPTOMS

When ScanDisk is processing the directory structure, the following error message may appear:

The directory tree on this drive is too deep to examine

CAUSE

The above error message is generated when a large number of files exist in a single directory. The maximum number of files you can include before receiving this error depends on the cluster size of the drive and the number of expected recursions for ScanDisk.
   Cluster Size of        Maximum Number of Files
      the Drive                in a Directory
   -----------------------------------------------

   512 bytes (floppy)   ~ 1280  give or take    16
     2K                 ~ 5120  give or take    64
     4K                 ~10240  give or take   256
     8K                 ~20480  give or take  1024
    16K                 ~40960  give or take  4096
    32K                 ~81920  give or take 16384

RESOLUTION

All files must be moved from the original directory to two or more new directories so that the maximum number of files (shown above) is not exceeded.

Create the new directories and copy or move a number of files (less than the limit shown above) to each directory until all files are copied or moved from the original directory. Then, delete the original directory. The original directory must be deleted; otherwise, the clusters that were storing the files remain attached to the original directory structure. At this point, you may rerun ScanDisk.

Modification Type: Major Last Reviewed: 11/15/1999
Keywords: KB109847