Mercurial error "The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect"

Question

I'm getting the following error when I try to update my Mercurial directory on a PC:

The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.

Other comments have noted that the problem lies with having ampersands or carets in the path. However my path is this:

C:\Users\First Last\Desktop\goodmorningcmc

That doesn't have any ampersands.

Is it possible that the error is being caused by the space in my username? This is a really frustrating error.

Thanks, Kevin

Answer 1

I could be that a file has been added to the repository by someone else which has dodgy character in it. When running update Mercurial is trying to create the file on disk. Try running hg serve and browsing to http://localhost:8000 - then look through the changeset history to see which files have been added/renamed. That might give you a clue.