Chapter 4 · 4.8
File names that cause problems
Your WebOké Nextcloud accepts almost any file name. But Windows, and sometimes the Mac too, is stricter. A name that works fine in the browser can therefore cause the desktop app to stumble. The tips below help you avoid that.
Characters best avoided
| What | Example | Problem |
|---|---|---|
| The characters \ / : * ? " < > | | Quote: client?.docx | Windows cannot save these files; the desktop app skips them. |
| A space or full stop at the end | "Minutes ." | Windows removes it, so the name no longer matches the server. |
| Reserved names | CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM1, LPT1 | Windows uses these names itself. |
| Very long paths | folder in folder in folder with long names | Windows programs sometimes struggle with paths longer than 260 characters. |
| Two names that only differ in capitalisation | Invoice.pdf and invoice.pdf | Windows and Mac see this as the same file. |
How to fix it
- Does the desktop app report an error for a file? Click the cloud icon and check which file it is (The cloud icon: reading status, activity and errors).
- Find the file in your browser, for example using Search here (see Searching, favourites, recent and tags).
- Choose Rename and give it a name without the characters from the table. Use a hyphen or underscore instead of a colon or slash.
- The desktop app picks up the new name automatically and continues syncing.
Files the desktop app deliberately skips
Some files are temporary and don't belong in your Nextcloud. The desktop app skips these by default, for example files starting with ~$ or .~lock (temporary files from Office and LibreOffice) and system files such as desktop.ini and Thumbs.db. That's not an error.
Tip: keep names short and clear, for example 2026-10 Quote Bakery.docx. Putting the date first also keeps your files sorted automatically.
Need to clean up a whole folder full of incorrect names? Read Cleaning up files with forbidden characters so Windows syncs again.