Why can't I move a file to destination './Raw_+1:00' in MATLAB R2013b on Windows?

I am using "movefile" to move a MAT-file from the MATLAB Curent Folder to a sub-folder named "Raw_+1:00". Here is my code:

>> movefile('test.mat', './Raw_+1:00')

Error using movefile

Cannot write to destination: C:\Documents\MATLAB\Raw_+1:00. Use the 'f' option to override.

I then try with the 'f' option as suggested by the error message and get:

>> movefile('test.mat', './Raw_+1:00', 'f')

Error using movefile

Unknown error occurred.

Am I doing something wrong?

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

Colon (:) is an illegal character and cannot be used in the name of a file or a directory on Windows. The error message was changed in MATLAB R2014a to better reflect the cause of the issue:

Error using movefile

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

The full set of invalid characters can vary by file system. For example, on Windows-based desktop platforms, invalid path characters might include ASCII/Unicode characters 1 through 31, as well as quote ("), less than (<), greater than (>), pipe (|), backspace (\b), null (\0) and tab (\t).

[Steven Lord]

Here's what Microsoft has to say on the matter of file names, in part.

"Use any character in the current code page for a name, including Unicode characters and characters in the extended character set (128–255), except for the following:

• The following reserved characters:
• < (less than)
• > (greater than)
• : (colon)
• " (double quote)
• / (forward slash)
• \ (backslash)
• | (vertical bar or pipe)
• ? (question mark)
• * (asterisk)

"

The file name in the original question contains the colon character which appears on the list of reserved characters.