Enable case sensitivity for filenames under DOS

This is just ... for fun.

As you know, MS DOS didn't make any difference between MyFile.txt, myfile.txt, MYFILE.txt since DOS isn't case sensitive.

If you don't believe me, just start notepad, type a few characters and save your work once as MyFile.txt then as myfile.txt then as MYFILE.txt. Then look at your folder, how many documents do you have? Just one.

Under Linux, you would have had three files; not under DOS.

What if we asked DOS to change its ways?

Here's the result: three files, same name, different case, living side by side in the same Windows folder.

To do this, you'll need to start Windows PowerShell as an admin.

Then jump in the folder where you want to enable case sensitivity. Let's say in C:\Temp.

In your PowerShell console, now start fsutil.exe file setCaseSensitiveInfo . enable and press Enter. After a few seconds, the change will be made — the same result already shown at the top of this article.

To revert your change, run fsutil.exe file setCaseSensitiveInfo . disable but, first, you'll have to remove at least two files because DOS will prevent you from disabling the feature if this would create conflicts.

Case sensitivity is not the only Windows/Linux mismatch that will bite you when the same repository is used on both systems; line endings are another one, and Git - Some tips for your .gitconfig file shows the setting that prevents git from silently rewriting them.