Python - os.rename() - OSError: [WinError 123]

Question

path='U:\\rmarshall\Work For Staff\\ROB\\_Downloads Folder\\'
file='file.pdf'
newFileName=time.strftime('%Y-%m-%d_')+row[1]+time.strftime('_%H:%M:%S')+'.pdf'
newFolderLocation='U:\\Company - do not alter\\'

os.rename(path+file,newFolderLocation+newFileName)

When I run I get:

>>> os.rename(path+file,newFolderLocation+newFileName)

OSError: [WinError 123] The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is 
incorrect: 'U:/Company - do not alter/2014-01-14_COMPANY NAME_13:55:23.pdf'

Can anyone see the syntax error?

Solution

The colon : is not allowed in Windows file names.

See Naming Files, Paths, and Namespaces on MSDN

Comments

[thefourtheye]

I think you have to escape the spaces too, with \