Obsidian Sync can't sync file with slash in filename

Bug graveyard
,
1

Steps to reproduce

Create file name with / in the title on Android.
Obsidian Sync on Windows keeps attempting to download the file, and loops on the same error saying it cannot find the file in the directory (because it can’t create it).
The sync button at the bottom of the page is permanently stuck in the “error” state.
There is no way to rename or delete the file from the Windows machine (since it isn’t downloaded yet), nor is there any way to access the contents of the remote vault to rename or delete there.
For additional context, the way I created the file was by attempting to extract a bit of text to another note, and the popup that appeared, letting me select or create a file, is where I entered the filename with a /.

Did you follow the troubleshooting guide? [Y/N]

This is a bug with Obsidian Sync, the sync feature is disabled in the Sandbox vault. I physically cannot try it in the sandbox vault.

Expected result

I would expect there to be a way to address the looping error.
It could be anything from preventing any user on any OS from creating a filename that contains characters that are unsupported on some OSes.
Automatically removing such characters before storing in the remote vault.
Allowing the user to manually browse the remote vault to delete or rename the file.
Have an auto “resolve file names” option somewhere in the settings.

Actual result

The sync is looping on the same unresolvable error.

Environment

SYSTEM INFO:
Obsidian version: v1.5.12
Installer version: v1.4.13
Operating system: Windows 10 Home Single Language 10.0.19045
Login status: logged in
Catalyst license: none
Insider build toggle: off
Live preview: on
Base theme: light
Community theme: none
Snippets enabled: 0
Restricted mode: off
Plugins installed: 16
Plugins enabled: 13
1: BBCode Convertor v1.0.0
2: Tag Wrangler v0.5.11
3: Dataview v0.5.59
4: Kanban v1.5.3
5: Excalidraw v2.0.17
6: Diagrams v1.5.0
7: Local REST API v2.3.0
8: Activity History v0.1.4
9: Obsidian Git v2.22.1
10: Advanced Tables v0.21.0
11: Calendar v1.5.10
12: Grandfather v1.0.1
13: Restore Tab Key v1.17.0

RECOMMENDATIONS:
Community plugins: for bugs, please first try updating all your plugins to latest. If still not fixed, please try to make the issue happen in the Sandbox Vault or disable community plugins.

Additional information

2024-05-23 06:38 - Connecting to server
2024-05-23 06:38 - Connection successful. Detecting changes…
2024-05-23 06:38 - Downloading file YouTube - Incredibles movie retrospective / analysis.md
2024-05-23 06:38 - ENOENT: no such file or directory, mkdir 'G:\My Drive\3O\YouTube - Incredibles movie retrospective ’ YouTube - Incredibles movie retrospective / analysis.md
2024-05-23 06:38 - Downloading file YouTube - Incredibles movie retrospective / analysis.md
2024-05-23 06:38 - ENOENT: no such file or directory, mkdir 'G:\My Drive\3O\YouTube - Incredibles movie retrospective ’ YouTube - Incredibles movie retrospective / analysis.md
2024-05-23 06:39 - Downloading file YouTube - Incredibles movie retrospective / analysis.md
2024-05-23 06:39 - ENOENT: no such file or directory, mkdir 'G:\My Drive\3O\YouTube - Incredibles movie retrospective ’ YouTube - Incredibles movie retrospective / analysis.md

2

Files with a slash in the filename are a violation in all operating systems/file system that I can think.
How and where did you create such file?

3

I have something similar but with > in the filename

Create a new file with a > character on a computer
Change some existing files
Sync to phone, it should not be created and other files are not synced
Then change the name on the computer removing the >
Then check sync again, the file should be created, sync should continue nicely
Change it back to contain > and update some other files
I suspect that sync will work normally and that only the filename change is not handled (not updated to the name containing the >)

I can create that file/note on my Macbook

Syncing to an Android phone breaks

2025-07-17 07:56 - Connecting to server
2025-07-17 07:56 - Downloading file Notes, ideas/Coaching/PERK - Module 2 -> 3.md
2025-07-17 07:56 - FILE_NOTCREATED Notes, ideas/Coaching/PERK - Module 2 -> 3.md

That is the error when the file was not synced at all yet to the android phone and basically it blocks all further syncing.

And when I changed the filename to something that was synced and then changed it back again, this was the log:

2025-07-17 07:58 - Server pushed [the-hot-saucerer-2241.local] Notes_ideas/Coaching/PERK - Module 2 - 3.md
2025-07-17 07:58 - Downloading file Notes_ideas/Coaching/PERK - Module 2 - 3.md
2025-07-17 07:58 - Downloading complete Notes_ideas/Coaching/PERK - Module 2 - 3.md
2025-07-17 07:58 - Accepted Notes_ideas/Coaching/PERK - Module 2 - 3.md
2025-07-17 07:59 - Skipped Notes_ideas/Coaching/PERK - Module 2 -> 3.md
2025-07-17 07:59 - Fully synced
2025-07-17 08:02 - Connecting to server
2025-07-17 08:02 - undefined
2025-07-17 08:04 - Connecting to server
2025-07-17 08:04 - Fully synced

so it only skipped the specific file, but synced the rest

Hope this helps

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