For a recent Super User answer, I investigated what happens when Windows encounters folders with names that are entirely comprised of periods. These folders can only be created with the special \\?\ full-path prefix, so most people won't ever run into them. If you do have such a folder, however, you're in for some weird experiences.
It does not appear to be possible to cd into such a folder with the command prompt; you just get put in the current directory. (I think this is because . is an alias for the current folder.) Windows Explorer will go into such a folder, but its contents will appear to be the same as those of its parent directory; the listing includes the dot folder itself. (I guess this is because .. is an alias for the parent folder?) If you try to open any file or navigate deeper, Explorer will have problems; it will be as if the thing you tried to open doesn't exist.
To recover files out of such a directory, you need to either use the short 8.3 (dir /x) name or create a normal-named directory symbolic link. Once the dot folder is empty, you'll be able to rd it by its \\?\ name.
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