Ok, Umm, HELP! *sigh* Yrag, Corky?

I've had it...

Published on January 25, 2006 By Double Zero In Personal Computing

Well it is rare for me to ask for help but I have tried all the simple methods that I know...
I have never encountered a problem like this, it really is more of an annoyance than anything else, but it is one I would like to resolve..

First of all, OS = WinXP pro Sp1a
And the View hidden folders and files option is set...
I know, I really should install SP2... eventually..

In my root directory I have a folder/directory that I cannot seem to delete, it contains 1 folder that I cannot delete as well, both are empty,I personally created the folder originally to download a couple programs into. Properties of both folders affirms they are empty as well as hovering the cursor above each in turn..

However, when I attempt to delete either of them I get a message - Cannot delete, Directory is not empty...

I have tried to move the folder to another drive in hopes that I could delete it from there, failed...

I have tried removing it in *Safe Mode, From the Administrator account, and even from the Command line with no joy..

I even went as far as trying the recovery console and received "Access Denied" errors message when attempting to delete the Directory/folders...

Another strange thing is when using the *Dir command on the folder it lists 2 files by date within them, but windows properties claims the folders are empty, I cannot type a path to the phantom files within, all I get in return is the creation dates, no file names...

Any ideas about how I can remove this thing from my HD?

Probably a simple solution,im just not getting it *Sigh*

Thanks in advance for any light anyone can shed on my folder delema...

Comments (Page 2)

Double Zero

on Jan 26, 2006

Still there, sticks like glue... Grrrrrrr

Thanks a ton!! for all your help Yrag, I know how frustrating it can be, first hand...

Im going to try a couple other things and then call it a night, I'll check back in the morning and see if there are any other ideas.....

Take care everyone...

yrag

on Jan 26, 2006

One last shot:
Remove Directory (rd or rmdir) command to delete the folder. Add the /s switch to remove the entire folder tree, subfolders, files and all.

From a cmd prompt run: chkdsk /f
Remove the "Unable_To_Delete" folder and all corrupted folders as follows:

rmdir dir name /s /q /f

Double Zero

on Jan 26, 2006

*Update* = Success!

What I ended up doing to remove the file was installing my copy of XP onto one of my slaves then accessing my "C" drive from it and deleting the file...
It is *Really* Gone...Sheeeesh!!

As for the command switch's, I had actually tried those earlier today with no success, all except for the "F" switch.. I wonder if that might have done it?
I dont know, but I am SOOOOOO GLAD thats over!...

I now have 30 days to unlock or erase my xtra OS installtion..I'll have to ponder that awhile, LoL..."Deep Thought" I suppose....

Anyway I cant thank you enough Yrag, if it werent for your support I may have just given up, I really was getting frustrated...
Thanks and take care!!

Im going to bed, waaaaay past time..LoL

Jafo

on Jan 26, 2006

What I ended up doing to remove the file was installing my copy of XP onto one of my slaves then accessing my "C" drive from it and deleting the file...

I was going to suggest that...but wasn't sure if you had a second drive or comp to access the problem one....

I've solved similar issues that way in the past....one reason I have 2 drive caddies and 2 functioning XP OS installs....primary and secondary masters...imaged within a few weeks of each other....

Double Zero

on Jan 26, 2006

I was going to suggest that...but wasn't sure if you had a second drive or comp to access the problem one....

I held it in reserve as a last resort, by the time I tried it I wasnt sure if it would work either! I still cannot believe what an ordeal that became, deleteing a folder, I certainly did not think that I was going to have to go to the extremes that I did....

Thanks!

yrag

on Jan 26, 2006

You're not alone Jaf.......he mentioned another drive it in his first post and I completely missed it......oyi

Glad you got it DZ..........the world is a better place for you having rid us of this blight

............and now I'm off in search of that bathroom wall

tjesterb

on Jan 26, 2006

Just to throw something out there after the fact, you should have been able to delete the folder by booting from a live Linux CD or from a Bart's PE CD, rather than going through the extra hassle of a 2nd install.

You'd probably have to hit usenet or bit torrent to find the Bart PE CD, or else build one yourself. (I found a PE builder somewhere, but I have no idea where, or I'd post the link.)

thomassen

on Jan 26, 2006

Can you actually modify the content of an NTFS partiton from Linux? I thought it was read only..?

Double Zero

on Jan 26, 2006

Thats funny, To be completely honest Tj I was attempting to create that boot disk with BartsPE builder. The folder was one that I had created to work from..

I was getting errors during the build process, it seems the program does not like OEM versions of winXP, for some reason it could not locate the path to Test.exe from the XP installation files..that was 1 error...
I had 2 others, The builder could not locate 2 driver files for the Nvida video cards... I went to the sites forum and found a nifty little program that boasted it could create the build practically hands free..This is where the trouble began.....

I downloaded the program and ran it, suddenly Microsoft Antispy pops up a warning that my Windows logon policies were being modified...GRRRRRRR!
Then another, My Windows startup registry files were being overwritten..
And the last was the installation of a new IE explorer search bar...
Ok...Denied all that!
I began removing everything I had downloaded, I managed to dump everything except for those 2 folders... AVG, Nortons had no complaints about anything, LoL..
Obviously somthing was not right...

At any rate, PC is running fine now, it was getting a bit sluggish and I was experiencing connection errors that were getting worse.. When I was able to rid myself of that directory however, everything began to run smoothly once again...

Hopefully all is well, im 90% certain it is, but with some of the talented hackers out there I just cant be 100% certain....

So anyone thats trying to build that specific UBCD, be careful what you get and where you get it from!!

aimzzz

on Jan 26, 2006

Yrag-- Thanks for the Unlocker link-- I have that problem too often-- esp when unzipping files to a folder which I can't get rid of when empty
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kona0197

on Jan 26, 2006

Sp2 really isn't that bad.

Jafo

on Jan 26, 2006

Sp2 really isn't that bad.

No...it isn't. When people complain that XP has 'faults'...and MS releases 'fixes' for them it's only sensible to adopt/use the fixes. I think anyone who is reluctant to do so is just perhaps too lazy to 'get it right'...

tjesterb

on Jan 26, 2006

I was attempting to create that boot disk with BartsPE builder. The folder was one that I had created to work from..

How ironic is that?

To be honest, I've never gotten around to building my own PE disc. I got one from my Senior network admin. and it'd pulled my bacon out of the fire mre times than I can count. It's already got more features than anything I'd be able to build myself, though I do want to build one for the experience.

I have seen people selling them on ebay as repair or recovery discs, or you could just keep an eye on the usenet groups. It's not exactly something you'd find on the shelf at your local Big Box store.

Thomassen, I think some of the newer live Linux CDs have the ability to manipulate data on NTFS partitions. I used one (Knoppix, I think) to copy the sam and .sys files from a machine that had a lost password, so I could run password cracker at it. (Don't worry, it was a family member, I'm not interested in cracking other peoples' machines. Too much work for too little reward!)

Jafo

on Jan 26, 2006

from a machine that had a lost password

I have a Linux kernel on a floppy that can do just that...delete logon passwords and/or reset/name them.

Saved a friend's machine whose password was corrupted and refused to be accepted...

Double Zero

on Jan 26, 2006

To be honest, I've never gotten around to building my own PE disc.

I havent given up yet, LoL, I am going to build it still, as soon as I get everything back to normal on this machine, that version of the UBCD is worth the effort...

I have a Linux kernel on a floppy that can do just that...delete logon passwords and/or reset/name them.

The original UBCD comes with an ISO image of a program that allows you to do exactly the same thing, I have used it to open up admin accounts on a couple of friends PC's that got their machines from the retailer with the account locked..

There are risks though, apparently the scripts can corrupt the SAM and cause the maching to go into a reboot loop..forever, LoL, or until ya fix it...
I think I read somewhere that linux was used to in the prog..

On a side note, I decided to keep the fresh windows installation and am in the process of moving all my files that I want to save, after I had all my hardware installed I did opt for the SP2 installation, So far, so good....

Fresh installs are so cool, like a new pair of socks..LoL

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