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You heard it here first: Black Friday 2024 has arrived!
Deleting files that "don't exist"
- Thread starter mwfulton
- Start date
Darkbreeze
Retired Mod
- Jun 24, 2014
- 81,170
- 7,836
- 176,790
Darkbreeze
Retired Mod
- Jun 24, 2014
- 81,170
- 7,836
- 176,790
Where did these files come from? A trusted source, or a questionable one? Any chance they are infected?
I'd recommend trying to use Malwarebytes File assasin on them.
https://www.malwarebytes.com/fileassassin/
I'd recommend trying to use Malwarebytes File assasin on them.
https://www.malwarebytes.com/fileassassin/
Peter Martin
Splendid
- Oct 9, 2014
- 2,967
- 2
- 21,615
use the 3rd party archive tool to zip up the directory and delete the zip file.
windows has file name and directory name restrictions that are only enforce thru the windows UI. they are not enforce if you use the windows programming interface. This means that tool ported from unix/linux can create files that windows user interface can not delete. But the tool that created them can also delete them. Here are some of the things that window ui can have issues with. windows ui will strip out leading and trailing spaces. there are a lot of reserved word ie any filename with a base name of the old windows devices. like aux, com, con, prn, are not allowed (with any file extension)
there are tricks to delete the files but you have to use the windows cmd.exe and do wildcard deletes.
for example if you have a file with a trailing space like "bigdumbfile ".txt you can delete it with the command
del bigdumbfile?.txt
or del bigdumbfile*.txt
it will work for unprintable characters also.
best way is to just use a Linux/ or unix tool or 3rd party app to view and delete the file.
windows has file name and directory name restrictions that are only enforce thru the windows UI. they are not enforce if you use the windows programming interface. This means that tool ported from unix/linux can create files that windows user interface can not delete. But the tool that created them can also delete them. Here are some of the things that window ui can have issues with. windows ui will strip out leading and trailing spaces. there are a lot of reserved word ie any filename with a base name of the old windows devices. like aux, com, con, prn, are not allowed (with any file extension)
there are tricks to delete the files but you have to use the windows cmd.exe and do wildcard deletes.
for example if you have a file with a trailing space like "bigdumbfile ".txt you can delete it with the command
del bigdumbfile?.txt
or del bigdumbfile*.txt
it will work for unprintable characters also.
best way is to just use a Linux/ or unix tool or 3rd party app to view and delete the file.
Darkbreeze
Retired Mod
- Jun 24, 2014
- 81,170
- 7,836
- 176,790
note: I just downloaded windirstat from here: https://www.fosshub.com/WinDirStat.html
and run it. it does have a delete function under the cleanup menu.
I would give it a try. I selected some files in the recycle bin and deleted them with the menu.
---------------
here is a third party tool I would try windirstat
https://windirstat.net/
------------
delete the files that you can delete then provide the name of the remaining ones.
if you have access to a Linux machine, or apple you can share the directory out on windows then use the Linux machine to delete the file by connecting to the windows share.
you might also be able to get the list of files in the directory by:
start cmd.exe as an admin, then
cd into the directory structure with the suspect file IE something like:
cd c:\users\myusername\music
then run something like
attrib /s *.* > c:\outfile.txt
notepad c:\outfile.txt
this will search for the file attributes for all of the files in the subdirectory and put the list in c:\outfile.txt
then you can look at the c:\outfile.txt in notepad or wordpad.
and run it. it does have a delete function under the cleanup menu.
I would give it a try. I selected some files in the recycle bin and deleted them with the menu.
---------------
here is a third party tool I would try windirstat
https://windirstat.net/
------------
delete the files that you can delete then provide the name of the remaining ones.
if you have access to a Linux machine, or apple you can share the directory out on windows then use the Linux machine to delete the file by connecting to the windows share.
you might also be able to get the list of files in the directory by:
start cmd.exe as an admin, then
cd into the directory structure with the suspect file IE something like:
cd c:\users\myusername\music
then run something like
attrib /s *.* > c:\outfile.txt
notepad c:\outfile.txt
this will search for the file attributes for all of the files in the subdirectory and put the list in c:\outfile.txt
then you can look at the c:\outfile.txt in notepad or wordpad.
Darkbreeze
Retired Mod
- Jun 24, 2014
- 81,170
- 7,836
- 176,790
I'm familiar with windirstat, and while this is not MY thread, I can tell you that I have a windows.old folder left over from a previous update last fall, which refuses to be removed no matter how I go about it. That is why I was wondering about the OPs file. It has refused to be removed and windirstat does not do it. I thought perhaps you had a specific third party app that was generally successful in removing files that Windows would not.
Using Linux to remove a file seems more work than it's worth to me, and could possibly cause issues in some cases. I think I'd just as soon do a clean install of Windows to remove the offending files which is exactly what I'm going to do when the Fall update is released. But, that's me. For others I'm sure you're advice is probably spot on.
Using Linux to remove a file seems more work than it's worth to me, and could possibly cause issues in some cases. I think I'd just as soon do a clean install of Windows to remove the offending files which is exactly what I'm going to do when the Fall update is released. But, that's me. For others I'm sure you're advice is probably spot on.
Peter Martin
Splendid
- Oct 9, 2014
- 2,967
- 2
- 21,615
you should be able to remove the windows.old folder as follows
right click on windows drive
choose Properties
select Disk Cleanup
when that form opens, click on Clean Up System Files button
then select all the folders it presents and Delete. Windows Update Cleanup should be huge.
if that doesn't work, then your windows is not right.
right click on windows drive
choose Properties
select Disk Cleanup
when that form opens, click on Clean Up System Files button
then select all the folders it presents and Delete. Windows Update Cleanup should be huge.
if that doesn't work, then your windows is not right.
Darkbreeze
Retired Mod
- Jun 24, 2014
- 81,170
- 7,836
- 176,790
Yeah, that's not news. Anybody who's got more than a thimble full of common sense when it comes to PC wherewithall knows that process. That's not the issue with this system. It won't work. Been tried, along with about fifteen other methods. The issue is, on this system, there is software that can't be reinstalled because it is no longer available ANYWHERE, and I'd like to not lose it but will probably end up having to.
If I can avoid having to do a clean install, I'd like to. I'm sure the OP in this thread would also like to be able to remove his download and I'm sure his issue is a simpler fix than mine although they both share similarities. Still, his thread, not mine, so we'll stop with the off topic on my behalf.
If I can avoid having to do a clean install, I'd like to. I'm sure the OP in this thread would also like to be able to remove his download and I'm sure his issue is a simpler fix than mine although they both share similarities. Still, his thread, not mine, so we'll stop with the off topic on my behalf.
androbourne
Honorable
- Jul 18, 2017
- 2,369
- 6
- 13,615
You can also try just using "unlocker" for windows. You will have the option to attempt to bypass any locks on the file and have it delete it. If the program is unable to delete it. Then it will give you an option to "delete on next boot" which will attempt to delete it once you sign into your profile but before the profile fully loads. Bypassing any locks on the file that might be preventing it from being deleted.
I've used this many times and I have to say its pretty nice.
I've used this many times and I have to say its pretty nice.
Darkbreeze
Retired Mod
- Jun 24, 2014
- 81,170
- 7,836
- 176,790
That only works on files that "exist", and are locked. The OPs file and my Windows.old folder, don't "exist" as far as windows is concerned, so that won't work either. The file shows up in file explorer, but if you click on it you get this:
Which is a result of having done THIS, after the update in the fall a year ago.
Which is a result of having done THIS, after the update in the fall a year ago.
if the file is zero bytes it may be a open file. you might be able to see what had it open or close it with this tool:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/handle.
can you provide the name of the file? or directory? does it have any international characters in it?
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/handle.
can you provide the name of the file? or directory? does it have any international characters in it?
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