Solved One folder with files, inside a number of empty folders

Melita · Dec 9, 2012

In one of my Windows 7 Libraries, I have a folder 'A'. When I click to open it, another folder 'B' opens. When I click on 'B', the real folder I need, 'C' opens. It is only 'C', that contain my files. A and B are empty folders. The result is that I have to make three clicks to get at my files. This mishap occurred when I was re-arranging my files and folders, probably due to finger trouble!

Could you please help me remove A and B.

Regards.

Sir George · Dec 9, 2012

Melita said:
In one of my Windows 7 Libraries, I have a folder 'A'. When I click to open it, another folder 'B' opens. When I click on 'B', the real folder I need, 'C' opens. It is only 'C', that contain my files. A and B are empty folders. The result is that I have to make three clicks to get at my files. This mishap occurred when I was re-arranging my files and folders, probably due to finger trouble!

Could you please help me remove A and B.

Regards.

I would move the files in the "c" folder to a new temp folder on the desktop, then delete the tree, B C folders. Now the top level folder A should be empty, move the files there and remove the desktop folder.

HTH

Melita · Dec 9, 2012

I forgot to mention: this folder 'A' is in 'My documents'. Sorry about that.

In the 'C' folder I have two other folders with 'Microsoft word documents' and three 'word' documents without folders. I used the 'send to' method to send them all to a folder on the desk top. Everything got copied but the original folders and contents remained intact, where they are.

Regards.

Sir George · Dec 9, 2012

Melita said:
I forgot to mention: this folder 'A' is in 'My documents'. Sorry about that.

In the 'C' folder I have two other folders with 'Microsoft word documents' and three 'word' documents without folders. I used the 'send to' method to send them all to a folder on the desk top. Everything got copied but the original folders and contents remained intact, where they are.

Regards.

Is there some reason you can't go back to the directory tree and remove the contents of the subfolders and the folders themselves? You need to start from the bottom up; i.e., remove contents from "c" them remove "c" folder, next remove the "b" folder. Is there a permissions issue or something that is causing a problem with removing contents as described?

Melita · Dec 9, 2012

No there is no permission issue. I am the administrator. When I open them from the directory tree and right click, I get the 'send to' option and it does not move but copy to desk top.

I will try to move the contents to a new folder in another library by 'drag and drop', see what happens and come back later with the results.

Best regards.

Melita · Dec 10, 2012

Hello Sir George,

Nothing is working. I removed everything to the desk top, leaving the folders empty. When I try to delete the folders I get a little pop up window saying "The action cannot be completed because the folder or file in it is open in another program. Close the folder or file and try again". I put them all back in the folders.

I tried opening the folders from 'My documents' and from the directory tree as well. Apart from moving the contents to the desk top, also tried moving them to another library always getting the same message above.

Regards.

Sir George · Dec 10, 2012

Melita said:
Hello Sir George,

Nothing is working. I removed everything to the desk top, leaving the folders empty. When I try to delete the folders I get a little pop up window saying "The action cannot be completed because the folder or file in it is open in another program. Close the folder or file and try again". I put them all back in the folders.

I tried opening the folders from 'My documents' and from the directory tree as well. Apart from moving the contents to the desk top, also tried moving them to another library always getting the same message above.

Regards.

You can try using a file/folder unlocker program. I use LockHunter, but there are others. You can download LockHunter from;

LockHunter is a free 64/32 bit tool to delete files blocked by any processes

Let me know how it goes.

Melita · Dec 10, 2012

I was thinking about using the CMD Prompt. Is that a feasible option? If it is, I need to know what commands to enter.

Regards.

Sir George · Dec 10, 2012

Melita said:
I was thinking about using the CMD Prompt. Is that a feasible option? If it is, I need to know what commands to enter.

Regards.

Actually the CMD prompt is the best method. See attachment;

View attachment How to remove an undeletable File or Folder.pdf

HTH

Melita · Dec 10, 2012

That is not working either. Please see the screen shot.

(1) ALL OTHER (2) PERMNENT FILES (3) PERMNENT FILES (A) FILMS (B) COMPUTER - not shown

All five are folders. (A) and (B) contained word documents only, and were individually inside (3), which is the way I wanted. (1) and (2) with no contents of their own, are the offenders. (3) got inside (2) and (2) got inside (1). Hence, 3 clicks to access (A) and (B).

I moved the contents of A and B to another library and both of them are empty. Sometime during the course of this morning, while I was trying this operation, folder B has disappeared, unknown to me. All the time, I was trying to delete A (just to start with one of them). A and B being separately inside (3), how this happened is a mystery!

The matter remains there with A refusing to budge. None of the documents it contained are open anywhere.

(By the way, the word permanent is wrongly spelled to fit the file name box)

Regards.

Sir George · Dec 10, 2012

Melita said:
That is not working either. Please see the screen shot.

(1) ALL OTHER (2) PERMNENT FILES (3) PERMNENT FILES (A) FILMS (B) COMPUTER - not shown

All five are folders. (A) and (B) contained word documents only, and were individually inside (3), which is the way I wanted. (1) and (2) with no contents of their own, are the offenders. (3) got inside (2) and (2) got inside (1). Hence, 3 clicks to access (A) and (B).

I moved the contents of A and B to another library and both of them are empty. Sometime during the course of this morning, while I was trying this operation, folder B has disappeared, unknown to me. All the time, I was trying to delete A (just to start with one of them). A and B being separately inside (3), how this happened is a mystery!

The matter remains there with A refusing to budge. None of the documents it contained are open anywhere.

(By the way, the word permanent is wrongly spelled to fit the file name box)

Regards.

Are you familiar with "Process Explorer"? It provides the functionality of Windows Task Manager along with a rich set of features for collecting information about processes running on your system. I suggest downloading it from the following site;

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx

Post back after downloading and I believe it will provide a reasonably simple solution to the problem you are having.

Melita · Dec 10, 2012

I have downloaded it. Never seen it before. Seems awfully complicated.

Sir George · Dec 10, 2012

Melita said:
I have downloaded it. Never seen it before. Seems awfully complicated.

From what I have gleened in your posts, I don't think you will have a problem. First of all, start Process Explorer. When you have it running, go to the problem folder and try to delete, then when the error message pops up do the following;

Left click to drag and drop the "crosshairs" icon on the error message.
(see image below for clarification)

1. You should see the program information that is preventing the action from being completed.
2. Kill the approiate process/program.
3. Delete the file/folder.

I hope this provides a solution, let me know.

gigagiggles · Dec 10, 2012

It is my understanding Windows Libraries contain links to locations where contents are held, and do not actually contain contents themselves. Even so, if the Libraries' "contents" are backed up, why not restore the Libraries to the defaults via properties dialogue box? Any non-defaults should be removed by the restore and new ones can be (re)established.

Sir George · Dec 10, 2012

gigagiggles said:
It is my understanding Windows Libraries contain links to locations where contents are held, and do not actually contain contents themselves. Even so, if the Libraries' "contents" are backed up, why not restore the Libraries to the defaults via properties dialogue box? Any non-defaults should be removed by the restore and new ones can be (re)established.

I believe the OP is just trying to move items within the tree. The following article seems to fit the situation under "What happens if I delete a library or the items in a library":

Libraries: frequently asked questions

Melita · Dec 10, 2012

This seems fun! Before killing the program I am just checking with you. Is it OK to kill 'explorer.exe'? Please see screen shot.

gigagiggles · Dec 10, 2012

explorer.exe can be restarted.

Have you tried rebooting to Safe Mode to do what you want to do with the Libraries? Maybe whatever is running the content in the Libraries folder won't start up in Safe Mode.

Sir George · Dec 10, 2012

Melita said:
This seems fun! Before killing the program I am just checking with you. Is it OK to kill 'explorer.exe'? Please see screen shot.

Yes and see the following article on how to restart "explorer.exe" afterwards.

http://www.addictivetips.com/window...exe-process-properly-in-windows-xp-and-vista/

Sorry for the delay in responding.

Melita · Dec 10, 2012

The delay is not a problem at all sir.

When I kill explorer.exe with the Process Explorer using the method you described, if everything closes (as addictive tips says), I will not be able to access the folders I want to delete, before re-starting explorer.exe or am I missing some thing here?

"Select the Exit Explorer command. Start menu, Taskbar and "Desktop will the closed" and the other applications will continue to run in the background"

Sir George · Dec 10, 2012

Melita said:
The delay is not a problem at all sir.

When I kill explorer.exe with the Process Explorer using the method you described, if everything closes (as addictive tips says), I will not be able to access the folders I want to delete, before re-starting explorer.exe or am I missing some thing here?

"Select the Exit Explorer command. Start menu, Taskbar and "Desktop will the closed" and the other applications will continue to run in the background"

Obviously a very good point and one I overlooked during a senior moment!

I forgot we were dealing with "explorer.exe" and there is no access to files or folders when it's terminated. I need to go back to the drawing board, now that I know explorer is causing the problem, and review how to handle it.

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