Solved Can't delete file due to invalid file name

[stevepoolstock]

Hey all!

I have a .png file on my secondary hard drive, which I cannot seem to delete. When I try to delete or rename it, it tells me: "The selected file name is invalid or too long".

I came across the programs Delinvfile and Unlocker, but they did not seem to work for me.

Appreciate any help!

 

[Ztruker]

Try this: Open an Elevated Command Prompt. Change to the directory (folder) the file is in. You do this using the cd command.
For instance, if the file is in your Pictures folder, you would enter:

cd C:\Users\xxxxxxxx\Pictures (xxxxxxxx is your account name)

Once in the right directory (folder), use the del command as follows to see if you can delete it. If, for instance, the file starts with asdfg0000....... etc,

del asdfg000*

That will delete any file that begins with the letters adsfg000, so be careful. Make sure you use enough of the beginning letters so the del command will only delete that file.

 

[MilesAhead]

Hey all!

I have a .png file on my secondary hard drive, which I cannot seem to delete. When I try to delete or rename it, it tells me: "The selected file name is invalid or too long".

I came across the programs Delinvfile and Unlocker, but they did not seem to work for me.

Appreciate any help!

If you find a bunch of files don't want to delete in Explorer try scanning with Malwarebytes anti-malware. I had a registry hack that added NoModify to all files in Explorer. Malwarebytes got rid of it easily.

But it is quite possible to get filenames longer than Explorer can handle. In those cases use command line deletion.

Also if you search online there's a tool called TLPD.exe that searches for files with paths too long.

 

[stevepoolstock]

Try this: Open an Elevated Command Prompt. Change to the directory (folder) the file is in. You do this using the cd command.
For instance, if the file is in your Pictures folder, you would enter:

cd C:\Users\xxxxxxxx\Pictures (xxxxxxxx is your account name)

Once in the right directory (folder), use the del command as follows to see if you can delete it. If, for instance, the file starts with asdfg0000....... etc,

del asdfg000*

That will delete any file that begins with the letters adsfg000, so be careful. Make sure you use enough of the beginning letters so the del command will only delete that file.

Thanks, but I can't seem to cd to D:/...

How come?

 

[Dwarf]

You need to enter the /D switch in the command. This allows you to change the current drive in addition to the current directory. So the command after the prompt reads as follows (note that the switch needs to be entered as shown): cd /d d:\ This works from both an administrative and user command prompt, but remember that the context and scope of any subsequent commands that you perform on the drive/directory is still the same as that to which you executed CMD in the first place.

 

[stevepoolstock]

Ok, so I followed all your instructions, but it still does not work. I get a similar error: "The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect".

 

[Ztruker]

Can you post the name of the file?

 

[MilesAhead]

Ok, so I followed all your instructions, but it still does not work. I get a similar error: "The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect".

Peculiar since when I google asdfg000 I get a bunch of references to online games, profiles and blogs. How about posting a screen shot of the folder showing the file or whatever it is, in the screen shot? Something is weird.

 

[stevepoolstock]

Ok, so I followed all your instructions, but it still does not work. I get a similar error: "The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect".

Peculiar since when I google asdfg000 I get a bunch of references to online games, profiles and blogs. How about posting a screen shot of the folder showing the file or whatever it is, in the screen shot? Something is weird.

That was a file name example given by Ztruker.

The file it's about is a .png desktop screenshot taken when I was dualbooting with Ubuntu. When I got rid of it, I copied all the files I wanted to keep to my secondary hard drive including this desktop screenshot. The other files act normally, but this one is not.

The file name is: "Schermafdruk_van_(time)_(date).png". Without the quotes and with the correct variables.

 

[karlsnooks]

Robin,
Is this file in the Pictures folder?
You have given the name but not the path for the file.

Try following:
go to an elevated command prompt and enter following commands:
CD /D %userprofile%\Pictures
dir schmerafdruk*.*
does you trouble file show up?

Go To an Elevated Command Prompt


Elevated command prompt = Run CMD.EXE as administrator
WIN | type CMD.EXE | do not hit Enter |
CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER keycombo| YES

WIN is the key with the Microsoft flag on top.

 

[stevepoolstock]

Robin,
Is this file in the Pictures folder?
You have given the name but not the path for the file.

Try following:
go to an elevated command prompt and enter following commands:
CD /D %userprofile%\Pictures
dir schmerafdruk*.*
does you trouble file show up?

Go To an Elevated Command Prompt


Elevated command prompt = Run CMD.EXE as administrator
WIN | type CMD.EXE | do not hit Enter |
CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER keycombo| YES

WIN is the key with the Microsoft flag on top.

Oh sorry. The file is in the root of D: and there is no pictures folder, because there is no Windows installed on that drive since I only use it for storage.

I still get this error: "The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect".

Using "dir Schermafdruk*.*" shows me that the file is present in D:.

 

[Dwarf]

Hi Robin,

Try this:

At an elevated command prompt, enter cd /d d:\ in order to switch to the D drive. Next, enter dir to verify the filename(s) of the file(s) you wish to delete.

To delete the file, right-click in the command window and click Mark. Now, highlight the appropriate filename and press Ctrl + C to copy the information to the clipboard. At the command prompt, type del /f " and then right-click + Paste to enter the previously saved information (the filename). Finish by entering " (there should be no spaces between the " characters and the filename) and then execute the command. This should delete the file. Check by reissuing the dir command. Note that you may also use erase instead of del, and if you add the switch /p you will get a confirmation prompt. You will need to repeat this for each file that needs deleting. Copying the filename in this manner removes the possibility of errors creeping in when typing the name, as it is very easy to confuse some characters for others (such as O,o,0 and l,1,i,I to name a few). This misinterpretation of the characters in a filename can often give rise to the error you mention (what you type looks correct, but it isn't).

 

[stevepoolstock]

I've tried everything you guys suggested, but it just wouldn't work.

I did find a different way to get rid of the file, which was not the easiest since I encountered some Linux related problems while booting, but it worked! Using a Xubuntu Live usb I could just right click and delete/open/rename/move the file. I had tried Linux virtual machines before since my mobo is UEFI and therefore does not like anything but Windows, but I had trouble sharing files with the machine.

I will rep the ones that gave me some very interesting information, thanks guys!

 

[boneycur]

I did find a different way to get rid of the file, which was not the easiest since I encountered some Linux related problems while booting, but it worked! Using a Xubuntu Live usb I could just right click and delete/open/rename/move the file.

I tried all the DOS and Windows & suggestions here and on another forum and nothing worked. In the end, the only way I could get the file to go away was to open the folder on a Linux virtual machine (which was a bit of trick in itself, mounting the external HD) and delete it.

Thanks, RobinSchouten, for that bit of advice!