Folder and its files can't be deleted.

[Sonyack]

So I installed Windows 7 RC 7100 from a dvd with Vista present, choosing what I assumed was the clean install option. The installation rounded up the old windows and put it in a folder called windows.old. I got what I needed out of there, and deleted the windows.old folder and stuff got deleted, except the windows.old folder and some remaining sub-folders. There are two files way down in the last folder that won't be deleted. Windows 7 claims they are not there, so they cannot be renamed and cannot be compressed. Plus they have 0 bytes. These files are labeled in what looks like real Coptic script. These files can be moved and the folders that contain them too. Windows 7 will not delete them, saying that they are not where they are anymore.

I figure that when I deleted the windows.old folder, something went wrong and now Windows 7 shows them to be there, but also thinks they are not there - weird that it has enough to think they are there but not enough to think it can delete them.

Anyway, how can I get rid of whatever is there?

 

[torrentg]

I don't think there is anything you can do to get rid of them besides a format. I've had something like that for over a year on one of my disks that is 400 GB full and I have no place to move the stuff temp away to fix it. I tried a little looking for ways, like software or commands, but nothing deleted the files.

Here's mine.

 

[zigzag3143]

files cant be deleted

So I installed Windows 7 RC 7100 from a dvd with Vista present, choosing what I assumed was the clean install option. The installation rounded up the old windows and put it in a folder called windows.old. I got what I needed out of there, and deleted the windows.old folder and stuff got deleted, except the windows.old folder and some remaining sub-folders. There are two files way down in the last folder that won't be deleted. Windows 7 claims they are not there, so they cannot be renamed and cannot be compressed. Plus they have 0 bytes. These files are labeled in what looks like real Coptic script. These files can be moved and the folders that contain them too. Windows 7 will not delete them, saying that they are not where they are anymore.

I figure that when I deleted the windows.old folder, something went wrong and now Windows 7 shows them to be there, but also thinks they are not there - weird that it has enough to think they are there but not enough to think it can delete them.

Anyway, how can I get rid of whatever is there?

I think torrentg is correct but could you right click one of them and tell us the properties and who the owners are?

Thanks

Ken

 

[Mongo]

Try running a disk check (chkdsk /f) on the drive.

 

[andythecurefan]

hows about the Take Ownership shortcut?

 

[torrentg]

Yeah, I've done all the tricks like trying to take ownership, using other OS, chkdsk too. Nothing fixes it.

Here's one of the file's permissions.

 

[holo88]

had the same problem. old securom files. just do what i did... give up and just make the folder (not the contents, just the folder) hidden. poof they're gone.
maybe i'm just lazy

 

[zigzag3143]

folder cant be deleted

I don't think there is anything you can do to get rid of them besides a format. I've had something like that for over a year on one of my disks that is 400 GB full and I have no place to move the stuff temp away to fix it. I tried a little looking for ways, like software or commands, but nothing deleted the files.

Here's mine.

If you are absolutely sure you want to get rid of them there are a couple of ways.

1-boot from a dos cd and delete them *.* even if they are -h,-s,-x (hidden,system files, and read only) DOS doesn't know that.

2- some apps (Im gonna use one called treesize) are able to delete anything. I have deleted winsxs files from within windows.

3- if your dual booting delete them from the other partition. This doesn't always work

Hope it helps some.

Ken

 

[copernicus]

If you can move them, why not move them on a flash drive and them nuke the flash drive?

 

[torrentg]

It's only possible to cut and paste within the same partition. Trying anywhere else it gives the same error as when trying to delete. "Could not find this item"

 

[DJG]

After taking ownership did you check to see if you have full control and applies to folder, subfolders and files?.

 

[andythecurefan]

This is worth a shot, this helped me before:

UNLOCKER 1.8.7 BY CEDRICK 'NITCH' COLLOMB

 

[Sonyack]

BINGO!!! Unlocker did it! Thanks everyone for your ready replies, and to andythecurefan.

 

[Mongo]

This is worth a shot, this helped me before:

UNLOCKER 1.8.7 BY CEDRICK 'NITCH' COLLOMB

+1

Forgot all about unlocker! Good to know it works in Win7. I couldn't get it to work under Vista though.

 

[zigzag3143]

unlocker

+1

Forgot all about unlocker! Good to know it works in Win7. I couldn't get it to work under Vista though.

If you had to run it in compat mode.

Unlocker is great

also +1

Ken

 

[torrentg]

I've been a long time user of Unlocker and have even tried using that on my files. In my case, it says that no locking handle is found...meaning the files aren't locked to begin with.

But glad the OP got his sorted.

Edit: Oh wow. Instead of unlocking the files, I just tried using Unlocker to straight delete and it worked! Thanks for bringing my attention to this program. Good stuff.

 

[zigzag3143]

file deletion

I've been a long time user of Unlocker and have even tried using that on my files. In my case, it says that no locking handle is found...meaning the files aren't locked to begin with.

But glad the OP got his sorted.

Edit: Oh wow. Instead of unlocking the files, I just tried using Unlocker to straight delete and it worked! Thanks for bringing my attention to this program. Good stuff.

Are there any properties on the files or does it error out?

Ken

 

[torrentg]

Well, the files are deleted now but in explorer they showed 1 kb and 2kb. When you right click them though, in properties they would say 0 kb and like I posted, no security permissions at all. Like a corrupted rogue file I guess.

I also used this on a flash program file which was the only one left, previously unable to be deleted, in the system32 folder of a previous OS install.

My HDD is clean now of these files.

Anyhow, +1 to Andy.