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file deleting

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mmosier

Technical User
Aug 5, 2001
70
US
I have a file that won't go away. If I try to delete it I get an error message that reads "System Error 1026" and if I try to open this file I get "file doesn't exist". This file doesn't seem to effect anything but still would like to get rid of this file. Plus, If there was a way to rid it in DOS I couldn't type the characters C__u~1 (C having a little goatee, sort of like a G. and the u has those dot above it as in NOEL).
 
Try to right click>properties and uncheck "read only"......and then Rename it with any regular characters......then delete

Notification:
These are just "my" thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions....I try very hard to impart correct info at all times.
 
I'm going to assume these characters are NOT part of a language you know or want......correct?

Check your Languages and such in Control Panel>Keyboard,
Regional Settings

In IE....Tools>InternetOptions>GeneralTab>Languages....

You may have a corrupt character map/fonts also....

Notification:
These are just "my" thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions....I try very hard to impart correct info at all times.
 
Are you able to move it into a folder of its own? If you can, then in DOS, delete the folder and the file will disappear at the same time.
 
It might be a good idea to run scandisk...(from DOS if you can) by the look of the file name, looks like possible data corruption to me...



Cheers,

Realm174
 
If Rob2806 doesn't work,(and I can tell ya, if anyone has experience with deleting files, it's Rob2806).. |:>)

Try using Spybot... and Adaware....
TT4U

Notification:
These are just "my" thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions....I try very hard to impart correct info at all times.
 
I have had this problem as well.
I think the MS article above is inaccurate.
I have had these problems due to boot up erros, in reading the MBR and FAT of the drives. If you try to use these files before you run scandisk it will damage them irreparably.
If you run scandisk (after you have the boot problem, which you really just cant know till its too late and you get the error above) it will correct it. Now that its mucked though I have not had any success in deleting them. Even booting to DOS from a disk still fails.
The only way I was sucessful in removing these files on my computer is by total format of the partition (in windows works fine if its not your main partition.) I have noticed this problem seems to show up on large 80gig+ drives with windows 98. I am still a little suspicious of the viral nature of this problem, but have 0 evidence to base this on.
 
May i add.. The file is actually a folder.
I've ran Ad-ware many times.
What is dos command exactly. Do I not put folder name in ""?.
Should I use deltree?.
 
Go to the command prompt in DOS

Type the following

attrib -r -s -h c:\name of the folder
deltree c:\name of the folder
 
I'm guessing deleting it from DOS won't work either, due to the invalid character in the folder name. Which is what makes me think it's corrupted data... I've had a similar issue in the past (except that it was many folders that had been renamed to names with invalid characters, including exact same name for different folders) and my only way out had been to reformat.

If all else fails, and you don't need whatever space it's using, then I'd just leave it... other than that, I wouldn't know anymore.. back in the DOS days, NU (Norton Utilities) would fix a lot of things, but I haven't used that in ages...

Good luck!



Cheers,

Realm174
 
I thought rob's original idea was very clever, and there is still no posting back as to whether it will or wont work.
 
Yes;
As Rob2806 and Diogenes say........Create a "new folder"......drag and drop and delete.......if not in Windows.......do the DOS deltree method

TT4U
Notification:
These are just "my" thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions....I try very hard to impart correct info at all times.
 
Odd named folder in in a download folder. I can drag and drop download folder with odd named folder in it, to another fold but can't drag and drop odd name folder by itself to another folder. I also cannot drag and drop either folder to recycle bin.
 
Can you
boot to safe mode
make new folder in windows
cut and paste odd named file (or folder) from current location to new folder
reboot to dos prompt
delete new directory from dos prompt
 
Another thought-do you happen to have mcafee utilities or norton utilities?

I have mcafee utilities 4.0 which includes an undelete program. You navigate to a directory and look for deleted files to undelete. However for each directory there are actually 2 panes, one with available files and one with deleted files. You can delete or redelete files in McAfee. You could go to the appropriate directory and try to DELETE the file with the undelete utility. I have no idea whether that would work any differently than a regular dos or windows delete or not, but it certainly would be worth a try.

The old dos versions of Norton had undelete in them, I assume the windows version (systemworks) does too, but I dont use that so I dont know how it works.
 
Spybot
Spybot
Spybot
Am I making myself clear????/

TT4U
Notification:
These are just "my" thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions....I try very hard to impart correct info at all times.
 
Very!

Didn't work
Didn't work
Didn't work

Although, Thanks

As well I tried going to dos prompt, typing
-r-s-h c:\filename. Result is "bad file name..."
deltree c:\ditto Result is nothing. No message, just back to C;\ and file is still there. HMMMM
 
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