How to Delete Unwanted File?

[jreedar]

Cleaning up temporary files on my computer I came across a file that I couldn't delete. It's in the directory "C:\Documents and Settings\Neal Reed\Local Settings\Temp\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\Y4DK9K6T" the file's name is: "transactionID=101906375&apg=1667&site=msn_hg&brand=msn&to=1667&uri=%2Fcontent%2Farticle%2F72%2F81815%2Ehtm&pos=middle&adsize=300x250&adsize=336x280&network=consumer[1]" When I try to delete the file by hitting the delete key it just 'dings' and when I right click on the file and select delete it does nothing. When I try to delete it through DOS using the dir /x to show the short name it says "File Not Found". Here a print out of trying it that way:

Directory of C:\Documents and Settings\Neal Reed\Local Settings\Temp\Temporary
Internet Files\Content.IE5\Y4DK9K6T

08/30/2003 10:37p 1,298 TRANSA~1 transactionID=101906375&a
pg=1667&site=msn_hg&brand=msn&to=1667&uri=%2Fcontent%2Farticle%2F72%2F81815%2Eht
m&pos=top&adsize=468x60&adsize=728x90&network=consumer[1]
1 File(s) 1,298 bytes
0 Dir(s) 3,816,357,888 bytes free

C:\Documents and Settings\Neal Reed\Local Settings\Temp\Temporary Internet Files
\Content.IE5\Y4DK9K6T>del TRANSA~1
File Not Found

The last thing I tried was doing a wild card delete through DOS using 'del *.*' and it also failed. Here are the results:
C:\Documents and Settings\Neal Reed\Local Settings\Temp\Temporary Internet Files
\Content.IE5\Y4DK9K6T>del *.*
C:\Documents and Settings\Neal Reed\Local Settings\Temp\Temporary Internet Files
\Content.IE5\Y4DK9K6T\*.*, Are you sure (Y/N)? y
File Not Found

Also when I try to delete the file through DOS entering the full name it says it can not find the path specified.
C:\Documents and Settings\Neal Reed\Local Settings\Temp\Temporary Internet Files
\Content.IE5\Y4DK9K6T>DEL "transactionID=101906375&apg=1667&site=msn_hg&brand=ms
n&to=1667&uri=%2Fcontent%2Farticle%2F72%2F81815%2Ehtm&pos=middle&adsize=300x250&
adsize=336x280&network=consumer[1]"
The system cannot find the path specified.


When I right click on the file and choose 'Properties' I get a pop up box that says 'The properties for this item are not available.'.

It doesn't seem to be hurting anything, and I've run Ad-Aware and Spy-Bot Search and Destroy and neither of them found anything on my machine. I would just like to delete the file. Thanks for any help you can give me and let me know if any more information is needed.

 

[jrbarnett]

Hi,

Two options spring to mind:

1. The filename is part of the temporary internet files, so if there is nothing else in there that you want, have you tried using the internet options control panel to erase the entire IE cache?

2. Open the command prompt and use
DEL /S "C:\Documents and Settings\Neal Reed\Local Settings\Temp\Temporary
Internet Files\Content.IE5\Y4DK9K6T"

which should delete every file in that folder as well as the folder itself.

John

 

[icrf]

Does saying "del *.*" require there to be a dot in the name? Does "del *" do any better? That aside, I'd probably go with the delete the entire directory method.

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...but I'm just a C man trying to see the light