How to delete files with invalid file names

acid · Jan 11, 2004, 15:37

By Abby aka chaxid (Updated 10/03/2003)

How often have you downloaded something off of a peer-2-peer network, or maybe someone uploads something suspicious to your FTP server, and you end up with files that you just can't erase? It's a frustrating thing I have to say, since Windows gives you the most obnoxious error messages:

Error renaming file or folder

Cannot rename file: Cannot read from the source file or disk.

-or maybe-

Error deleting file or folder

Cannot delete file: Cannot read from the source file or disk.

These errors are caused by filenames being created that are not valid or are reserved by Windows. This is much different then a file simply being read-only or perhaps a system file, in which case you could use the "attrib" command to set the file so that it can be deleted.

attrib -s -h -r <filename>

Well you really don't have to put up with it. A Microsoft Knowledge Base Article shows you how you can delete these files quite easily. I'll cite some of the information in that article here, as it is the best solution to this problem. In fact, the entire problem can be addressed by issuing a simple command:

DEL \\.\driveletter:\path\filename
[ for files ]

or

RD \\.\<driveletter>:\<path>\<directory name>
[ for directories ]

If the filename is too long or complicated to disect, always remember that spaces in MS-DOS are denoted by a slash or " / ". That should solve the problem with very long file names that contain spaces. Or you could issue a wildcard statement that would just eliminate all files in the directory. The reason that the above commands work, rather than the standard explorer delete commands, is because they "bypass reverse-word checks". I'm not entirely familiar with reverse-word checks but I'd assume that it is the mechanism that checks for the validity of a filename before the file is manipulated or deleted.

Link: http://www.datiku.com/tutorials/wind..._win_files.htm

Agregat · Jan 11, 2004, 15:56

Использования Юникод имен?
Может не сработать по Окошки 95/98/Ме

nm · Jan 11, 2004, 16:06

ндя .... виндовз - эта такая "вещь в себе"

greka · Jan 11, 2004, 16:09

poleznyj post, vstrechalis' takie "neisstrebimye fayly"..
MS DOS spe**** na pomosh'

, nm

acid · Jan 11, 2004, 18:44

Кстати у самого не получилось таким способом. Какой-то файл создал пкунзип, у которого никак не видать имени. И видать это не пробел. Удалить или переименовать ну никак не могу, входить получается. Эни айдиа?

greka · Jan 12, 2004, 05:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by acid

Кстати у самого не получилось таким способом. Какой-то файл создал пкунзип, у которого никак не видать имени. И видать это не пробел. Удалить или переименовать ну никак не могу, входить получается. Эни айдиа?

Winrar 2.8, Acid..

acid · Jan 12, 2004, 14:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greco El

Winrar 2.8, Acid..

Спасибо, твой совет мне очень помог

acid · Jan 12, 2004, 21:49

Получилось ! Для этого нужно было убить explorer.exe, удалить файл у которого не было имени из коммандой строки и опять врубить ехплорер обратно

Терд мерни гитутиун.

greka · Jan 13, 2004, 07:45

н-да, не успел, ну да ладно, может кому пригодится эта инфа

Тут совет, как не "убивать" Explorer, но завершить его культурным образом.

====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ======
1. Open a Command Prompt window and leave it open.

2. Close all open programs.

3. You now need to close EXPLORER.EXE. The proper way to shutdown Explorer is to raise the "Shut Down Windows" dialog (select "Shut Down..." from the start menu), hold down CTRL+SHIFT+ALT and press the CANCEL button. Explorer will exit cleanly.

Note: The <CTRL+ALT+DEL> at the 'Shut Down Windows' dialog method of closing Explorer is built into Explorer. (It was specifically designed so that developers writing Shell Extensions could get Explorer to release their Shell Extension DLLs while debugging them).

4. Go back to the Command Prompt window and change to the directory where the undeletable file is located in. At the command prompt type DEL <filename> where <filename> is the file you wish to delete.

5. Go back to Task Manager, click File, New Task and enter EXPLORER.EXE to restart the GUI shell. /tip by James R. Twine/
====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ======

Jan 11, 2004, 15:37	#1
acid Administrator Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Yerevan, Armenia Posts: 7,069 Blog Entries: 15 Rep Power: 10 Reputation: 246	How to delete files with invalid file names By Abby aka chaxid (Updated 10/03/2003) How often have you downloaded something off of a peer-2-peer network, or maybe someone uploads something suspicious to your FTP server, and you end up with files that you just can't erase? It's a frustrating thing I have to say, since Windows gives you the most obnoxious error messages: Error renaming file or folder Cannot rename file: Cannot read from the source file or disk. -or maybe- Error deleting file or folder Cannot delete file: Cannot read from the source file or disk. These errors are caused by filenames being created that are not valid or are reserved by Windows. This is much different then a file simply being read-only or perhaps a system file, in which case you could use the "attrib" command to set the file so that it can be deleted. attrib -s -h -r <filename> Well you really don't have to put up with it. A Microsoft Knowledge Base Article shows you how you can delete these files quite easily. I'll cite some of the information in that article here, as it is the best solution to this problem. In fact, the entire problem can be addressed by issuing a simple command: DEL \\.\driveletter:\path\filename [ for files ] or RD \\.\<driveletter>:\<path>\<directory name> [ for directories ] If the filename is too long or complicated to disect, always remember that spaces in MS-DOS are denoted by a slash or " / ". That should solve the problem with very long file names that contain spaces. Or you could issue a wildcard statement that would just eliminate all files in the directory. The reason that the above commands work, rather than the standard explorer delete commands, is because they "bypass reverse-word checks". I'm not entirely familiar with reverse-word checks but I'd assume that it is the mechanism that checks for the validity of a filename before the file is manipulated or deleted. Link: http://www.datiku.com/tutorials/wind..._win_files.htm __________________ Chat with acid

Jan 11, 2004, 15:56	#2
Agregat Грустно... Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Там, где всегда идут дожди Posts: 21,386 Rep Power: 10 Reputation: 125	Использования Юникод имен? Может не сработать по Окошки 95/98/Ме __________________ Хотели, как лучше, а получилось даже хуже... Лозунг шахматиста: На каждый шах - ответим матом! В сумасшедшем доме каждый мог говорить все, что взбредет ему в голову, словно в парламенте. Я. Гашек. "Приключения Бравого Солдата Швейка". Часть 1. Глава IV. Абзац 2.

Jan 11, 2004, 16:06	#3
nm ЙЦУКЕН Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: 0x68,0x69,0x72, 0x69,0x6e,0x67, 0x20,0x6e,0x6f, 0x77 Posts: 3,113 Rep Power: 7 Reputation: 10	ндя .... виндовз - эта такая "вещь в себе" __________________ -- Опоздавшему поросёнку сиська возле жопы.

Jan 11, 2004, 16:09	#4
greka Administrator Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: @work Posts: 5,337 Rep Power: 10 Reputation: 23	poleznyj post, vstrechalis' takie "neisstrebimye fayly".. MS DOS spe**** na pomosh' , nm __________________ И повешенные могут качаться в неположенную сторону. /С.Е.Лец/

Jan 11, 2004, 18:44	#5
acid Administrator Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Yerevan, Armenia Posts: 7,069 Blog Entries: 15 Rep Power: 10 Reputation: 246	Кстати у самого не получилось таким способом. Какой-то файл создал пкунзип, у которого никак не видать имени. И видать это не пробел. Удалить или переименовать ну никак не могу, входить получается. Эни айдиа? __________________ Chat with acid

Jan 12, 2004, 21:49	#8
acid Administrator Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Yerevan, Armenia Posts: 7,069 Blog Entries: 15 Rep Power: 10 Reputation: 246	Получилось ! Для этого нужно было убить explorer.exe, удалить файл у которого не было имени из коммандой строки и опять врубить ехплорер обратно Терд мерни гитутиун. __________________ Chat with acid

Jan 13, 2004, 07:45	#9
greka Administrator Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: @work Posts: 5,337 Rep Power: 10 Reputation: 23	н-да, не успел, ну да ладно, может кому пригодится эта инфа Тут совет, как не "убивать" Explorer, но завершить его культурным образом. ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== 1. Open a Command Prompt window and leave it open. 2. Close all open programs. 3. You now need to close EXPLORER.EXE. The proper way to shutdown Explorer is to raise the "Shut Down Windows" dialog (select "Shut Down..." from the start menu), hold down CTRL+SHIFT+ALT and press the CANCEL button. Explorer will exit cleanly. Note: The <CTRL+ALT+DEL> at the 'Shut Down Windows' dialog method of closing Explorer is built into Explorer. (It was specifically designed so that developers writing Shell Extensions could get Explorer to release their Shell Extension DLLs while debugging them). 4. Go back to the Command Prompt window and change to the directory where the undeletable file is located in. At the command prompt type DEL <filename> where <filename> is the file you wish to delete. 5. Go back to Task Manager, click File, New Task and enter EXPLORER.EXE to restart the GUI shell. /tip by James R. Twine/ ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== __________________ И повешенные могут качаться в неположенную сторону. /С.Е.Лец/

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