I have 3 folders: b\com3\auxdD which some cracker was kind
enough to leave on my computer. My disk uses NTFS.

Folder com3 has no security tab and when I attempt to
change any attributes I get an error that says the system
cannot find the file specified. The general tab also
states the it is of type "file", but it appears as a
folder and can contain other files and folders.

Folder aux.dD has no sharing tab or security tab and gives
me an access denied error when I attempt to change any of
the attributes. It also has no icon, no name, and no type
on the general tab.

I cannot delete them, change attributes, or take ownership
of them using windows or the command prompt (except b,
which I can take ownership of).

Thanks in advance for any help anyone can provide.

mikey

Hi, Mikey.

Perhaps the file/folder name is not what it appears onscreen. Also, they
use "reserved words" (com3, aux) in their names, which can give the OS fits.

A trick that often (but not always) works is to open a "DOS" window and then
use the old faithful "dir" command - with switches to reveal some hidden
secrets.

Dir /x will produce a directory listing with an additional column of SFNs
(Short File Names, also known as 8.3 filenames). An SFN is created for any
filename that does not conform to the MS-DOS naming convention. In addition
to the obviously "long" file name, this might be a name that includes spaces
or unprintable characters.

Then use the SFN to delete the file or remove the folder, using the del or
rd command. If you are VERY lucky, a single "rd SFN /s" will remove the
top-level folder and all its subfolders and files.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(E-Mail Removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP

"mikey" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:09e801c3a951$fdd49b40$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have 3 folders: b\com3\auxdD which some cracker was kind
> enough to leave on my computer. My disk uses NTFS.
>
> Folder com3 has no security tab and when I attempt to
> change any attributes I get an error that says the system
> cannot find the file specified. The general tab also
> states the it is of type "file", but it appears as a
> folder and can contain other files and folders.
>
> Folder aux.dD has no sharing tab or security tab and gives
> me an access denied error when I attempt to change any of
> the attributes. It also has no icon, no name, and no type
> on the general tab.
>
> I cannot delete them, change attributes, or take ownership
> of them using windows or the command prompt (except b,
> which I can take ownership of).
>
> Thanks in advance for any help anyone can provide.
>
> mikey

Thanks for the suggestions, R.C. I am still having
trouble removing them. Below are some results of the dos
commands. Again, any help anyone can provide would be
appreciated.

C:\Temp>dir /x /s
Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is 108C-118D

Directory of C:\Temp

11/12/2003 01:25p <DIR> .
11/12/2003 01:25p <DIR> ..
11/12/2003 12:38p <DIR> b
0 File(s) 0 bytes

Directory of C:\Temp\b

11/12/2003 12:38p <DIR> .
11/12/2003 12:38p <DIR> ..
11/11/2003 11:15p <DIR> com3
0 File(s) 0 bytes

Directory of C:\Temp\b\com3

11/11/2003 11:15p <DIR> .
11/11/2003 11:15p <DIR> ..
11/12/2003 01:24p <DIR>
aux.dD
0 File(s) 0 bytes

Directory of C:\Temp\b\com3\aux.dD

11/12/2003 01:24p <DIR> .
11/12/2003 01:24p <DIR> ..
0 File(s) 0 bytes

Total Files Listed:
0 File(s) 0 bytes
11 Dir(s) 6,039,310,336 bytes free

C:\Temp>rd b /s
b, Are you sure (Y/N)? y
b\com3\aux.dD - Access is denied.
b\com3 - The system cannot find the file specified.

>-----Original Message-----
>Hi, Mikey.
>
>Perhaps the file/folder name is not what it appears
onscreen. Also, they
>use "reserved words" (com3, aux) in their names, which
can give the OS fits.
>
>A trick that often (but not always) works is to open
a "DOS" window and then
>use the old faithful "dir" command - with switches to
reveal some hidden
>secrets.
>
>Dir /x will produce a directory listing with an
additional column of SFNs
>(Short File Names, also known as 8.3 filenames). An SFN
is created for any
>filename that does not conform to the MS-DOS naming
convention. In addition
>to the obviously "long" file name, this might be a name
that includes spaces
>or unprintable characters.
>
>Then use the SFN to delete the file or remove the folder,
using the del or
>rd command. If you are VERY lucky, a single "rd SFN /s"
will remove the
>top-level folder and all its subfolders and files.
>
>RC
>--
>R. C. White, CPA
>San Marcos, TX
>(E-Mail Removed)
>Microsoft Windows MVP
>
>"mikey" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
message
>news:09e801c3a951$fdd49b40$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I have 3 folders: b\com3\auxdD which some cracker was
kind
>> enough to leave on my computer. My disk uses NTFS.
>>
>> Folder com3 has no security tab and when I attempt to
>> change any attributes I get an error that says the
system
>> cannot find the file specified. The general tab also
>> states the it is of type "file", but it appears as a
>> folder and can contain other files and folders.
>>
>> Folder aux.dD has no sharing tab or security tab and
gives
>> me an access denied error when I attempt to change any
of
>> the attributes. It also has no icon, no name, and no
type
>> on the general tab.
>>
>> I cannot delete them, change attributes, or take
ownership
>> of them using windows or the command prompt (except b,
>> which I can take ownership of).
>>
>> Thanks in advance for any help anyone can provide.
>>
>> mikey
>
>
>.
>

How about;
cd\temp
dir /a:s
or
dir /a:h

actually dir /a should cover it...

or you could do;

attrib

if it lists anything you could do;

attrib -a -s -h -r *.* /s


On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 08:00:24 -0800, "mikey"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Thanks for the suggestions, R.C. I am still having
>trouble removing them. Below are some results of the dos
>commands. Again, any help anyone can provide would be
>appreciated.
>
>C:\Temp>dir /x /s
> Volume in drive C has no label.
> Volume Serial Number is 108C-118D
>
> Directory of C:\Temp
>
>11/12/2003 01:25p <DIR> .
>11/12/2003 01:25p <DIR> ..
>11/12/2003 12:38p <DIR> b
> 0 File(s) 0 bytes
>
> Directory of C:\Temp\b
>
>11/12/2003 12:38p <DIR> .
>11/12/2003 12:38p <DIR> ..
>11/11/2003 11:15p <DIR> com3
> 0 File(s) 0 bytes
>
> Directory of C:\Temp\b\com3
>
>11/11/2003 11:15p <DIR> .
>11/11/2003 11:15p <DIR> ..
>11/12/2003 01:24p <DIR>
>aux.dD
> 0 File(s) 0 bytes
>
> Directory of C:\Temp\b\com3\aux.dD
>
>11/12/2003 01:24p <DIR> .
>11/12/2003 01:24p <DIR> ..
> 0 File(s) 0 bytes
>
> Total Files Listed:
> 0 File(s) 0 bytes
> 11 Dir(s) 6,039,310,336 bytes free
>
>C:\Temp>rd b /s
>b, Are you sure (Y/N)? y
>b\com3\aux.dD - Access is denied.
>b\com3 - The system cannot find the file specified.
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>Hi, Mikey.
>>
>>Perhaps the file/folder name is not what it appears
>onscreen. Also, they
>>use "reserved words" (com3, aux) in their names, which
>can give the OS fits.
>>
>>A trick that often (but not always) works is to open
>a "DOS" window and then
>>use the old faithful "dir" command - with switches to
>reveal some hidden
>>secrets.
>>
>>Dir /x will produce a directory listing with an
>additional column of SFNs
>>(Short File Names, also known as 8.3 filenames). An SFN
>is created for any
>>filename that does not conform to the MS-DOS naming
>convention. In addition
>>to the obviously "long" file name, this might be a name
>that includes spaces
>>or unprintable characters.
>>
>>Then use the SFN to delete the file or remove the folder,
>using the del or
>>rd command. If you are VERY lucky, a single "rd SFN /s"
>will remove the
>>top-level folder and all its subfolders and files.
>>
>>RC
>>--
>>R. C. White, CPA
>>San Marcos, TX
>>(E-Mail Removed)
>>Microsoft Windows MVP
>>
>>"mikey" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
>message
>>news:09e801c3a951$fdd49b40$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> I have 3 folders: b\com3\auxdD which some cracker was
>kind
>>> enough to leave on my computer. My disk uses NTFS.
>>>
>>> Folder com3 has no security tab and when I attempt to
>>> change any attributes I get an error that says the
>system
>>> cannot find the file specified. The general tab also
>>> states the it is of type "file", but it appears as a
>>> folder and can contain other files and folders.
>>>
>>> Folder aux.dD has no sharing tab or security tab and
>gives
>>> me an access denied error when I attempt to change any
>of
>>> the attributes. It also has no icon, no name, and no
>type
>>> on the general tab.
>>>
>>> I cannot delete them, change attributes, or take
>ownership
>>> of them using windows or the command prompt (except b,
>>> which I can take ownership of).
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance for any help anyone can provide.
>>>
>>> mikey
~~~~~~
Bait for spammers:
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postmaster@localhost
admin@localhost
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(E-Mail Removed)
~~~~~~
Remove "spamless" to email me.

Thanks, Overlord, for your suggestions. I found this in a
response to a similar problem and it worked:

120716 How to Remove Files with Reserved Names in Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=120716

Thanks again for your help.

>-----Original Message-----
>How about;
>cd\temp
>dir /a:s
>or
>dir /a:h
>
>actually dir /a should cover it...
>
>or you could do;
>
>attrib
>
>if it lists anything you could do;
>
>attrib -a -s -h -r *.* /s
>
>