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Can't delete mystery folders in C: drive

 
 
riprap
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Posts: n/a
 
      23rd Nov 2007
Hello, All
Wondered if anyone had first-hand knowledge of this sort of
occurence with XP Pro SP2:
I recently bought a new computer from a trusted private party, with
the OS pre-installed. The unit runs very well and I have no major
complaints. But what's puzzling is the persistence of 2 mysterious
folders in C drive, both of which have been there since I first fired
up the box. The names of each of these folders are a simple string of
numbers & lower case letters, one of them 22 characters long & 23
chars long in the other.
In the interest of keeping things clean & clear I'd like to delete
both of these directories but have had no luck in doing so; every time
I attempt to delete I get a simple Access Denied error.

What I've already tried:
> Taken ownership of both folders (which seemed to execute

fine). Still can't delete them.
> Gone into command-prompt window and searched for any

attributes for files w/in; none listed.
> While in cmd-prompt I tried "rmdir /s" but no joy.
> Gone into Safe Mode logged in as Administrator. No luck

(still get access denied error).
> Started Recovery Console & attempted to delete. No difference

in results.

I should note that one of the folders (named
"ebcfbf429dfc85cad0869a1b") contains a sub-folder named "update", but
there's no access to that folder, either.....

Anybody got any experience with this sort of thing?

TIA for your time [:-D

riprap


 
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Pegasus \(MVP\)
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      23rd Nov 2007

"riprap" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:5a80004e-f588-416b-808b-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello, All
> Wondered if anyone had first-hand knowledge of this sort of
> occurence with XP Pro SP2:
> I recently bought a new computer from a trusted private party, with
> the OS pre-installed. The unit runs very well and I have no major
> complaints. But what's puzzling is the persistence of 2 mysterious
> folders in C drive, both of which have been there since I first fired
> up the box. The names of each of these folders are a simple string of
> numbers & lower case letters, one of them 22 characters long & 23
> chars long in the other.
> In the interest of keeping things clean & clear I'd like to delete
> both of these directories but have had no luck in doing so; every time
> I attempt to delete I get a simple Access Denied error.
>
> What I've already tried:
> > Taken ownership of both folders (which seemed to execute

> fine). Still can't delete them.
> > Gone into command-prompt window and searched for any

> attributes for files w/in; none listed.
> > While in cmd-prompt I tried "rmdir /s" but no joy.
> > Gone into Safe Mode logged in as Administrator. No luck

> (still get access denied error).
> > Started Recovery Console & attempted to delete. No difference

> in results.
>
> I should note that one of the folders (named
> "ebcfbf429dfc85cad0869a1b") contains a sub-folder named "update", but
> there's no access to that folder, either.....
>
> Anybody got any experience with this sort of thing?
>
> TIA for your time [:-D
>
> riprap
>
>


- Boot into Safe Mode
- Open a Command Prompt
- Obtain the "Short File Name" with this command:
dir /x dir c:\e*.*
- Try to delete the folder by its short file name:
rd /s /q ebc~....



 
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riprap
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      24th Nov 2007
On Nov 23, 3:06 pm, "Pegasus \(MVP\)" <I....@fly.com> wrote:
> "riprap" <riprap1...@gmail.com> wrote in message


>===<snip>===
> - Boot into Safe Mode
> - Open a Command Prompt
> - Obtain the "Short File Name" with this command:
> dir /x dir c:\e*.*
> - Try to delete the folder by its short file name:
> rd /s /q ebc~....
>===<snip>===


Hello, Pegasus
[thanks much for taking the time!]

I tried what you suggested; what follows is the result [copied &
pasted frm cmd-prompt window]:

C:\Documents and Settings\terence>cd \

C:\>dir /x dir c:\e*.*
Volume in drive C is op.sys
Volume Serial Number is 1092-125D

Directory of C:\


Directory of C:\

11/06/2007 09:13 PM <DIR> EBCFBF~1
ebcfbf429dfc85cad0869a1b
0 File(s) 0 bytes
1 Dir(s) 27,766,202,368 bytes free

C:\>rd /s /q EBCFBF~1
EBCFBF~1\update - Access is denied.

C:\>

Pegasus: I'm still denied access....This mystery is not going to
ruin my day, and I can live w/ those 2 folders if there's no way to
get rid of them.
BUT if you have any other ideas I'd love to hear from you! I'll
monitor this thread for at least a few days.
Thanks again [:-P

riprap
 
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Pegasus \(MVP\)
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Posts: n/a
 
      24th Nov 2007
The error message you quote suggests that the problem
lies with the "Update" subdirectory, not with the main
EBC... directory. If this was my machine then I would
do this:
- Open a Command Prompt
- Type these commands:
cd /d c:\
cacls EBCFBF~1\Update (to check the permissions)
cacls EBCFBF~1\*.* | more (to check more permissions)
calcs /t /e EBCFBF~1\Update /g everyone:F
move EBCFBF~1\Update c:\
rd /s Update

If this does not fix the problem then it's decision time:
a) Live with it, or
b) Boot the machine with a Bart PE boot CD and try again.

A Bart PE boot CD (www.bootdisk.com) is a very powerful
administrator's tool but it can take a few hours to make one.

BTW, I assume that you have run chkdsk c: /F ?

"riprap" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:15f5e8b3-9e0f-4b77-a7c2-(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Nov 23, 3:06 pm, "Pegasus \(MVP\)" <I....@fly.com> wrote:
>> "riprap" <riprap1...@gmail.com> wrote in message

>
>>===<snip>===
>> - Boot into Safe Mode
>> - Open a Command Prompt
>> - Obtain the "Short File Name" with this command:
>> dir /x dir c:\e*.*
>> - Try to delete the folder by its short file name:
>> rd /s /q ebc~....
>>===<snip>===

>
> Hello, Pegasus
> [thanks much for taking the time!]
>
> I tried what you suggested; what follows is the result [copied &
> pasted frm cmd-prompt window]:
>
> C:\Documents and Settings\terence>cd \
>
> C:\>dir /x dir c:\e*.*
> Volume in drive C is op.sys
> Volume Serial Number is 1092-125D
>
> Directory of C:\
>
>
> Directory of C:\
>
> 11/06/2007 09:13 PM <DIR> EBCFBF~1
> ebcfbf429dfc85cad0869a1b
> 0 File(s) 0 bytes
> 1 Dir(s) 27,766,202,368 bytes free
>
> C:\>rd /s /q EBCFBF~1
> EBCFBF~1\update - Access is denied.
>
> C:\>
>
> Pegasus: I'm still denied access....This mystery is not going to
> ruin my day, and I can live w/ those 2 folders if there's no way to
> get rid of them.
> BUT if you have any other ideas I'd love to hear from you! I'll
> monitor this thread for at least a few days.
> Thanks again [:-P
>
> riprap



 
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riprap
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      24th Nov 2007
On Nov 24, 3:33 am, "Pegasus \(MVP\)" <I....@fly.com> wrote:
>===snip!===>
>. If this was my machine then I would
> do this:
> - Open a Command Prompt
> - Type these commands:
> cd /d c:\
> cacls EBCFBF~1\Update (to check the permissions)
> cacls EBCFBF~1\*.* | more (to check more permissions)
> calcs /t /e EBCFBF~1\Update /g everyone:F
> move EBCFBF~1\Update c:\
> rd /s Update
>
> If this does not fix the problem then it's decision time:
> a) Live with it, or
> b) Boot the machine with a Bart PE boot CD and try again.
>
> A Bart PE boot CD (www.bootdisk.com) is a very powerful
> administrator's tool but it can take a few hours to make one.
>
> BTW, I assume that you have run chkdsk c: /F ?
>===snip!===>


Hello, Pegasus
[Again, Your time is much-appreciated].....After messing around
with the cacls cmd for about a half-hour displaying & editing
permissions, the 'mystery' has been resolved and both those folders
are deleted. *A couple of items you might note [in case you hear of
this again]:
It seems that both of those oddly-named folders were directly
related to WMP 11. I say this because (a) this is the first box I've
run that media player on, and (b) this morning I happened to be
using that player & found that the contents of those oddball folders
had changed. For one thing, a .dll file named "wpdinstallutil.dll"
appeared. Apparently this .dll file [and by logical extension the
mystery-folders which contained it] was named by drunken chickens.
[cf http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?t=670527 post]

At any rate, it's one more WinMystery you have solved!
Thanks again, & have yourself an excellent weekend [:-P

riprap
 
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Pegasus \(MVP\)
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Posts: n/a
 
      24th Nov 2007

"riprap" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:c804e6ea-aba8-467d-8cb0-(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Nov 24, 3:33 am, "Pegasus \(MVP\)" <I....@fly.com> wrote:
>>===snip!===>
>>. If this was my machine then I would
>> do this:
>> - Open a Command Prompt
>> - Type these commands:
>> cd /d c:\
>> cacls EBCFBF~1\Update (to check the permissions)
>> cacls EBCFBF~1\*.* | more (to check more permissions)
>> calcs /t /e EBCFBF~1\Update /g everyone:F
>> move EBCFBF~1\Update c:\
>> rd /s Update
>>
>> If this does not fix the problem then it's decision time:
>> a) Live with it, or
>> b) Boot the machine with a Bart PE boot CD and try again.
>>
>> A Bart PE boot CD (www.bootdisk.com) is a very powerful
>> administrator's tool but it can take a few hours to make one.
>>
>> BTW, I assume that you have run chkdsk c: /F ?
>>===snip!===>

>
> Hello, Pegasus
> [Again, Your time is much-appreciated].....After messing around
> with the cacls cmd for about a half-hour displaying & editing
> permissions, the 'mystery' has been resolved and both those folders
> are deleted. *A couple of items you might note [in case you hear of
> this again]:
> It seems that both of those oddly-named folders were directly
> related to WMP 11. I say this because (a) this is the first box I've
> run that media player on, and (b) this morning I happened to be
> using that player & found that the contents of those oddball folders
> had changed. For one thing, a .dll file named "wpdinstallutil.dll"
> appeared. Apparently this .dll file [and by logical extension the
> mystery-folders which contained it] was named by drunken chickens.
> [cf http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?t=670527 post]
>
> At any rate, it's one more WinMystery you have solved!
> Thanks again, & have yourself an excellent weekend [:-P
>
> riprap


Thanks for your feedback. I'm puzzled why your earlier action
of seizing ownership failed to resolve the problem.


 
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Plato
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Posts: n/a
 
      25th Nov 2007
riprap wrote:
>
> I recently bought a new computer from a trusted private party, with
> the OS pre-installed. The unit runs very well and I have no major
> complaints. But what's puzzling is the persistence of 2 mysterious
> folders in C drive, both of which have been there since I first fired
> up the box. The names of each of these folders are a simple string of
> numbers & lower case letters, one of them 22 characters long & 23
> chars long in the other.



Stubborn File/Folder Deleters:
http://www.bootdisk.com/utility.htm
GENERAL FILE UTILITIES
Stubborn File Deleters
















--
http://www.bootdisk.com/


 
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loz
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Posts: n/a
 
      25th Nov 2007
Always use an easy solution try this free software
http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/ LOZ
"riprap" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:5a80004e-f588-416b-808b-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello, All
> Wondered if anyone had first-hand knowledge of this sort of
> occurence with XP Pro SP2:
> I recently bought a new computer from a trusted private party, with
> the OS pre-installed. The unit runs very well and I have no major
> complaints. But what's puzzling is the persistence of 2 mysterious
> folders in C drive, both of which have been there since I first fired
> up the box. The names of each of these folders are a simple string of
> numbers & lower case letters, one of them 22 characters long & 23
> chars long in the other.
> In the interest of keeping things clean & clear I'd like to delete
> both of these directories but have had no luck in doing so; every time
> I attempt to delete I get a simple Access Denied error.
>
> What I've already tried:
> > Taken ownership of both folders (which seemed to execute

> fine). Still can't delete them.
> > Gone into command-prompt window and searched for any

> attributes for files w/in; none listed.
> > While in cmd-prompt I tried "rmdir /s" but no joy.
> > Gone into Safe Mode logged in as Administrator. No luck

> (still get access denied error).
> > Started Recovery Console & attempted to delete. No difference

> in results.
>
> I should note that one of the folders (named
> "ebcfbf429dfc85cad0869a1b") contains a sub-folder named "update", but
> there's no access to that folder, either.....
>
> Anybody got any experience with this sort of thing?
>
> TIA for your time [:-D
>
> riprap
>
>



 
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