Cannot delete or rename file or path

[ap0110]

Here's an impressive error that I've never seen before and haven't
found a solution to yet. I was working on source code from another
Windows developer and, unfortunately, his files are nested under so
many directories that it has completely botched my system. Here's the
path:

C:\Documents and Settings\Jus\My Documents\My
Clients\Company\ExtContest\submissions\archive_delete\Special.Projects.Team\Special.Projects.Team\BlackBird
System\BlackBird Interface\Blackbird Interface
Test\WindowsApplication1\WindowsApplication1

And it just keeps going. At this point, I still have 3 more
subdirectories:
- bin/Debug/WindowsApplication1.vshost.exe
- obj/Debug/TempPE/ (empty)
- Properties/(5 files)

I've tried every trick I can find.
* mapping to a subdirectory and trying to delete the files or child
directories
* renaming subdirectories to shorter names
* running utilities to delete on reboot or try to circumvent long
filename restrictions
* navigate in DOS (a treat) and delete using 8.3 filenames

In every case, I get "Access is Denied". No process is holding onto the
files, so I'm assuming it has to do with the sheer depth of the path. I
can't touch a single thing in any of these paths, even closer to the
root. I can't move them, rename them, or delete them - not the
directories, not the files. I'm completely at a loss.

Any suggestions?

Thank you
Justin

 

[Michael J. Strickland]

Here's an impressive error that I've never seen before and haven't
found a solution to yet. I was working on source code from another
Windows developer and, unfortunately, his files are nested under so
many directories that it has completely botched my system. Here's the
path:

C:\Documents and Settings\Jus\My Documents\My
Clients\Company\ExtContest\submissions\archive_delete\Special.Projects.Team\Special.Projects.Team\BlackBird
System\BlackBird Interface\Blackbird Interface
Test\WindowsApplication1\WindowsApplication1

And it just keeps going. At this point, I still have 3 more
subdirectories:
- bin/Debug/WindowsApplication1.vshost.exe
- obj/Debug/TempPE/ (empty)
- Properties/(5 files)

I've tried every trick I can find.
* mapping to a subdirectory and trying to delete the files or child
directories
* renaming subdirectories to shorter names
* running utilities to delete on reboot or try to circumvent long
filename restrictions
* navigate in DOS (a treat) and delete using 8.3 filenames

In every case, I get "Access is Denied". No process is holding onto the
files, so I'm assuming it has to do with the sheer depth of the path. I
can't touch a single thing in any of these paths, even closer to the
root. I can't move them, rename them, or delete them - not the
directories, not the files. I'm completely at a loss.

Any suggestions?

Thank you
Justin

It looks like these (C:\Documents and Settings\Jus\...) are another user's
files and they probably need to be accessed from their logon/id. If you can
log on as administrator you might be able to move/delete them. Or try to get
the other user to copy them into a neutral folder accessible to you.

Another option is to copy the files you need (and any others you want to
keep) to a folder accessible to you. Then log on as administrator and delete
the "Jus" account.



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