Corrupt File - Learning Experience (also known as exercise in futility...)

[BobS]

Hello all,

First, this is a learning exercise for a problem that I've come across
before and could never fix - a corrupt file. This happened on my test bed
system so nothing critical and I can always wipe it and reload but I'd like
to use the "situation" to learn since it has presented itself on a
non-critical system.

I was in the process of evaluating some imaging programs and while testing
Acronis ver 9, I did something wrong obviously and ended up with a folder on
my desktop that was of the backup files I just created. When I opened the
folder, it was layers deep of repeating instance of the directory tree of
the C: drive. Eight copies of everything nested, one after the other. No
problem - just delete them right? Well I could delete all but two files
which keep getting the "Corrupt File" error message.

Now I've searched the world, Googled till I'm blue, CHKDSK /f the drive till
it cried stop and tried a couple of little freebies that state they can
delete any corrupt file in the world - except these.

I can move the folder anywhere I want on drive C: but not to another drive.
I have tried deleting from DOS, I've done a full image backup using Norton
Save & Restore (like Drive Image) and then checked the image that the two
files were not backed up (they don't show in the folder) then did a restore
and damn if they weren't still there. Now I just did a FDISK and a format
on the drive and in the process of doing an image restore as I write this.
If those files return (corrupt) then I have to wonder why they didn't show
up in the image preview - all my other files do but of course, those files
are not corrupt. But I'm also banking that the image program *shouldn't* be
able to backup a corrupt file. I will soon know.

It would take a book to tell everything I've tried the past 3 day's but
looking for a program or method that you have used under DOS or Windows that
can delete corrupted files.

The OS is WinXP Pro w/SP-2 and all updates. Again - this is a learning
exercise and I'd be glad to post back the results of anything I try so
others can also learn at least what did work - in this instance.

I don't know how I can recreate a corrupt file so I can try other solutions
that may be presented - so the first one that works - wins I guess. But
since this little problem has resisted all my attempts so far - I'd say it's
a solid problem.

Oh-oh...my image restore just gave me an error message "Error EA3905E9: Bad
attribute position in file record". I would assume that means that the
Norton Save & Restore program did in-fact copy corrupt files. I'm going to
reformat the drive and maybe even try a different drive to restore to and
see what happens.

Looking forward to reading what others have done for this problem....

Thanks for reading,

Bob S.

 

[Cymbal Man Freq.]

I downloaded a large zip file from the internet. I unzipped it within the same
folder. I dragged the resulting unzipped folder out of the zipped folder. So the
unzipped folder would be empty, right? I tried to delete the empty zipped
folder, and it won't let me. This folder of 0 bytes is corrupted and cannot be
deleted.

Apparently, you've gotten further with 0 byte corrupted files/folders than I
have, but this problem could get serious soon for me from what I'm reading here
tonight.

 

[Pennywise]

|>I downloaded a large zip file from the internet. I unzipped it within the same
|>folder. I dragged the resulting unzipped folder out of the zipped folder. So the
|>unzipped folder would be empty, right? I tried to delete the empty zipped
|>folder, and it won't let me. This folder of 0 bytes is corrupted and cannot be
|>deleted.
|>
|>Apparently, you've gotten further with 0 byte corrupted files/folders than I
|>have, but this problem could get serious soon for me from what I'm reading here
|>tonight.
|>

Not a problem for CMfiler, an old dos program I still use for times
like this. ftp://juge.com/file/ibmutil/CMFIL606.ZIP

 

[Pennywise]

(e-mail address removed) wrote:

|>
|>|>I downloaded a large zip file from the internet. I unzipped it within the same
|>|>folder. I dragged the resulting unzipped folder out of the zipped folder. So the
|>|>unzipped folder would be empty, right? I tried to delete the empty zipped
|>|>folder, and it won't let me. This folder of 0 bytes is corrupted and cannot be
|>|>deleted.
|>|>
|>|>Apparently, you've gotten further with 0 byte corrupted files/folders than I
|>|>have, but this problem could get serious soon for me from what I'm reading here
|>|>tonight.

|>Not a problem for CMfiler, an old dos program I still use for times
|>like this. ftp://juge.com/file/ibmutil/CMFIL606.ZIP

Good link just incase ftp://mydeskbbs.com/utilities/cf606.zip

 

[BobS]

|>I downloaded a large zip file from the internet. I unzipped it within
the same
|>folder. I dragged the resulting unzipped folder out of the zipped
folder. So the
|>unzipped folder would be empty, right? I tried to delete the empty
zipped
|>folder, and it won't let me. This folder of 0 bytes is corrupted and
cannot be
|>deleted.
|>
|>Apparently, you've gotten further with 0 byte corrupted files/folders
than I
|>have, but this problem could get serious soon for me from what I'm
reading here
|>tonight.
|>

Not a problem for CMfiler, an old dos program I still use for times
like this. ftp://juge.com/file/ibmutil/CMFIL606.ZIP

Just downloaded the program and took a quick look at the doc's. I have a
feeling it's not going to work since the drive it formatted in NTFS but if
it were FAT32 then it just may be the program to try. I'll still give it a
kick though and let you know the results.

Thank you,

Bob S.

 

[BobS]

Does not support NTFS but thanks for the suggestion since I may run across a
FAT32 situation where this just may work.

Bob S.