File name too long for deletion

[Guest]

I have a filename that is really long, but vista will not let me delete it.
I have tried several other ways, but they do not work. I also cannot rename
it so that the name is smaller. What should I do?

 

[Jimmy Brush]

Try this:

- Open an elevated command prompt (right-click, run as administrator)
- Type the following:

del "\\?\PATH_TO_FILE\filename"

Where PATH_TO_FILE is the full path to the file. For example, if the
file was named:

This is a really huge file

And it was located in:

c:\users\me\documents

You would type:

del "\\?\c:\users\me\documents\This is a really huge file"

 

[Guest]

Thank you for trying Jimmy, but unfortunately that didn't work. Command
Prompt gave me a Filename or Extention too long for deletion.

 

[Jimmy Brush]

Can you post the name of the file? Or, post what folder the file is
in, and how many characters is in the file name?

 

[dean-dean]

Can you temporarily shorten the file's path, by renaming the parent folders?
For example, from
C:\FancyName1\FancyName2\FancyName3\FancyName4\Thisisareallyhugefile.xxx
To
C:\1\2\3\4\Thisisareallyhugefile.xxx

Is the file movable?
Create a temporary new account, move the file under that account, and then
delete the account.

Or, you could try this utility:
http://www.purgeie.com/delinv/index.htm

 

[Guest]

I love you dean-dean.. this utility worked perfectly. <3