"Undeletable" File

D

Dick K

I'd be grateful for assistance in getting rid of an
"undeletable" file on a Windows XP MCE laptop with an
NTFS file system.

"c:\AVP8\avp.09.03_08:35_1e16.ALL" is the fully
qualified filename. (The folder "AVP8" originally
appeared in and was subsequently moved from
"...\All Users\Application Data\Kaspersky Lab").

In File Properties the file size is shown as 0 bytes
and the only tab displayed is "General", though my
admin account has full control of the folder "AVP8".

The problem surfaced when Disk Defragmenter reported
that the file could not be defragmented and occupied
45MB in 59 fragments.

Attempts to delete the file in Explorer failed with
the message "Cannot delete file: Cannot read from the
source file or disk". "Copy" and "Rename" failed in a
similar fashion.

Attempts to delete the file with "unlocker" and EMCO
"moveonboot" were ineffective, as was running
"chkdsk /f /r", which reported that the volume was
clean.

An attempt to delete the file in the command console
using the command "del \\?\c:\AVP8\*.*" failed with
the error message "The system cannot find the file
specified".

Having cloned the disk an attempt to restore it from
a Ghost 2003 image failed with an "inconsistency".
Luckily an Acronis image restored successfully.

If possible I'd like to avoid going back to a clone
which predates the creation of the offending file.
 
B

beamish

Dick K said:
I'd be grateful for assistance in getting rid of an
"undeletable" file on a Windows XP MCE laptop with an
NTFS file system.

"c:\AVP8\avp.09.03_08:35_1e16.ALL" is the fully
qualified filename. (The folder "AVP8" originally
appeared in and was subsequently moved from
"...\All Users\Application Data\Kaspersky Lab").

In File Properties the file size is shown as 0 bytes
and the only tab displayed is "General", though my
admin account has full control of the folder "AVP8".

The problem surfaced when Disk Defragmenter reported
that the file could not be defragmented and occupied
45MB in 59 fragments.

Attempts to delete the file in Explorer failed with
the message "Cannot delete file: Cannot read from the
source file or disk". "Copy" and "Rename" failed in a
similar fashion.

Attempts to delete the file with "unlocker" and EMCO
"moveonboot" were ineffective, as was running
"chkdsk /f /r", which reported that the volume was
clean.

An attempt to delete the file in the command console
using the command "del \\?\c:\AVP8\*.*" failed with
the error message "The system cannot find the file
specified".

Having cloned the disk an attempt to restore it from
a Ghost 2003 image failed with an "inconsistency".
Luckily an Acronis image restored successfully.

If possible I'd like to avoid going back to a clone
which predates the creation of the offending file.
Hello,
If you are using "Kaspersky", have you tried the "Kaspersky Forms"?
Found this: http://forum.kaspersky.com/index.php?showtopic=83722
Perhaps this will be of some assistance.
take care.
beamish.
 
S

slysilverfox

often programmes get thier " finger " in your system have you tried
clearing cookies & temp files,then closing internet connection,followed
by a restart,then try to delete file,then reinstate internet connection
 
S

ShadowTek

Dick K said:
I'd be grateful for assistance in getting rid of an
"undeletable" file on a Windows XP MCE laptop with an
NTFS file system.

"c:\AVP8\avp.09.03_08:35_1e16.ALL" is the fully
qualified filename. (The folder "AVP8" originally
appeared in and was subsequently moved from
"...\All Users\Application Data\Kaspersky Lab").

It's the ':' in the file name. I have had this same problem when using a
different OS, such as Linux, to write files to the NTFS partition that
normally shouldn't be allowed there. Windows can't handle them, so I have
to boot the other OS when I want to delete such files.
 
D

Dick K

Hello,
If you are using "Kaspersky", have you tried the "Kaspersky Forms"?
Found this: http://forum.kaspersky.com/index.php?showtopic=83722
Perhaps this will be of some assistance.
take care.
beamish.
Many thanks for replying. I don't have Kaspersky installed but
I did run the (bootable Linux based freeware) Kaspersky
Rescue Disk CD which runs well on my desktop, but as I recall,
failed on the laptop. No doubt that's where the trouble
started. I didn't take much note note of the failure and
I don't want to run the software again in case he same thing
happens.
 
D

Dick K

slysilverfox said:
often programmes get thier " finger " in your system have you tried
clearing cookies & temp files,then closing internet connection,followed
by a restart,then try to delete file,then reinstate internet connection
Thanks for the thought. Didn't work in normal mode or safe mode
unfortunately.
 
J

John John (MVP)

Try using the character check bypass again but drag the file to the
Command Prompt. Open an Explorer windows and navigate to the file
location. Leave the Explorer window open and start a Command session.
At the Command Prompt type:

del \\?\

then go back to the Explorer windows and grab the undeletable file and
drop it at the end of the unfinished path at the command prompt. You
could also try deleting the containing folder with the same check bypass:

RD /s \\?\

John
 
D

Dick K

Thanks for the suggestion. Doesn't seem to be freeware
any more and no downloads because the payyment system
is kaput. I got V1.0 from Softpedia and the delete
failed with the error "The system cannot find the file
specified".
 
D

Dick K

ShadowTek said:
It's the ':' in the file name. I have had this same problem when using a
different OS, such as Linux, to write files to the NTFS partition that
normally shouldn't be allowed there. Windows can't handle them, so I have
to boot the other OS when I want to delete such files.

Thanks - I think you are on to something. I believe the trouble
started when I ran the (bootable Linux based freeware) Kaspersky
Rescue Disk CD which runs OK on my desktop, but as I recall,
failed on the laptop. I can't now recall details of the failure.

I just tried booting an old Knoppix V3.9 distro which I had lying
around. The boot hung on the message "PCMIA found, starting card
mgr." At least you've given me another approach - I can look for
a Linux distro which will boot on the system. Thanks again.
 
D

Dick K

Thanks for the suggestions. The first method failed with the
error message "The filename, directory name, or volume label
syntax is incorrect". The second method failed with the error
message "The system cannot find the file specified".

In each case the dragged and dropped filename had four extra
characters, ".log", appended, i.e. it appeared in the form
"avp.09.03_08:35_1e16.ALL.log".
 
D

Dick K

Sadly DelinvFile failed with "Delete Error - File not Found"
for both UNC and Short Name deletions.
 
J

ju.c

These are the best apps for file deletion, all free.
(You can't delete a folder if you have it opened)

Unlocker 1.8.7 237 KB
Info: http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/
Download: http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/unlocker1.8.7.exe

KillBox 90 KB
Info: http://www.killbox.net/
Download: http://www.killbox.net/downloads/KillBox.exe

FileASSASSIN 1.06 163 KB
Info: http://www.malwarebytes.org/fileassassin.php
Download: http://www.malwarebytes.org/fa-setup.exe

DelinvFile - Delete Invalid Files and Folders
Info: http://www.purgeie.com/delinv/index.htm
Download: http://www.purgeie.com/dl/divfinst.exe


This is a trick to delete an undeletable file by restoring a file over it with a file
created with the same name using a drive imaging program.

Instructions:

1. Create a text file and write in it a couple of letters.
2. Save that file in your root drive (C: for example) with the
same exact name and extension as the file you want to delete.
3. Now make a backup your new file (I used Acronis True Image).
4. Open your backup program and restore the file you created to
the folder where the undeletable file is, overwriting it.
4. Now you can delete it!
5. Run chkdsk


ju.c
 
D

Dick K

Thanks for responding. I hadn't tried FileASSASSAIN but,
like the other apps you mention, that too failed. Each
of its three deletion methods elicited the error message
"The file you have specified does not exist or is not
visible to FileASSASSAIN. Please select another file."

Your other method is plausible but, stupid as it sounds,
I don't know the file name. Explorer displays the name
"avp.09.03_08:35_1e16.ALL", FileASSASSAIN showed
"avp.09.03_08:35_1e16.ALL.log" and another app saw an
even longer name which continued with a space and some
more garbage which I don't recall.
 

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