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Empty folders I can't delete

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9 replies

by dlmiller99

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I tried running my updated McAfee virus software and after watching the files appear for a while, something odd appeared-directory bars that seemed to go on forever. After 2 days, it had never finished the virus scan. I looked in the path that seem to carry the problem and there were 3 folders identified only by an underscore (_). When I opened the file, there were 3 more blank folders with the underscore. It seems like they are proliferating. When I try to delete them I'm told I can't. If I try to delete the folders by using DOS command deltree it just sits there but never completes. Any ideas how to get this off my system? Do have have to reformat the hard drive and reinstall? Any software out there that can handle this (obviously McAfee isn't catching this as a virus)?

9 replies

by shanghai sam

try renaming the offending folder. write down the path to it's location, and re-start your system in dos (not from the "start>shut down" dialogue, but shut down completely, and start into dos.
when you're in dos, go to the containing folderand try "dir". you may get nothing, so try "attrib *.*". it should show up everything, including the desktop.ini. if the folder in question shows an attrib of +r, +h or +s, or any combination of these, do the attrib command again, and change all the + valuesto -. For instance, if attrib shows the folder to be +s (the most likely mischief of this kind), do "attrib -s _" where_ is the folder name. then change the folder name ("ren _ bad" would be the syntax, to change "_" to "bad"). You should then be able to enter the folder, and do the same to any folders there- and change the s, r, and h attributes of any files you find using "attrib *.*". to make sure you've got them all, use "dir/p/s/s" and "dir/p/a/s", and note any you find that didn't show upthe other way. Any desktop.ini files you find will probably be +s, maybe +r and +h, and might get in the wat of a deltree. This process might take some time if the folders have recursed a long way, but should enable you to get rid of all of these unknown folders. It might be a good idea to find the "last modified" date and time of all these folders and files, too, and search for any files that were modified or created at around the same time or just before. Noting the names of any hidden files you find in these folders would be a good idea, and checking their contents in dos using "edit/75 filename.extension" might give you some clues as to what caused your problem. Good luck, and I wish you success.

by dlmiller99

This was the most helpful - merely by booting up in DOS rather than using the Windows DOS command I was able to utilize the deltree instruction to delete the empty folders. Thank you.

by loudmouth

An addendum to my other answer- one of the "dirty tricks" you'll sometimes come across with the recursed folders thing is one or more spaces at the beginning or end of the folder name, or even both. It might be easier to detect this in the GUI, withthe folder name highlighted it should show the spaces. I hope this is some use to you.

by pinoy_teknik

I think the problem is when you delete it to DOS, you don't exactly capture the correct foldername. so deltree is useless for that reason....

Go to this website....

http://www.bdtinc.com/pub/software/FX.EXE
FastLynx

this utility will helpsyou to navigate through the folder easily and edit the folders and file...

by grimreality

The easiest way is to create a batch file. Open Notepad and in the line type in deltree *
* is whatever the folder is.
Delte the first and all under will go.
Save the file as a .bat
put it in the root and during bootup it will delete anything that you cannot delete in windows.

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