[SOLVED]Folder named “C:” on my D: drive
August 8th, 2016
So I copy everything that needs to be saved to my HDD, including whole World of Tanks folder so we don’t have to dl it again. Before I reinstalled win we decided to try out Ubuntu, so i install it on his HDD, gave it a try, he thought it’s too complicated for him so i go back to reinstalling win 7…
After installing win 7 i connect my HDD again to copy his files back, I copy everything, but World of Tanks, first and then i copy WoT and paste it to his HDD and nothing happens, so i try couple of times, nothing happens. Then i dl total commander try copying with that and it works. Total commander copied it successfully and WoT works on his PC…
I come back home few hours later, connect my HDD, start my PC (note: i have SSD with system on it and that HDD for data) and i see that i did not delete that World of Tanks folder from my HDD, so I right click it and delete and Folder in use windows pops up with Try again and cancel, i tried few times, restarted my pc tried again, tried in safe mode, it just won’t go.
So I open that folder and start deleting file by file to see what’s causing problem, and i manage to delete everything but one folder called “res_mods” so i open that folder and theres a folder named “0.9.6” that i cant delete, i open that folder and there’s folder named “C:”. I see that folder named C: so o know that’s the problem, i go to open it and it says ” Location is not available ”
“path to that folder” is not accessible.
The filename, directory, name or volume label syntax is incorrect.
I click Ok, right click the folder, properties, look at size and it says 0 bytes. So i go one folder back, right click on that 0.9.6 folder and it’s size is 48.3 GB…thats about the same size as C: on my SSD, where my system is…
So i have that folder C: on my D: that i cant delete, cant rename, cant access.
TL;DR:
I have what seems to be copy of my System volume C: on my D: drive that i cant open or delete, and i want it gone
If anyone can help me delete it, that would be great, google didnt help…
If you have no other necessary files, you could just try formatting the drive, else try accessing via a Linux OS and delete it. You could also try a program called Unlocked first but I’d guess it won’t work.
You can use the command prompt as administrator using del /f yourfile
This will force delete your file. If it doesn’t work you should try using Linux, mount the partition and use rm as root.
i can’t format it, there’s a lot of data there that I need, can’t try through Linux either cause I don’t have any Linux iso and I don’t have internet on my PC atm to download it, will try wit Unlocker, that I can download with my phone
edit:
del /f didn’t work, if i try to delete C: folder it says “is not a recognized device. The file name, directory name…..”
You can try deleting it in safe mode..
Or use a live CD/USB..You should delete them no problem..
You can try deleting it in safe mode..safe mode didn’t work, tried it earlier, guess I’ll have to somehow download Linux… btw Unlocker didn’t work also…
Or use a live CD/USB..You should delete them no problem..
i had the same problem which was really frustrating and ended up with formatting , all of the suggestions above wont work cuz there is no such file exists , you cant delete what does not exist. you need a very advanced tool which can access metafiles of harddrive so you can tell the harddrive that ~ Kiss Me ~ file does not exists from there , most probably bitmap data section of metafiles or even something inside mbr.
i got that when i was installing a football manager game , and made it matter of pride , tried to remove it for a few days , read countless articles etc.. if there was a normal mean to remove it , believe me i would find it my file was just small thing like 100kb , so i didnt able to check if it actually takes up the space on harddrive , since yours 48gb you can see it if it takes space. if not either leave it there or format pc instead of wasting time for days like me. among all things i dealt with , this was the most ridiculous thing i have ever encountered and beaten by it. even remembering it makes me angry
i had the same problem which was really frustrating and ended up with formatting , all of the suggestions above wont work cuz there is no such file exists , you cant delete what does not exist. you need a very advanced tool which can access metafiles of harddrive so you can tell the harddrive that ~ Kiss Me ~ file does not exists from there , most probably bitmap data section of metafiles or even something inside mbr.yea, it actually doesn’t take any space on D: but if i check properties of that folder 0.9.6 it says it dose xD
i got that when i was installing a football manager game , and made it matter of pride , tried to remove it for a few days , read countless articles etc.. if there was a normal mean to remove it , believe me i would find it my file was just small thing like 100kb , so i didnt able to check if it actually takes up the space on harddrive , since yours 48gb you can see it if it takes space. if not either leave it there or format pc instead of wasting time for days like me. among all things i dealt with , this was the most ridiculous thing i have ever encountered and beaten by it. even remembering it makes me angry
and I’ve just deleted some games from my C: and size of that mysterious folder went down, so it’s somehow linked to my C: volume, like some kind of a shortcut, idk
then you are lucky , i tried things and read articles about harddrives enough to get a bachelor degree , yet i still didnt understand how can a thing like that happen. i actually got aware the file does not exists when i had tried an advanced tool that are indexing everything on harddrive. the file does not exist but stays there like a joke. i still have no logical explanations how that can happen , except a firmware bug , any of your harddrives OCZ ? or your friend’s ?
^ linux fu*ked something up, i just googled this, http://superuser.com/questions/30483/how-to-unlink-a-folder-in-windows-ntfs
looks like he had the same problem, not quite sure what they suggested him to do, didn’t understand it, I’ll try to get Ubuntu and boot it from usb and then try to delete it
Please remember to double check that all your links have been coded. #3.10 links must be coded - including, but not limited to, e-mail addresses, passwords and internal links.
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any of your harddrives brand is ocz?
no, i have 1TB WD, and Kingston SSD, my friends hdd is also WD
Out of curiosity what happens if you type dir on the folder where is the folder you want to delete? You have to check how the folder is listed in dir and after you know the name you should try: del /f "name" Remember the quotation marks
http://kristofmattei.be/2012/12/15/powershell-remove-item-and-symbolic-links/
You could also try rmdir. If the folder is a link with the del command you risk deleting the target contents. I think that the problem here is a broken. Remember that a file has both a name and an identifier. http://commandwindows.com/fsutil.htm With this command you can find the identifier of the file and then you could use a little script to delete the file by his “reference”. If all the other solutions fail this should work…
last thing said seems to be a solution but i dont think problem can be corrected through windows. actually i also really wonder if there is a solution for this which was my greatest nightmare , nothing can be more annoying than trying to delete a folder which doesnt exist but staying at there
I’m not so good with cmd, but i think i did what you wanted, here
about that in powershell, when i get to this part ” cmd /c rmdir .\C:” it just says The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.
and that thing with fsuitl looks too complicated for me
http://filehippo.com/download_unlocker
If it doesn’t delete immediately, it should on reboot
Can you do a trial for me – can you rename that undeletable folder? Call it Z, for example.
If you can then I might be able the help.
It might work even if you can’t:
Open Cmd promt, CD to that drive.
type:
del “\\?\D:\xxxx\*.*”
Include the “, change the xxxx to the name of that folder (or to the Z if you managed to rename it).
That \\?\ gives direct access to the filesystem and can delete files not normally deletable – usually because of null characters or illegal characters in the file name – it MIGHT work for this too.
You might need to repeat it with
del “\\?\D:\xxxx”
to remove the folder itself. (again, change the xxxx)
can’t rename it it says “The file name you specified is not valid or too long” and try again and cancel, deleting it with that command didn’t work either, i guess I’ll just have to live with it for some time
What you need is Winhex. http://www.x-ways.net/winhex/ but be sure you do it right..
can't rename it it says "The file name you specified is not valid or too long" and try again and cancel, deleting it with that command didn't work either, i guess I'll just have to live with it for some time
i would tell you to live with it also and already told but i also really wonder the solution. people who are offering solutions should know , there is a file or folder which cant be deleted , moved , name changed all with ends with same error , either location is not found or file does not exist . there must be an address book like system file inside the harddrive which keeps the records of folders and files , my assumption about it , is bitmap file. the record of that folder must be deleted from there but dunno if there is any utility can do that. try ‘s software , you are lab rat today
The problem is the “:” in the name. You need to rename the folder in something without the “:”. If you don’t manage to do it in the standard way your only hope is by “reference” or by Linux https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb490987.aspx
The problem is the ":" in the name. You need to rename the folder in something without the ":". If you don't manage to do it in the standard way your only hope is by "reference"
ah so when there is a record of folder with a character which normally windows does not let , windows cant handle it since it shouldnt be at there at the first place ? if this is the case , how it is created for the first time , windows should automatically put a blank space instead of “:”
There are two solutions that come to my mind:
1) Go to your computer, find the drive where there is the “C:” file and click it with the right mouse button-> Go to Tools tab-> Error checking-> Check
And it will correct the illegal file name
2)Use a special syntax del "\\?\Yourdrive:\dir\C:"
You have to replace Yourdrive and dir to the real destination. The rest of the command should remain as is(\\?\). I found this solution on an old report in my work computer, with these two steps we resolved the problem in two separate occasions.
There are two solutions that come to my mind:THERE IT GOES!!
1) Go to your computer, find the drive where there is the "C:" file and click it with the right mouse button-> Go to Tools tab-> Error checking-> Check
And it will correct the illegal file name
2)Use a special syntax del "\\?\Yourdrive:\dir\C:"
You have to replace Yourdrive and dir to the real destination. The rest of the command should remain as is(\\?\). I found this solution on an old report in my work computer, with these two steps we resolved the problem in two separate occasions.
Simple error-checking did it! I can’t believe it, lol, it was that simple, I didn’t want to try it, I just dismissed it cause i thought it ain’t gonna do anything
Thank you all for helping me, I didn’t expect this many responses, but this stupid problem got you interested
Thanks again, see ya
and the oscar goes toooo , i should save this solution somewhere
I somehow don’t believe this guy, since folders can’t have special characters such as ‘:’.
Well there you go…The dreaded Chkdsk to the rescue!
Yep, VIP of the month goes to
I somehow don't believe this guy, since folders can't have special characters such as ':'.yea dude, it’s my fetish to post some made up problems on the web, and even photoshop cmd screenshot, lol
Oh, it happens.
I’ve not had the “:” but i have had “null character” and other chars above #128 showing.. and you can’t delete the null char becasue windows can’t refer to it.
That cmd line I posted works on the null char files… pity it didn’t work on the “:” but at least he got it fixed.
It usually also means a (minor) corruption of the file tables – but chkdsk will also fix that.
it is very logical explanation why it cant be deleted , windows cant delete what it does not recognize such as folders named with special characters but the question comes to mind , how can it be created at the first place.
when it happened to me years ago , i did everything that is told here , and far beyond . it didnt work me , maybe it was cuz mine was on the system drive or nature of the problem was different. actually i m thinking to re-create that folder since i know how it appears , and find a solution to it on this topic , like facing devils of the past
If you really want to delete it, make a system call to DeleteFile().