Files That Won't Delete Off My Computer

[Luke T.]

I have Windows XP. My Recycle Bin has 19 files that do not actually show up as icons or anything. But say I send a document file to the recycle bin, and then go to the recycle bin and click on "Empty Recycle Bin." The usual window pops up asking me if I am sure I want to do this, but instead of asking if I am sure I want to delete this 1 file, it asks me if I am sure I want to delete all 20 files. I click yes, and then another window pops up and says it was not able to delete the "vBulletin[1]" file.

The document I wanted deleted gets deleted, but there are still 19 unseen files in there that won't go away.

The same thing happens when I attempt to manually delete my Temporary Internet Files. The Temporary Internet File folder has a IE.5 folder, and that folder has several folders inside of it with alphanumeric names like XGY93C or something along those lines. ANd inside each of those folders are the actual internet files.

When I try to delete these folders, most of them do go away to the Recycle Bin, but some get stuck and won't delete. ANd the most frequent file they choke on is "vBulletin[1]"

???

I think some of the Temp Internet folders that made it to the Recycle Bin, then got stuck later on when I tried to empty the Recycle Bin and are now invisible.

I have tried deleting these dang things by going to my command prompt and doing it the old fashioned way, but even DOS doesn't see them.

Help?

[crapmike]

i use system security suit, it´s very easy to use

for screenshots of the program and to download it
click here: http://www.igorshpak.net/


hope it helps you

[Thumbo]

Whenever Windows does what it wants instead of what I tell it to with a file, I boot into Linux and make the changes from there.

This is easy nowadays: if you have a CD burner download Knoppix (Google for it), burn it to CD, then boot off the CD. It won't make any changes to your hard drive unless you tell it to.

[De_Bunk]

Try "StrayCat" PC cleaner...

Its a 30 day shareware prog...

Run it once...and you will be surprised...


DB

[Wire]

Originally posted by Thumbo
Whenever Windows does what it wants instead of what I tell it to with a file, I boot into Linux and make the changes from there.

This is easy nowadays: if you have a CD burner download Knoppix (Google for it), burn it to CD, then boot off the CD. It won't make any changes to your hard drive unless you tell it to.

last time i checked, linux couldn't access NTFS

[Underemployed]

Oh but it can...there is even a linux boot floppy that can change win2k passwords.

Try booting in safe mode (tap the F8 key during start-up to access the necessary menu) and deleting the files then. This often allows you to delete or rename files which you cannot do when Windows is working normally.

[Zep]

The reason you can't delete those files is that they are open for some reason - a program somewhere is using them. You will need to find out why and resolve the situation. (Hint: Try shutting down programs and services and stuff...)

The clean out your IE files you mentioned (which are just the files IE caches from webpages you have visited), simply go to Tools, Internet Options, Temporary Internet Files - Delete Files (button on the open window). Tres simple, no?

[Soapy Sam]

Or you may be deleting the wrong ones. If you have more than one user profile and you log on as admin, you will see multiple copies of the Cookies folder.
XP conveniently hides your personal files in

C:\documents and settings\Somefolder\Cookies

A quick F3 reveals SEVEN such folders on my machine.
Did you delete the right ones?

The folders will contain *.db or *.dat files which are index files used by XP. If you write a script or something to automate removing cookies, remember not to try deleting these index files.

You may also have to use attrib to get rid of read only or hidden attributes.

In my brief experience with XP, old DOS / command line habits can be counterproductive. That said, CMD is a big step up from COMMAND.COM

[Luke T.]

Originally posted by crapmike
i use system security suit, it´s very easy to use

for screenshots of the program and to download it
click here: http://www.igorshpak.net/


hope it helps you

I found SS very useful, but it still did not delete the files in question.

[Luke T.]

Originally posted by Thumbo
Whenever Windows does what it wants instead of what I tell it to with a file, I boot into Linux and make the changes from there.

This is easy nowadays: if you have a CD burner download Knoppix (Google for it), burn it to CD, then boot off the CD. It won't make any changes to your hard drive unless you tell it to.

I have never used Linux. I'd probaby do more damage than good.

[Luke T.]

Originally posted by De_Bunk
Try "StrayCat" PC cleaner...

Its a 30 day shareware prog...

Run it once...and you will be surprised...


DB

I ran StrayCat yesterday when I saw you mention it in another topic somewhere.

Didn't help. :(

[Luke T.]

Originally posted by Zep
The reason you can't delete those files is that they are open for some reason - a program somewhere is using them. You will need to find out why and resolve the situation. (Hint: Try shutting down programs and services and stuff...)

The clean out your IE files you mentioned (which are just the files IE caches from webpages you have visited), simply go to Tools, Internet Options, Temporary Internet Files - Delete Files (button on the open window). Tres simple, no?

No. It was the fact that using the Tools menu options didn't delete them that alerted me to the problem.

[Luke T.]

Originally posted by Soapy Sam
Or you may be deleting the wrong ones. If you have more than one user profile and you log on as admin, you will see multiple copies of the Cookies folder.
XP conveniently hides your personal files in

C:\documents and settings\Somefolder\Cookies

A quick F3 reveals SEVEN such folders on my machine.
Did you delete the right ones?

The folders will contain *.db or *.dat files which are index files used by XP. If you write a script or something to automate removing cookies, remember not to try deleting these index files.

You may also have to use attrib to get rid of read only or hidden attributes.

In my brief experience with XP, old DOS / command line habits can be counterproductive. That said, CMD is a big step up from COMMAND.COM

Yeah. I have several Temporary Internet Files folders. I used my search function to find them. I guess I wasn't clear on that in my OP.

Sadly, I do believe I did delete the .dat files.

I have two user accounts on my computer. On one of the accounts, my Recycle Bin appears to be empty, but in fact has nineteen files of some kind which I cannot make appear no matter what I do. But the computer sees them, because it asks me if I want to delete them every time I try to empty the Recycle Bin, and then it chokes and says it can't delete them.

I'm still stuck, folks.

I've tried everything that has been suggested in this topic, except messing around with Linux, and none have worked. If I was going to start fooling around with Linux, I would need instructions a five year old could understand.

[crapmike]

have you tried deleting them in DOS???

[a_unique_person]

Try running in safe mode, just about nothing but windows should be starting up.

What are the files called?

I think it would be good if windows let you know which program had the locks on the files. It knows the files are locked, but won't tell you what locked them. Couldn't be too hard for it to track this useful information.

[a_unique_person]

You just had that virus. Maybe some piece of spyware or virus has them locked. Look at all the tasks that are running, then look them up on google and see if they look legitimate or not. If they don't, kill them, and see if that frees up the file.

[Zep]

Look up above! I thought I said that first!!!

Originally posted by Zep
The reason you can't delete those files is that they are open for some reason - a program somewhere is using them. You will need to find out why and resolve the situation. (Hint: Try shutting down programs and services and stuff...)

[richardm]

When you say you tried to delete them from a DOS prompt, did you start the DOS prompt from within Windows?

It's possible to boot an XP machine to a command prompt, from the same startup menu that Safe Mode is invoked from. If you haven't tried that, it might be worth a go.


I've also seen these instructions repeated a few times:

Open a Command Prompt window and leave it open. Close all open programs. Click Start, Run and enter TASKMGR.EXE Go to the Processes tab and End Process on Explorer.exe. Leave Task Manager open. Go back to the Command Prompt window and change to the directory the undeletable file is located in. At the command prompt type DEL where is the file you wish to delete. Go back to Task Manager, click File, New Task and enter EXPLORER.EXE to restart the GUI shell. Close Task Manager.

Might be worth a shot if nothing else works!

[crapmike]

yep within windows

found this from another site

The Info file in the Recycler folder sometimes gets corrupted. Windows will automatically recreate the Info file if its missing so the easiest way to repair is to delete the Info file:

Start a command prompt (cmd.exe)
Move to the Recycler folder
Enter the command
attrib -h info*.*
Delete the file
del info
Restart the computer
If its the actually Recycler folder that has become corrupted you may need to delete this by removing the system and hidden attributes (attrib -h -s c:\recycler) and then deleting.

[a_unique_person]

Originally posted by Zep
Look up above! I thought I said that first!!!



Yes, but is said it better.

[Zep]

Originally posted by a_unique_person
Yes, but I said it better. Agreed! I wer knott dooing itt rite.

[Luke T.]

None of these ideas worked.

I'm not sure anyone is understanding exactly what I am saying.

When I open the Recycle Bin in Windows, it is empty. Blank. Nada. No files. Yet when I click on "Empty Recycle Bin" it prompts me with a window asking "Are you sure you want to delete these 19 items?"

I have no idea what these "19 items" are.

When I click "Yes" it proceeds to open the usual window showing the scrap of paper going across the screen inside a window that says "Deleting" and the hard drive grinds along for a while like it is actually doing something. But it isn't. Shortly thereafter I get a message that says "Cannot delete search[1]:Cannot find the specified file. Make sure you specify the correct file name and path."

The file "search[1]" sounds like the kind of file you find inside a Temporary Internet Files folder. I say this because when I try to delete Temporary Internet Files folders, the computer often deletes most of them, but then stops when it runs across a "search[1]" file or "vbulletin[1]" file inside one of those folders. It then stops and nothing past that file gets deleted.

I am assuming this freaking "search[1]" file was deleted inside a Temporary Internet Files folder and sent to the Recycle Bin, but is now stuck there inside a TIF folder that is completely freaking invisible. It is invisible in Windows. It is invisible in DOS. It is invisible in Safe mode. It remains invisible when I play with attribute commands.

When I am in DOS and type attrib -h search*.*, for example, this does no good because I think it is INSIDE an invisible FOLDER of another name.

edited to add: I tried attrib -h *.* and nothing happened. DOS said it was unable to find a file by the name *.*

attrib -h -s *.* doesn't do anything either.

Yes, I tried attrib -h -s C:\recycler

[Luke T.]

I just used Internet Options to delete Temporary Internet Files. Then I used Windows to go to the Temporary Internet Files directory. Inside that directory is a folder labeled Content.IE5. Inside that folder is another folder labeled WV7VQWXX. I highlighted it and pressed the Delete key. A window immediately popped up that said: "Cannot delete vbulletin[1]:Cannot find the specified file. Make sure you specify the correct file name and path."

So I look inside the WV7VQWXX folder, and there is the file "vbulletin[1]"

I can go into DOS and delete "vbulletin[1]" no problem. I just did. It is gone forever.

My problem is that my Recycle Bin has invisible files whose names I don't even know.

"19 items."

I have a feeling these 19 items are TIF folders with hundreds, maybe thousands, of little files in them. I cannot make them go away.

[crapmike]

sorry the text i copied was wrong here´s another one and it´s explainded easily


Damaged Recycled Folder:

The Recycled folder itself can become damaged. Files are moved to the folder and the Recycle Bin on the desktop appears full but you cannot view the contents and the Empty The Recycle Bin command may be unavailable, or simply doesn't work.

Restart the computer and delete the recycle bin by pressing F8 at the WinXP Startup menu, and then select Safe Mode with Command Prompt. Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each line:


attrib -s -h recycled
del recycled

[a_unique_person]

Originally posted by Luke T.
None of these ideas worked.

I'm not sure anyone is understanding exactly what I am saying.



Ahh, yes, well that would be your fault then for not describing the symptoms correctly.

[Lothian]

Originally posted by Luke T.


I'm not sure anyone is understanding exactly what I am saying.


Luke, I fully understand. I had the exact same problem. I solved it by... ignoring it, figuring it wasn't doing any harm. If you do solve it however I would like to know !

[AlH]

Here is a document about how files are hidden in Windows 9X Hidden IE Files (http://www.****microsoft.com/content/ms-hidden-files.shtml)

Some of it may apply to XP

How do you know that your file system and hard disk have integrity?

[Luke T.]

I give up.

By the way, it is not possible to boot up in DOS in Safe Mode in XP. Safe mode still brings you to Windows first before you can do anything. P.O.S.!

I do not have a boot disk. I bought this P.O.S. at CompUSA and they don't give you any software with the computer except what is already installed on it.

I have gone to all the linked articles everyone has kindly provided, and tried everything suggested. Windows Washer cleared another 200+ MB off my computer.

After Windows Washer, my recycle bin had 24 invisible items, instead of the usual 19!

Fortunately, the 5 new invisible items disappeared when I selected the empty recycle bin, and I am back to the original 19.

I am 99.999999% sure that this freaking "Search[1]" file is the only thing holding up my computer. It is stuck somewhere inside the first of the 19 "items" and won't go away.

I guess I'm with Lothian.

I give up.

[ShowMe]

Originally posted by Luke T.
I give up.


It's only been a few days, you have some more fight in you.

Try Total Commander

http://www.ghisler.com/download.htm

It will show files that Windows doesn't want to show you. Like all of your IE archive files.

[Soapy Sam]

Luke, Not sure if you are referring to DOS simply as shorthand.
DOS doesn't exist in XP. XP runs an emulator called NTVDM
(NT Virtual Dos Machine). This includes the new CMD shell, but NTVMD is emphatically a Windows program. So you are right. You can't boot in DOS, because XP has to start first, to run NTVDM to emulate DOS. Sorry if you already know this , which I suspect you do, but others may not.

[Soapy Sam]

Continuing my egg-sucking course for experts, what happens if you right click the Recycle bin icon , pick Properties and select the
"Remove Files Immediately When Deleted" box.

The empty the bin. You can reset the option afterwards.

[BobK]

You might try this.Open a Command Prompt window and leave it open. Close all open programs. Click Start, Run and enter TASKMGR.EXE Go to the Processes tab and End Process on Explorer.exe. Leave Task Manager open. Go back to the Command Prompt window and change to the directory the AVI (or other undeletable file) is located in. At the command prompt type DEL filename where filename is the file you wish to delete. Go back to Task Manager, click File, New Task and enter EXPLORER.EXE to restart the GUI shell. Close Task Manager.
It's almost the same as richardm suggested, but he didn't mention putting a filename after the DEL.

Since you don't have the filenames I'd try DEL *.*

Found the above quote at Doug Knox site (http://dougknox.com)

Doug is some sort of Microsoft acknowledged expert with lots of tips and fixes listed on his site. His site has helped me a couple of times.

Good luck.

[Lord Kenneth]

Try deleting the files with no other programs on. This includes running background processes.

By any chance are you trying to delete these files while a browser is up? Vbulletin[1] seems like a web-page file... perhaps you are trying to delete it while surfing the boards, which run vBulletin?

[crapmike]

ok it´s not DOS it´s SAFE MODE, but have you tried to delete them via safe mode?

if it doesn´t work, maybe you can try on this board and ask for some help

http://www.winguides.com/forums/

[Zep]

Ahem. Have you tried creating a bootable *gasp* DOS diskette with the NTFS drivers on it? Possible from any Win9x machine plus an internet search for the drivers.

Once your PC is booted off that, NONE of the files on the C: drive are open, and thus they should be deletable. You will need to be able to drive DOS commands though (a dying skill, it seems!)

Bearing all that in mind ---===>>> HANDLE WITH EXTREME CARE <<<===---
You can totally and permanently wreck your Windows install if you zap the wrong file(s).

[De_Bunk]

Try "System Mechanic"

Its time limited shareware....

Thats has loads of deleting options...

DB

[Thumbo]

Originally posted by Luke T.


I have never used Linux. I'd probaby do more damage than good.
You're plenty smart enough to think before you act, Luke - I've read enough of your posts to be fairly sure of that.

Knoppix mounts your drives read-only: you have to take positive action to make any changes at all. At the least you will be able to browse what is really there and decide whether you care about them or not.

[ShowMe]

Originally posted by Zep
Ahem. Have you tried creating a bootable *gasp* DOS diskette with the NTFS drivers on it? Possible from any Win9x machine plus an internet search for the drivers.

Win2K and WinXP can be booted into the Recovery Console, which is a basic DOS prompt that has some special commands.

[Zep]

Originally posted by ShowMe
Win2K and WinXP can be booted into the Recovery Console, which is a basic DOS prompt that has some special commands. True, and probably the best solution generally. But I seem to recall that it still honours the file protections and attributes (esp. hidden files), plus it still has some files open on the system partition. Would it be the best for this problem, do you think?

[michaellee]

What irony! The files in question, "VBulletin[1]" and "Search[1]", are temporary Internet files. Everyone reading this post has these same files on their computer- I guarantee it! This is because these files are generated by none other than the software used to create and run the JREF forum! JREF uses a software program named VBulletin to manage this very forum.

Luke T. - All of these temporary files all located within your "c:\documents and settings\username\local settings\temporary internet files\content.IE5\misc folder".

If you cannot clear these through the IE tools menu, and then by emptying your recycle bin, then these files are still in use and cannot be deleted in Windows. If you cannot delete them from DOS, then you have a harddrive problem. If you cannot locate them in DOS, type the following:

dir search[*.* /a /s /p

there should be no need to use the ATTRIB command, as all of these files should be Archives only, and can be deleted. At least they were when I just tried it on my computer.

Good Luck

[Luke T.]

Originally posted by michaellee
What irony! The files in question, "VBulletin[1]" and "Search[1]", are temporary Internet files. Everyone reading this post has these same files on their computer- I guarantee it! This is because these files are generated by none other than the software used to create and run the JREF forum! JREF uses a software program named VBulletin to manage this very forum.

Luke T. - All of these temporary files all located within your "c:\documents and settings\username\local settings\temporary internet files\content.IE5\misc folder".

If you cannot clear these through the IE tools menu, and then by emptying your recycle bin, then these files are still in use and cannot be deleted in Windows. If you cannot delete them from DOS, then you have a harddrive problem. If you cannot locate them in DOS, type the following:

dir search[*.* /a /s /p

there should be no need to use the ATTRIB command, as all of these files should be Archives only, and can be deleted. At least they were when I just tried it on my computer.

Good Luck

This turned up an interesting result. When I typed "dir search[*.* /a /s /p" it found the usual results in my TIF folders, but it also turned up a result in the C:\RECYCLER directory.

This is interesting because every time I have looked in the RECYLCER directory, it has appeared blank. But the result I got from the search came up with this:

C:\RECYCLER\S-1-5-21-3685698544-757298511-4166307882-1006\Dc3

So I go to the RECYCLER directory and do the usual "dir/w" which has been showing no results up to now. This time, it shows this:

[S-1-5-21-1244572991-1582333133-359561344-1003]
[S-1-5-21-2681017343-2974146706-1981389028-1003]
[S-1-5-21-3685698544-757298511-4166307882-1003]
[S-1-5-21-502627533-954458941-2682075168-1003]

The third line down is the same as what turned up in the directory search, except for the very last digit. It's a 3 instead of a 6.

So then I tried "del *.*" and then did another "dir/w" and the same result came up. These whatever-they-are did not go away.

I tried "del [s*.*" and "del s*.*" and they are still there.

What now?

In Windows, my Recycle Bin still appears empty, and still asks if I want to delete the invisible 19 items when I select "Empty Recycle Bin."

[Lord Kenneth]

Once again, have you tried to delete them while no browser has been running?

[ImpyTimpy]

Hehehehe good old days of DOS..

Alright, the reason the files appear in [] is because they are directories. The way to delete a directory is to type in deltree followed by the directory name (cut and paste in your case). Just make sure you're outside of the directory first.

Typing in dir /a will show you all hidden files, while normal dir will only show non-hidden files.

So in your case, using your post, I'd go into the Recycler directory then type in

deltree S-1-5-21-3685698544-757298511-4166307882-1006

and watch the files disappear.

Originally posted by Luke T.


This turned up an interesting result. When I typed "dir search[*.* /a /s /p" it found the usual results in my TIF folders, but it also turned up a result in the C:\RECYCLER directory.

This is interesting because every time I have looked in the RECYLCER directory, it has appeared blank. But the result I got from the search came up with this:

C:\RECYCLER\S-1-5-21-3685698544-757298511-4166307882-1006\Dc3

So I go to the RECYCLER directory and do the usual "dir/w" which has been showing no results up to now. This time, it shows this:

[S-1-5-21-1244572991-1582333133-359561344-1003]
[S-1-5-21-2681017343-2974146706-1981389028-1003]
[S-1-5-21-3685698544-757298511-4166307882-1003]
[S-1-5-21-502627533-954458941-2682075168-1003]

The third line down is the same as what turned up in the directory search, except for the very last digit. It's a 3 instead of a 6.

So then I tried "del *.*" and then did another "dir/w" and the same result came up. These whatever-they-are did not go away.

I tried "del [s*.*" and "del s*.*" and they are still there.

What now?

In Windows, my Recycle Bin still appears empty, and still asks if I want to delete the invisible 19 items when I select "Empty Recycle Bin."

[michaellee]

Hold the presses! This is the first I have read about deleting files located in the "RECYCLER" folder. I only thought the discussion was in regards to the "RECYCLE BIN".

The distinction between the two could not be greater.....

[Luke T.]

Just an update in case anyone cares. :)

I finally fixed the problem by deleting the RECYCLER directory. However, the normal "rd RECYCLER" command didn't work. But "rd /S C:RECYCLER" did work. The /S was the trick.

Even though you delete the recycler directory, windows automatically recreates it.

Problem solved. Thought I would post the solution in case you guys ever run across this problem again.

[bjornart]

Originally posted by crapmike
sorry the text i copied was wrong here´s another one and it´s explainded easily
Damaged Recycled Folder:

The Recycled folder itself can become damaged. Files are moved to the folder and the Recycle Bin on the desktop appears full but you cannot view the contents and the Empty The Recycle Bin command may be unavailable, or simply doesn't work.

Restart the computer and delete the recycle bin by pressing F8 at the WinXP Startup menu, and then select Safe Mode with Command Prompt. Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each line:


attrib -s -h recycled
del recycled


Isn't that almost what crapmike posted way back then? ;)

[Luke T.]

Originally posted by bjornart



Isn't that almost what crapmike posted way back then? ;) [/B][/QUOTE]

I tried that several times. Didn't work. I posted so at least once. :)

[max]

there are a lot of experts on www.computing.net