Delete Files Without Using Recycle Bin

[jjmcray]

Does anyone know how to do this? There are these files I'm trying to delete but I keep getting a message saying something like "There are file names too large for the recycle bin to delete" so I need to find another way to delete these files..

[Blahages]

Does anyone know how to do this? There are these files I'm trying to delete but I keep getting a message saying something like "There are file names too large for the recycle bin to delete" so I need to find another way to delete these files..

If you want to delete a File, and bypass the Recycle Bin, Hold the "Shift" Key down when you hit the "Delete" key. That'll bypass it entirely.

Alternatively, You can use "Unlocker (http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/)" and I believe that will bypass it. The most practical use for Unlocker is for deleting files that are currently in use by Windows or another application. It clears the Locks, and Deletes or Moves it.

[jjmcray]

the shift+delete method doesn't work... I'm using vista btw

[Blahages]

the shift+delete method doesn't work... I'm using vista btw

What does it do? The Shift+Delete Method Bypasses the Recycle Bin For All Versions of Windows.

[jjmcray]

I still get the same message.

[Blahages]

I still get the same message.

Are you holding the Shift Key while You're Pressing The Delete Key? Try Holding it down until Just After you hit Yes.

If not, for whatever reason, Try Opening the Command Prompt (Windows Key + R) and Type in "CMD." In the Command Prompt, Type:


rmdir /s PATH-TO-DIRECTORY
For Example, If you wanted to Delete the "C:\Randomness" directory, type in


rmdir /s C:\Randomness
This will work on 2000/XP for Sure. I haven't tried it on Vista, but I would think It'd still work.

Does it Give you this in Windows?

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1222/841014719_c58d2ddabf.jpg

If it does that, just Hit Yes or Yes to All. It should allow you to delete it bypassing the Recycle bin Anyway.

[jjmcray]

I got a bunch of messages saying "...is too long." over and over again.

And yes, I'm sure I'm holding down the delete key.

I Do press Yes To All and then I get another message saying something like "File name too long for file system blah blah"

[Blahages]

I got a bunch of messages saying "...is too long." over and over again

I edited my Post above.

How Exactly did they get too long? Windows shouldn't allow you to do that.

Try Renaming the Files?

Try Right Clicking on "Recycle Bin" and hitting properties, and checking the option "Do not Move Files to Recycle Bin" and Hitting Apply, then Try Deleting them? Uncheck it when You're done.

I don't see any reason for you to need to do that, though. the RMDIR and Holding Shift while You delete DOES Bypass the Recycle Bin, so there's no reason it should be giving you that.

What drive is this on? Your External? It sounds like you need to run a Chkdsk on that Drive, if you haven't already, or even again. Chkdsk Should, to my Understanding, detect those types of files as invalid and attempt to fix them.

Try that Unlocker Program. Install it, and Right click on the Folder, and Hit Unlocker, and Select Delete.

If that doesn't work, I'm not sure.

My only other suggestion would be, that if it's an External Drive, or Flash Drive, is Copying everything else off the Drive (Except the Corrupted Folder), and Formatting the External, then moving the Other Data back to it. That should work 99.99% of the time.

I have resorted to that a few times in the past with my Flash Drive. The File System Got Corrupted, and Had a similar problem. I copied what I wanted off it, and then did a format on the Drive, and copied everything back, and it was fine.

The only reason I can see why it would be having that difficulty is if the File System was corrupted at one time, and it allowed for that, and it didn't get fixed properly.

[jjmcray]

It happened when I was using GetDataBack and trying to get the data back from my external hard drive when it was corrupted. It created a folder where the data would copy to, and for some reason it made a bunch of long file names. I tried the unlocker program as well, and it doesn't seem to be working. Recycle Bin properties method doesn't work either.

Here is the error message I get:

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/3990/errorva4.jpg

BTW, when I try to shorten the file name, it doesn't let me. When I right click it, the "rename" option doesn't show up.

[Blahages]

It happened when I was using GetDataBack and trying to get the data back from my external hard drive when it was corrupted. It created a folder where the data would copy to, and for some reason it made a bunch of long file names. I tried the unlocker program as well, and it doesn't seem to be working. Recycle Bin properties method doesn't work either.

Here is the error message I get:

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/3990/errorva4.jpg

BTW, when I try to shorten the file name, it doesn't let me. When I right click it, the "rename" option doesn't show up.

Ah. Yay for Vista.

Try this, It's supposed to Let you rename Files that are too long for Windows to be able to handle

http://www.replsoft.com/cutlongnames.zip

Other than that, The only thing I can think of, Is to copy the Stuff off the Drive, Format it, and Copy the Stuff back.

Does the Rename option not show up, or is it just grayed out? If it doesn't shot up, try hitting "F2" while the file is selected. Although, if it's a file system corruption, it likely won't work.

[jjmcray]

Is something supposed to pop up when I execute the file? I still can't rename the file anyway...

[Whisper]

fookitol

shred it?

[Blahages]

Is something supposed to pop up when I execute the file? I still can't rename the file anyway...

If you extracted the Archive, and Ran the program, Yes, The program Should Appear.

[jjmcray]

I did extract it... then executed the exe file...

[Blahages]

It's probably some stupid Incompatibility with Vista. You can try setting Compatibility Settings on the Program to XP SP2, and Try running it.

Otherwise, if you can do like I said before, and copy everything off it except that Corrupted Folder to another Hard Drive, and Format that External, then Copy it back, There's zero reason why that should ever fail.

[jjmcray]

I don't understand what you mean by that... Are you saying I should format my C: drive?

[Blahages]

I don't understand what you mean by that... Are you saying I should format my C: drive?

Ugh. No.

Clarify Something for me. This Folder you're trying to delete... Which Drive is it on? Is it on your C drive, or your External? My Understanding is that it's on the External.

[jjmcray]

It's on my desktop. (C: drive)

[Blahages]

It's on my desktop.

Okay, I was under the Impression that it was on the External.

Try rebooting into Safe Mode and Deleting the Folder (F8 on Reboot before the Vista Startup Screen, Choose "Safe Mode"). Or, If that doesn't work, Run a :

chkdsk /f /x C: on your C Drive, then See if you can delete it.

If I'm remembering correctly, that should mention something about running it on reboot. If so, Yell it yes, and reboot it.

[jjmcray]

Ok, well, be back in a few minutes then while I reboot

EDIT:
Safe mode didn't work. Now trying chkdisk.

EDIT 2:
When I used chkdisk it says "Access Denied as you do not have sufficient privileges. You have to invoke this utility running in elevated mode."

Yes, I am on an admin account.

Would running a system restore to before I installed that recovery program work?

[Blahages]

Ok, well, be back in a few minutes then while I reboot

EDIT:
Safe mode didn't work. Now trying chkdisk.

EDIT 2:
When I used chkdisk it says "Access Denied as you do not have sufficient privileges. You have to invoke this utility running in elevated mode."

Yes, I am on an admin account.

Would running a system restore to before I installed that recovery program work?

*Despises Vista to No End*

Okay, I forgot about Vista's New Annoying "Security" Features.

You have to run CMD in with Administrative Privileges. To do that, Go to "Start" -> "All Programs" -> "Accessories" and Right-click on "Command Prompt," and Click" Run as Administrator," then Do the Chkdsk Thing.

And, As for the System Restore, Yes, Theoretically, it should.

[jjmcray]

Ok, I will try system restore. If it doesn't work, I'll try chkdsk, and if that doesn't work, I'm suing bill gates for causing me so much stress.

[Blahages]

Ok, I will try system restore. If it doesn't work, I'll try chkdsk, and if that doesn't work, I'm suing bill gates for causing me so much stress.

Haha. Yeah, Like that'd ever get anywhere.

If it did, He'd be Poor, And everyone would be rich.

I've vowed not to go to Vista. I keep it on a Test Machine to mess with every now and again, but I have no intention of Using it as a Primary OS.

And, Technically, You can't blame any of this on Vista, or Or Maybe not even Microsoft, except the Annoying "Security Features." It's hard to say what Created the Corruptedness in the Folder, if it was Windows, or the Program you used. And, if it's a File System Error, Then Sure, MS May have been able to make Windows more Apt to Handle Those things, but Then again, supposedly Chkdsk Will fix those things.

I Installed Vista on my Test Machine again Yesterday, Disabled All non-essential Services and Programs, and not too long after I did that, it started acting up, and deciding it didn't need to let me run Windows update, or some other things.

Oddly enough, Too, after I disabled a lot of Services, and rebooted, it used MORE RAM and Page file than before.

[jjmcray]

Ok im gonna punch someone

NOTHING worked

Ok, perhaps a couple of cold hard reboots did the trick. All the files are gone now. F**k you Billy!

[Blahages]

Well... As of right now, I'm not really sure. I'll do some research and see if I can find anything useful.

One thing you might Try, though, is an Ubuntu Live CD (http://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu-releases/gutsy/ubuntu-7.10-desktop-i386.iso).

I don't know if you've used one before or not.

Basically, let it boot up, and mount your Hard drive, and go to your Windows Desktop, and Try to delete the Folder that way.

First, Check the "Computer" on the Ubuntu Desktop to see if it Mounted your Drive. It may or it may not have.

If it didn't, you can mount it.

If your Hard drive is an IDE drive, do a:


sudo mount /dev/hda1 /mnt


If your drive is a SATA Drive, do a

sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt


then, do a


sudo nautilus /mnt


that should bring up your Windows Drive. Navigate to Whatever it is Vista stores your Desktop, Which I believe is in the Users/YOUR-USERNAME/Desktop, although I'm not sure, and highlight the broken folder, and hit delete. See if it works.

You should be able to just download it, and burn it to a CD (Burn ISO). I'm hoping, and assuming you have a Fast Internet Connection. Otherwise, Don't do this, as it'll take years.

[Aηdy]

AVG Anti-Spyware has a shredder which will delete any file you want, weather it's in use or whatever :)

[carlo.santos]

Reboots are usually required to unlock some files...especially context menu handlers...try rebooting and deleting them (they may automatically get deleted during the reboot process).

Failing that, download and install Unlocker:
www.filesUnlocker.com (http://www.filesUnlocker.com)

[Tiberius]

Bump from three years ago? :locked: