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I'm trying to delete a folder in Windows 7 and get a perplexing error message: "Could not find this item: This is no longer located in G:\Graphics. Verify the item's location and try again.

I can see the folder -- I can find it. I just can't delete it.

I also get a second error message (sometimes) when I click on the folder: G:\Graphics 2009-11-17 refers to a location that is unavailable...this information might have been moved to a different location.

I'm using Windows 7; this folder is on an external hard drive. I've emptied the folder (there were items in it); I've scanned that external hard drive for errors. Trying to rename the folder yields the same enigmatic error message.

Is there a way to delete this folder?

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5 Answers

up vote 8 down vote

Open Command Prompt, use dir /x to get the 8.3 name of the folder which cannot be deleted, and then use rd with the 8.3 name of the folder, and it should be gone.

If this doesn't work, ensure first that the folder is empty.

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Thanks, this worked. Not only did I have to rd with the 8.3 name, but there were a bunch of hidden sub-folders with content which had to be deleted first: 'del /s /f /q .' and then 'rd /s /q eight.three'. – Tom Jul 13 '10 at 10:07
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up vote 4 down vote

yes. Boot into Linux using any of the live CDs, I would recommend Ubuntu and delete that damn folder

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Haha, I remember creating a ton of nested directories one time in Windows to mess with a friend, then I couldn't delete them from Windows. I think I ended up doing it in Linux. – Sarah Vessels Nov 18 '09 at 20:05
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Yeah...I virus clean all my suspicious thumb drives in Ubuntu before shoving them up in Windows – detj Nov 18 '09 at 20:24
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up vote 2 down vote

Try this:

Do a dir /x /ad to get the 8.3 name of the folder (it will look like docume~1), then do a rd folder* /s (you may even truncate it more like rd fol* /s if there are no other directories with similar names).

If this does not work, the run chkdsk /f (maybe a couple of times even, but check your Event Viewer>Windows Logs>Application Log to see if there are still a lot of errors. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/96938-check-disk-chkdsk-read-event-viewer-log.html screenshots 6 or 8). Then try the rd command with the 8.3 again as above.

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up vote 1 down vote

You can try Unlocker if you experience these kind of issues in the future. Windows is known to lock certain files/folder and refuse access to edit/delete them from time to time; Unlocker is a handly little program that can help rename/move/delete unresponsive files/folders.

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up vote 0 down vote

Try restarting your comptuer, and then deleting the folder.

When you restart your comptuer the folder might even be deleted, explorer just wasnt showing it.

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