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I have a folder on the desktop which is about 1.6 GB in size. When I try to open it I get a message like this:

The file or directory is corrupt or unreadable

Fortunately, I have a backup of that folder so I want to get rid of this folder. If I try to delete it, it fails to delete however I can rename the folder, move it and do whatever except deletion. I've tried various methods but could not succeed.

I am using Windows 8.1 Pro.

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3 Answers 3

Reset to default
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  • Look at the disk properties from Windows Explorer
  • Go to the Tools tab
  • Choose Error Checking
  • You will need to reboot to allow CHKDSK to run at startup
  • The corrupted directory will either be restored to a readable state or deleted

Alternatively, the command line approach is CHKDSK C: /B (replace C: with your drive as appropriate)

Once run, you can tidy up as you wish.

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  • I have OS in C drive and the corrupted folder is in C drive can i still do this ?
    – Ram Kumar
    Nov 11, 2013 at 15:00
  • Important to know: if you schedule an error check after reboot it might take a very long time (depending on the size of the disk).
    – mercutio
    Jul 19, 2017 at 12:57
  • Thanks so much, I literally just spent an hour or two trying to figure out ways to delete a corrupted folder.
    – Alex Lowe
    Oct 31, 2017 at 1:47
  • is \B a parameter? what does it mean?
    – River
    Oct 28, 2021 at 14:12
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I used the Puppy Linux bootable CD, used its file manager to locate the file and folder, clicked on the file, deleted it, then the folder. It worked great

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Boot any Linux distribution from a USB and delete that file/folder. Just turn off fast boot first to access your HDD from Linux.

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  • 1
    This was suggested nearly 2 years ago.
    – Ramhound
    May 19, 2016 at 19:54

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