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I am using Xnview MP which is still in beta right now. I accidentally made a copy of some folders through drag and drop in their folder tree. Then I tried deleting them through it. Contents got deleted but the folders remain.

Explorer always gives the error "Couldn't find this item". Console gives "The system cannot find the file specified." on delete.

The name is not long that would require to be renamed.

I want these folders gone. Restarting the system doesn't do anything, there are also no handles which open for them at all. Please help.

Update: CHKDSK doesn't do anything.

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5 Answers 5

Reset to default
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Open 7-Zip File Manager. Browse to the file/folder that you couldn't delete with other methods. Select the file/folder. Hit DELETE. If this doesn't work, just rename the file/folder. Select the file/folder. Hit DELETE.

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  • Yes, I also discovered this, its my go to solution now.
    – Umair Ahmed
    Dec 16, 2022 at 16:28
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I coudln't delete a folder with a TRAILING SPACE. I had to use a slightly different format of path from the command line to remove it...

rd "\\?\C:\holds bad subdir\20120530-04 "

credit goes to this post...

https://stackoverflow.com/a/21074385/334395

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It seems that you have a corrupted File System.

Please try to perform (better in Safe Mode if possible) a chkdsk (Check Disk) on the Hard Disk that contains the files/folders:

  1. Windows Key + R
  2. Type "cmd" without quotes, to open command console
  3. Inside the command console type "chkdsk C: /f" (without the quotes) and press enter
  4. Windows will probably prompt you to restart your PC in order to perform the Check Disk procedure before Windows OS is loaded.
  5. After it finishes it will continue loading Windows. Check now if the problem solved.

Note: In case you have the files on another Hard Disk or Partition with different letter than "C:", replace it according to that Hard Disk or Partition drive letter.

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  • I had ran it before, didn't do anything at all
    – Umair Ahmed
    Mar 3, 2016 at 14:43
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If you haven't already, try navigating to the directory in CMD using cd to 'change directory'. rd is the command to 'remove directory'. You can just type the whole path to the directory out like this rd "c:\users\whatever\spaced folder". The " around the path allow it to contain spaces. If you navigate to the directory before hand it would just be rd "folder name". Let me know if that gives an error as well.

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  • I have tried it before, see in answer, it gives out "The system cannot find the file specified."
    – Umair Ahmed
    Mar 4, 2016 at 17:12
  • Ah yea sorry I missed 'console' in your question
    – Cand3r
    Mar 4, 2016 at 17:32
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I ran the `chkdsk :d /r' which also returned negative.

Then I tried deleting it with Puran Permanent Delete Tool which worked. Now I don't know what they do, which is different from all other methods.

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