Help Deleting A Stubborn Folder...

[SlowLearner]

Ok this could start to sound a little confusing... but im sure there is someone here that can help me.

So I uninstalled a game the other day, and when I went into the c drive to delte the program files folder for the game, it wouldnt let me delete one of the folders titled "save".

Inside this save "save" folder is nothing more than two empty folder without names.

Whenever I try to delete them, it says they cannot be deleted because they cannot be read from the source file or disk. I have tried reinstalling the game just to get rid of them, but that didnt work out either.

I am not familiar with the command prompt, but I am almost positive that is the way to go, because nothing else seems to be working... however, I am not very familiar with how to use it.

If someone could please give me some specific instructions on how to delete this stubborn folder using the CP, I would greatly appreciate it!

[uripyores]

Welcome,:wave:

Is this what you mean; Delete Undeletable Files (http://www.theeldergeek.com/delete_undeletable_file.htm) using the Command Prompt.

[SlowLearner]

I can see how that could work... I mean I tried it... but when I got to the part where I type in "DEL save" (save being the folder name) the CP just tells me that it cant find that file...

what gives?

[SlowLearner]

Wait! I think im onto something. I tried moving the "save" folder to a different location, and the computer referred to it as " ". So then in the CP, I typed in "del """

It asked me if I was sure I wanted to do that, and I told it yes, but then it said access was denied because the folder was somehow in use, even after I had disabled explorer.

Ugh this folder is driving me crazy.

[uripyores]

Can you try it in safe mode?

[degsy]

Try using the delete on boot option with Killbox
http://www.cybertechhelp.com/download/file/pocket-killbox

If that doesn't work then do an error check on the drive.

[Spider]

wouldnt let me delete one of the folders
I type in "DEL save"
That's the wrong command to delete a folder, the command is rmdir or rd

del is for files not folders.

degsy is right, your going to have to boot to the Windows XP CD (if that is your operating system)
Recovery Consol and type chkdsk /r

[SlowLearner]

Ok... i'll try those and see what happens...

[SlowLearner]

Alright... so I d/l'd the killbox program and when I tried to delete it straight from the desktop it said it couldnt find the file. So I then did the "Delete on reboot" option and ran a chkdsk as well. That still didnt fix it... the computer just sat there, and I had to tell it to run explorer... sure enough, when I did... there was that damn folder staring me in the face.


Ok so the recovery console thing that spider is talking aobut... How do I get to the recovery console? Or am I just misunderstanding something here, and i've already done it?

[Spider]

the recovery console thing that spider is talking aobut... How do I get to the recovery console?
What operating system are you running?

[SlowLearner]

Xp

[Spider]

the recovery console thing that spider is talking aobut... How do I get to the recovery console?
You boot the computer to the XP CD and select R for Recovery Consol.
After entering password for Administrator (sometimes it's just the enter key pressed) you type
chkdsk /r and hit enter and wait for it to finish on it's own.
When it's done type exit to reboot the computer.

[SlowLearner]

Ugh.... still there..... this is starting to look a little hopeless...

[Spider]

Start
Run...
type explorer hit enter
on the right side select the folder (click on it once) and delete it with a right-mouse click.

[SlowLearner]

Keep in mind, there are three folders involved. The one called "save", and then the two inside of "save" that are causing all the problems. They dont have names. When I typed in explorer and tried right clicking it, it said "the directory is not empty". When I tried one of the two inside of it, it said "cannot be read from source file or disk".

[JonDoe1400]

I really need some help concerning re-installing a program. I am not the most computer knowledgable person. I've tried everything. Is there anyone here that could possibly help. Please.

[Tom]

The Killbox browsing function appears to use Explorer, so runs into the same problems when a file has registry entries that mask it from Explorer. If you type the full path of the folder/file in Killbox instead (example C:\Windows\Folder), then have it delete on reboot, that might do it. Works that way for me with gnarly malware varmits.

JohnDoe1400 - best if you post your request as a New Topic in a specific CTH forum related to your situation (98, 2000, XP, Applications etc.). Make sure to post complete info about your operating system, the specific software and recent chages you have done relating to your problem.

[Spider]

Just to be sure...the folder starts with the letters save ?
What is the full "path" to where that "save" folder is? eg; "c:\folder\save..."

[SkatePopwar]

this usually works for me, right click it, go to properties, and un-tick "read-only"

[SlowLearner]

To respond to JonDoe, I dont know if that was sarcasm or not... but I have tried reinstalling the program... that is of no help, the program itself doesnt even have an option for deleting the folders.

To skate pop war... I know what you're saying, I thought about that too, but the files are already un checked in the read only box.

And to spider... the full path is C:\Documents and Settings\Chay\Desktop\save

And to Jintan, the delete on reboot trick didnt work either =(

[Spider]

spider... the full path is C:\Documents and Settings\Chay\Desktop\save
Save this code below in Notepad (Save as type: = All Files) to your desktop as killsavefolder.bat
@echo off
cd "c:\documents and settings\chay\desktop"
for /f "delims=" %%a in ('dir "c:\documents and settings\chay\desktop" /b /ad /s ^| findstr /i \save') do rd "%%a" /q
@cls

Two-click killsavefolder.bat

It will delete any folder with in the c:\documents and settings\chay\desktop folder that starts with save

[SlowLearner]

So I tried what you suggested... entered the killsavefolder.bat. When I opened it up on the desktop, it just flashed and closed. I assume its supposed to do that, however, the folder still remains. So I tried adding "save" to the end of the path thinking it might delete the two offending folders inside of the save folder, but that didnt work either.

[Rainbow32]

Try using HiJackThis to delete the file. HijackThis> Config>Misc Tools — the utility to delete a file on next reboot.

[Spider]

Try using HiJackThis to delete the file
It's a folder Rainbow32.


Boot to Safe Mode (http://space.hostrocket.com/safe.mode/safe.mode.html) and try it SlowLearner.

In my siganture below is ewido spyware scan and Panda scan. Visit both of
those while booted to Safe Mode with Networking (http://space.hostrocket.com/safe.mode/safe.mode.with.networking.html)

[SlowLearner]

Ok so I tried using the program in safe mode... but it had no effect. I'm willing to try those linked programs you mentioned, but they're not showing up... in fact, your signature isnt showing up at all either... could you just send me those links?

[Spider]

ewido = http://www.ewido.net/en/onlinescan
panda = http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/activescan.htm

Also...

In Internet Explorer's menu
Tools
Internet Options...
Security(tab)
Custom Level...(button)

Right near the top...ActiveX controls and plug-ins...enable that.

[jamie.heaney]

Hi,
Your problems with killbox I've seen before. With killbox, I've found that you need to 'delete on reboot' as Degsy said. But if you do anything other than 'delete on reboot' you can run into lockups. Further the situation by trying to delete killbox itself seems to lockup things even more. You mentioned you tried to 'delete' first and then 'delete on reboot'. I've seen two occasions where that locks things up, this is the third.
so, on a clean reboot of your computer, immediately 'delete on reboot' that file and reboot. It has always worked for me. I've had friends not do exactly that and lock things up.
Hope this helps. goodluck.

[SlowLearner]

Hi jamie, thanks for the suggestion, I tried it on a fresh reboot, but unfortunately the folder was still there =\

And spider, I tried those programs... they came up with four spyware entries that they couldnt delete... however, I know that this "save" folder isnt any sort of spyware. Its just a simple save file from a game.

I think im starting to understand what the problem may be coming from. As I'm sure i've mentioned somewhere in prior posts... these folders dont have a name. I just hit the space bar a few times and hit enter. They were both created within the game though... so essentially, when I pulled them out onto my desktop, their names were " ".

Windows doesnt allow you to simply "not name" a folder. So when I try to actually give those folders a name... I get the same "cannot read from the source file" error message... probably because windows has no idea how the folders became nameless in the first place.... so it just reads it as an error.

The game itself provides zero help to this problem. There is no way to delete these folders within the game, or while running it. That is why I went into the program files in the first place to delete these folders... I simply didnt need them. And that is when I ran into this annoying problem.

[Spider]

I tried those programs... they came up with four spyware entries that they couldnt delete
I would like to see the log file from that.
Its just a simple save file from a game

Save to desktop as shared.bat and two-click, paste results here please...
@echo off
net use >>nu.txt
notepad nu.txt
del nu.txt
@cls


...and run this as shortname.bat

@echo off
cd "c:\documents and settings\chay\desktop\save"
dir /x >>snlist.txt
notepad snlist.txt
del snlist.txt
@cls
...paste that as well.

[SlowLearner]

Here are the panda scan results on the C: drive...

-Adware:Adware/StartPage.AIW No disinfected C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\awvtu.dll
-Adware:Adware/StartPage.AIW No disinfected C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ddcyw.dll
-Spyware:Spyware/Virtumonde No disinfected C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\geebc.dll
-Adware:Adware/StartPage.AIW No disinfected C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\vtutu.dll

Those are the four bad files I spoke of...
__________________________________________________ ______________

The shared.exe results came out to "New connections will be remembered. There are no entries in the list."
__________________________________________________ _______________
The shortname.exe results came out to...

Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is E485-DFEB

Directory of C:\Documents and Settings\Chay\Desktop\save

10/20/2005 05:04 PM <DIR> .
10/20/2005 05:04 PM <DIR> ..
10/18/2005 11:34 PM <DIR> 0200~1
10/18/2005 11:21 PM <DIR> 0202~1
10/20/2005 05:04 PM 0 snlist.txt
1 File(s) 0 bytes
4 Dir(s) 19,202,723,840 bytes free
Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is E485-DFEB

Directory of C:\Documents and Settings\Chay\Desktop\save

10/20/2005 05:04 PM <DIR> .
10/20/2005 05:04 PM <DIR> ..
10/18/2005 11:34 PM <DIR> 0200~1
10/18/2005 11:21 PM <DIR> 0202~1
10/20/2005 05:04 PM 518 snlist.txt
1 File(s) 518 bytes
4 Dir(s) 19,197,702,144 bytes free

[Spider]

Save as rdname.bat

@echo off
cd "c:\documents and settings\chay\desktop\save"
for /f "delims=" %%a in ('dir "c:\documents and settings\chay\desktop\save" /b /ad /s ^| findstr /i \020') do rd "%%a" /q
@cls

If that fails
Start
Run...
type cmd hit enter
type cd "c:\documents and settings\chay\desktop\save" hit enter
type rd 0200~1 hit enter
type rd 0202~1 hit enter
type exit hit enter

From Safe Mode (http://space.hostrocket.com/safe.mode/safe.mode.html) delete these...
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\awvtu.dll
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ddcyw.dll
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\geebc.dll
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\vtutu.dll

...then
Start
Run...
type msconfig hit enter
Startup(tab)
uncheck items not needed.

[SlowLearner]

:wave: Wow thank you for everything spider, you have definitely done your homework when it comes to this stuff... if you have a little free time, and you dont mind too much... could you tell me how you knew what code to use?

Oh... before I get ahead of myself, it was the rd 0200~1 and rd 0202~1 prompt commands that did the trick. Thats crazy that you were able to figure that out...

As for the spyware, I actually havent gotten to those yet, but I will let you know how that turns out as well, thanks again so much for everything... and to anyone else who helped!

[SlowLearner]

Ok so I got into safe mode, and then realized I wasnt really sure what prompt to use to delete the spyware... so I used killbox. It easily deleted all but one of them... so now im stuck with C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\geebc.dll. I'm not sure what is up with that one, but whenever I tried, explorer stopped running.

[Spider]

could you tell me how you knew what code to use?
A file or folder that ends up with no name will always have a short name. In a command prompt
dir /x lists everything in that directory (folder) with their short names as well as their regular
names.

So I gave you a script to list the short names in that folder and show them in Notepad. All of that
so I could see the short names in that folder, from your end you'd just type dir /x in that directory
to see the short names.
now im stuck with C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\geebc.dll
Remember you have to be in Safe Mode (http://space.hostrocket.com/safe.mode/safe.mode.html)
From Safe Mode (http://space.hostrocket.com/safe.mode/safe.mode.html) delete these...
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\awvtu.dll
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ddcyw.dll
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\geebc.dll
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\vtutu.dll

It would be better to boot to Safe Mode with Networking (http://space.hostrocket.com/safe.mode/safe.mode.with.networking.html) and go to ewido http://www.ewido.net/en/onlinescan

[SlowLearner]

Ah... the ewido did the trick, cleaned out everything in a snap. Thanks for everything =)

[Spider]

Your welcome, happy surfin'.