Windows 10: Deleting Folder

Good day. I have a directory on one of my external HDDs that I have been trying to delete. Explorer can see it, but when I try to delete it, it says it can't be found. After reboot, still the same. Ejected the drive, rebooted, then plugged the drive back in ... same. I tried two different "deleting" third party software and both saw the directory. One acted just like explorer and the other actually deleted the file, but somehow a new file folder was created with a random 12 numerical string as the folder name with the directory I'm trying to get rid off as a sub-directory. I delete that folder using the third party software and it deletes that, but a new random 12 numerical folder name is created. The original folder has no files in it, just an empty folder. One thing I did notice is there appears to be an added space at the end of the file folder name. As a subdirectory, I click on it like I want to rename it and there appears one additional blank character at the end. When I do the same to other subdirectories, there are no additional spaces. I tried removing the space, but it wouldn't saying the new name and destination name is the same. I tried renaming the folder to something else, I get the error that it couldn't be found. I loaded the command prompt and went to the external HDD and did the "dir" command and it sees the folder, but when I tried to cd to the folder, it says it can't be found. I tried the rd command with the same results. After reading different posts on the internet, I even tried the rd /s command with several empty spaces after the name of the folder, but that didn't solve anything either. Other than moving all files/folders and formatting the drive It's an 8TB drive, is there something someone can offer to help out? Thanks in advance.


V/r

Clarence

:)

 

Trouble deleting a folder

Thanks for the suggestion but it says "delete folder failed for E:\....." for each folder I try.

*Confused

Will I be forever stuck with these unnecessary folders? *Oh Well hwell:

 

Unable to delete a folder - Invalid folder name


Suggestion:

1. Run chkdsk x: /r to make sure that there's no HD corruption.
   x: is the drive containing the folder you want to delete.
2. Try to delete the folder again. If still does not work, go to step 3.
3. Download: Download - Linux Mint and create a bootable USB using: Rufus - Create bootable USB
4. Boot up with Linux Mint and try to delete the folder again.
   NOTE: Unlike WinPE. Linux does not have any Windows permission imposed to it so it is easier to delete.

 

Delete a file folder.

In such cases it is often possible to use this 3-step process:

1. Move the folder to C:\
2. Reboot
3. Delete the folder