Cannot delete file "runauto.."

  • Thread starter Thread starter x-eyed-bear
  • Start date Start date
- I do not use Restore points because I make frequent changes to my
system as part of my work and studies. I cannot readily keep track of
the restore points.
Click to expand...

I'd have thought frequent changes to a system were a reason to use restore points, not a reason
not to, but maybe it's just me who likes to have a way to easily undo a mistake...
 
x-eyed-bear said:
'solution providers' or problems solving web-sites that have no
value-add function at all -they merely trawl newsgroups like this and
vacuum up what nuggets they can find. Mostly the nuggets turn out to
be a well known compound of iron and sulphur. They also suck up the
names of people involved - so your name will be known. So expect the
usual spam shortly.

As I said, the solution that worked as to use the Unlocker program. I
listed the contents of the root directory on all my hard drives, right
clicked on the 'runauto..' folder and selected 'unlock' from the
context menu. Unlocker told me there were no locks in existence on
the file but offered a number of actions that it could perform,
delete being one of them. Deletion was immediate.

There was no long file name involved: both the windows command prompt
and the Recovery Console were able to display the file/folder name
'runauto..' but neither were able to do anything with it. I suspect it
was the trailing two periods which were the problem. I never thought
to type the file name within quotes: "runauto.." when trying any of
the DOS-like commands. I have no idea if this would have made a
difference.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the solution. Appreciated.
 
x-eyed-bear said:
Congratulations! You get a prize for being the only person who has
found a solution to this problem. I have worked at it since July 14th
almost every day trying the advices given by others. Yours actually
worked - unlocker deleted all instances of the file immediately.
Thank you very much.
Click to expand...

You're very welcome. Glad it worked for you :)

-jen
 
Buffalo said:
Disregard the above questions.
I read your post that you got it deleted.
When you tried to change the attributes in DOS, did you call the file
runauto.. or runaut~1 or "C:\runauto.." or ?
Curious, in case I have a similar problem with my Win2000Pro.
Click to expand...
IN both 'DOS' (actually Windows Command prompt) and at the Recovery
Console command line (which may be the same thing) I navigated to the
root of each drive - e.g. C:\ and then issued commands on the file named
'runauto..' - without using the single quote marks, like this:

attrib -h runauto..

Here I have allowed the [drive:] and [path] variables to default to
their current values - C: and \ in this case.

I wonder if I should have used

attrib -h "runauto,,"

None of my PC DOS 4,5,6 or7 user guides are clear on the syntax of
'filename'
 
x-eyed-bear said:
IN both 'DOS' (actually Windows Command prompt) and at the Recovery
Console command line (which may be the same thing) I navigated to the
root of each drive - e.g. C:\ and then issued commands on the file named
'runauto..' - without using the single quote marks, like this:

attrib -h runauto..

Here I have allowed the [drive:] and [path] variables to default to
their current values - C: and \ in this case.

I wonder if I should have used

attrib -h "runauto,,"

None of my PC DOS 4,5,6 or7 user guides are clear on the syntax of
'filename'
Click to expand...

Next time you encounter a peculiar folder or filename like that,
perhaps try Delinvfile to delete it...


http://delinvfile.assistance-and-resources-for-computing-inc.qarchive.org/

Larry
 
x-eyed-bear said:
IN both 'DOS' (actually Windows Command prompt) and at the Recovery
Console command line (which may be the same thing) I navigated to the
root of each drive - e.g. C:\ and then issued commands on the file named
'runauto..' - without using the single quote marks, like this:

attrib -h runauto..

Here I have allowed the [drive:] and [path] variables to default to
their current values - C: and \ in this case.

I wonder if I should have used

attrib -h "runauto,,"

None of my PC DOS 4,5,6 or7 user guides are clear on the syntax of
'filename'
Click to expand...

Not sure, but with the Dos in Win98 you had to keep the file name to 8 or
less characters.
In that case runauto.. would have to be called runaut~1.
But, at a Windows Command Prompt, I believe that the 8 character limit is
not applied, at least in Win2000Pro.
Thanks again for the solution you used.
PS: I would think that there is a proper syntax to use to do it without
using another program.
 
IN both 'DOS' (actually Windows Command prompt) and at the Recovery
Console command line (which may be the same thing) I navigated to the
root of each drive - e.g. C:\ and then issued commands on the file named
'runauto..' - without using the single quote marks, like this:

attrib -h runauto..

Here I have allowed the [drive:] and [path] variables to default to
their current values - C: and \ in this case.

I wonder if I should have used

attrib -h "runauto,,"
Click to expand...

Probably, coz more than 1 period, or any commas, are not usually allowable characters in a
filename at the command prompt (though the shells you get from cmd and from command difer,
and one may allow that stuff)
I usually find it best to do attrib -h -r -s filename, to zap all the attributes at once. Sometimes you
don't get access otherwise.
Doing a DIR run* would likely have shown the 8.3 format filename for the file, which would have got
round the funny character thing, too.
 
tobiasaf had written this in response to
http://secure-gear.com/alt.comp.anti-virus/6/Cannot-delete-file-runauto-article24086-.htm
:
I think I just replied to your message about this in another forum, but
I'll post again here just in case you didn't get it. I got this same
virus in my usb key after a trip to China and figured out how to delete
it. There's this free program, Delete FXP Files Classic, which you can
download here:

http://www.jrtwine.com/Products/DelFXPFiles/DeleteFXPFilesInstall.zip

Once you install and run it, you can enter the runauto.. folder, delete
the contents, and then delete the folder itself. (You can't delete it all
at once with the free version, you have to do it one by one.) Good luck!


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