Can't delete file of 0 bytes!! Aaargh!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pete
  • Start date Start date
P

Pete

I have tried everything to delete a file with 0 bytes. I have checked its
attributes and changed them accordingly. Didn't work.
I have tried a "shredder" on it, but no good.
I booted to a safe mode with dos window, and still couldn't delete it.
The error message I continuously get is "cannot delete file, cannot read
from the file source disk or file."
How the h*ll do I get rid of it? Any ideas?
 
Pete said:
I have tried everything to delete a file with 0 bytes. I have checked
its attributes and changed them accordingly. Didn't work.
I have tried a "shredder" on it, but no good.
I booted to a safe mode with dos window, and still couldn't delete it.
The error message I continuously get is "cannot delete file, cannot
read from the file source disk or file."
How the h*ll do I get rid of it? Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Run chkdsk /f and then try to delete it.

How to use Chkdsk - http://tinyurl.com/2obcd

Also see:

Undeletable Files:
http://aumha.org/a/stubborn.php
http://www.petri.co.il/delete_undeletable_files.htm
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_undeletable_file.htm - Pocket KillBox
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/files/killbox.php

Malke
 
Malke said:
Run chkdsk /f and then try to delete it.

How to use Chkdsk - http://tinyurl.com/2obcd

Also see:

Undeletable Files:
http://aumha.org/a/stubborn.php
http://www.petri.co.il/delete_undeletable_files.htm
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_undeletable_file.htm - Pocket KillBox
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/files/killbox.php

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
Click to expand...

Thanks! I'm running a virus check on the machine.
 
Hi Pete - The following is from my Blog, Defending Your Machine, addy below
in my signature:


"Sometimes the tools below will find files which they are unable to delete
because they are in use.

A program called Copylock, here, http://noeld.com/programs.asp?cat=misc can
aid in the process of "replacing, moving, renaming or deleting one or many
files which are currently in use (e.g. system files like comctl32.dll, or
virus/trojan files.)"

Another is Killbox by Option Explicit, Beta version available here:
http://www.killbox.net/downloads/beta/KillBox.exe Overview directions are
available here: http://www.killbox.net/help.html#Top Read carefully - this
tool is quite powerful.

A third which is a bit different but often very useful is Delete Invalid
File, here: http://www.purgeie.com/delinv.htm which handles invalid/UNC
file/folder name deleting, rather than the in use problem.

A fourth useful program is Unlocker, here:
..http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/ " Simply right click the folder or file
and select Unlocker. If the folder or file is locked, a window listing of
lockers will appear. Simply select the lockers and click Unlock and you are
done!" Works as advertised and is particularly helpful in identifying
malware components which are 'protecting' each other."
 
Pete said:
I have tried everything to delete a file with 0 bytes. I have checked its
attributes and changed them accordingly. Didn't work.
I have tried a "shredder" on it, but no good.
I booted to a safe mode with dos window, and still couldn't delete it.
The error message I continuously get is "cannot delete file, cannot read
from the file source disk or file."
How the h*ll do I get rid of it? Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Hi Pete,
I had a similar problem some time back. I posted to this NG and got some
ideas and I eventually deleted the file. Here is are copies of my postings
of some time ago. I hope this is of some help.
Best of luck.
Brian.

My post of the problem.
I tried to save an attachment from an email (from a reliable source) and
something went wrong. It did not save correctly. The file name is there with
0 kb file size. I saved the file again and it saved ok, and I then deleted
it.
My problem is that I cannot delete the 0 kb file. A message says
"Cannot delete file. Cannot read from the source file or disk".
It appears that although the file name shows in Windows Explorer, the PC
seems to think it is not there.
I saved another file with the same file name and extension and then
there were two files with identical names in the same folder, but one had 1
kb size. This 1 kb file I can delete, but not the 0 kb file.
How can I delete this file?
Thank you for any replies.

My post after I deleted the file.
Hello Rick,
Many thanks for your link to Kellys Korner. I went there and tried but
it did not work quite like that.
I eventually deleted the problem file based on an idea I got from
reading Kellys Korner, as follows.
1 The file was in a directory named PowerPoint Data (2 words)
2 I copied all wanted files to another location, leaving only the unwanted
file.
3 At the command prompt I went to the directory containing PowerPoint Data
and tried to remove the directory with rd /s
4 This did not work. It tried to remove "PowerPoint" and "Data" directories
(which don't exist), but this did not work.
5 I renamed the directory "PowerPoint Data" to be only one word
"PowerPoint"
6 rd /s then successfully removed the directory including the problem file.

I had previously tried to delete the directory using Windows Explorer
without success. I had to use the rd /s command.

Many thanks to both gentlemen.
Regards,
Brian.
 
DelinvFile execution module

deleted the file! Incredible, since I tried everything else. This is a
winner. Praise God. Thanks for the recommendation. :-)
 
Jim said:
Hi Pete - The following is from my Blog, Defending Your Machine, addy
below in my signature:


"Sometimes the tools below will find files which they are unable to
delete because they are in use.

A program called Copylock, here,
http://noeld.com/programs.asp?cat=misc can aid in the process of
"replacing, moving, renaming or deleting one or many files which are
currently in use (e.g. system files like comctl32.dll, or
virus/trojan files.)"
Another is Killbox by Option Explicit, Beta version available here:
http://www.killbox.net/downloads/beta/KillBox.exe Overview directions
are available here: http://www.killbox.net/help.html#Top Read
carefully - this tool is quite powerful.

A third which is a bit different but often very useful is Delete
Invalid File, here: http://www.purgeie.com/delinv.htm which handles
invalid/UNC file/folder name deleting, rather than the in use problem.

A fourth useful program is Unlocker, here:
.http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/ " Simply right click the folder or
file and select Unlocker. If the folder or file is locked, a window
listing of lockers will appear. Simply select the lockers and click
Unlock and you are done!" Works as advertised and is particularly
helpful in identifying malware components which are 'protecting' each
other."
Click to expand...

Hmm, that's a pretty good collection of apparently useful apps there, Jim.
Most are new to me but from what I saw in brief visits, I'll be checking
them more closely for my own arsenal.

Thanks

Pop`
 
YW, Pop. Hope you do find them useful. You might want to take a look at
the rest of the Blog also, (in case you were only referring to the file
deletion stuff. I like to think that the rest of what's there is pretty
useful also - at least that's the intent. :) )
 
Back
Top