file name that is too long

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rita
  • Start date Start date
R

Rita

A users created a file .tmp with a file name that is too
long.
I'm guessing around 80 characters.
Mostly .tmp.tmp.tmp.tmp.etc...
I can't delete it or rename it. Does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks
 
Have you tried to remove the entire contents of the directory? You may also
want to try:
move * BLAH
del BLAH

or something similiar.
can you post a dump of the screen with a
dir
and a
dir /b
 
Still not able to delete.
Here's the output below.
The file does not show up from a dos prompt. But it's
still there when I go into explorer.
Rita


E:\users\GPQWConfigs\PROFILE_OLD3>move * blah
The filename or extension is too long.
0 file(s) moved.

E:\users\GPQWConfigs\PROFILE_OLD3>del *
E:\users\GPQWConfigs\PROFILE_OLD3\*, Are you sure (Y/N)? y

E:\users\GPQWConfigs\PROFILE_OLD3>dir
Volume in drive E has no label.
Volume Serial Number is 12FA-92C7

Directory of E:\users\GPQWConfigs\PROFILE_OLD3

02/16/2004 01:34p <DIR> .
02/16/2004 01:34p <DIR> ..
0 File(s) 0 bytes
2 Dir(s) 60,102,422,528 bytes free
 
Alright,
Just out of curiousity, is the file marked as hidden? (Wondering why it
isn't showing up the cmd prompt, long file names almost always do but they
tend to be garbaged up)...

You might want to try something like Winzip and Zip up the folder with a
"MOVE" option (so that it deleted the program when its done). I recall
reading a KB Article that mentions Posix compliant apps can sometimes delete
files that windows cannot. I'm not saying winzip is posix compliant but it
may be worth a shot.

-Sam
 
Hi, Rita.

In the "DOS" window, type: dir /a /x

The /a switch will show ALL files, even those with attributes (hidden,
system, read-only) set. The /x switch will show SFNs (Short File Names,
also known as 8.3 filenames, because they MUST conform to MS-DOS filename
rules) in a column before the LFNs. Even a 1-byte filename can be a "long"
filename if it uses a character that is not legal in an 8.3 filename.

Then use the Delete command for a file or the Remove Directory command for a
directory (folder). Use the SFN with the command, rather than trying to
figure out the LFN.

In the "DOS" window, type any command followed by /? to see a mini-Help file
listing switches available with that command. For example, rd /? will show
you that rd <SFN> /s will delete a directory AND ALL ITS CONTENTS, files,
subfolders and all.

If these techniques don't work, post back the exact SFN of the problem file.

RC
 
Hi

I had the same problem. I was able to dele the file over the network

Try this
1. Share the folder
2. Access the share from another computer like on Run type \\servername\sharenam
3. That will open up the share. Just delete as you do normaly

It worked form me. Tell me if it does

Regard
Julian Jeyarja
 
I just had this problem and here was my solution:
I ended up deleting the document as it was annoying me ;-) though I
suspect that I could have just renamed it...

Since I couldn't manipulate the document but I could move and change
the folders, I simply moved the problem doc's folder closer to the root
of the profile thus making the total file/location much smaller. I was
then able to edit/delete it.
FYI: I also deleted the documents from the profile on the server...
 
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