Win 7 Pro, Explorer shows but cannot trace ZERO Byte folder whichI want to delete

[choro]

I did something silly again and somehow copied several Photo Sub-Folders
to My Pictures. Somehow or other this created a folder under My Pictues
named "Copy of" and then added the subfolders that I had copied and
pasted. Silly I know but...

Tried to delete the *Copy of* folder but the folder *could not be found*...
So I deleted the subfolders within it. No problem there.
Now I have got the main folder (within My Pictures) named *Copy of*
which Windows Explorer cannot find for deletion because it is *not*
there (even though it does show up under Windows Explorer).

Tried removing it as per *Resolution* instructions on...
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888820
But the instructions there do not tally with what I see on Windows 7 Pro.

I am at a loss as to how to delete this niggling *Copy of* folder within
My Pictures.

Any bright ideas?

 

[Paul]

I did something silly again and somehow copied several Photo Sub-Folders
to My Pictures. Somehow or other this created a folder under My Pictues
named "Copy of" and then added the subfolders that I had copied and
pasted. Silly I know but...

Tried to delete the *Copy of* folder but the folder *could not be found*...
So I deleted the subfolders within it. No problem there.
Now I have got the main folder (within My Pictures) named *Copy of*
which Windows Explorer cannot find for deletion because it is *not*
there (even though it does show up under Windows Explorer).

Tried removing it as per *Resolution* instructions on...
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888820
But the instructions there do not tally with what I see on Windows 7 Pro.

I am at a loss as to how to delete this niggling *Copy of* folder within
My Pictures.

Any bright ideas?

Are you talking about, removing a folder from a library ?

http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/14997/windows-7-remove-a-folder-from-a-library/

A library is just a list of folders, stored in an XML file, and
interpreted by the system to make a library representation in Explorer.
The above procedure, is removing an item from the list.

Paul

 

[choro]

Are you talking about, removing a folder from a library ?

http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/14997/windows-7-remove-a-folder-from-a-library/


A library is just a list of folders, stored in an XML file, and
interpreted by the system to make a library representation in Explorer.
The above procedure, is removing an item from the list.

Paul

No, it is not a library folder. It shows up as being a folder on my D
drive/Pictures/Copy of but yet isn't actually there. I can't delete it,
nor rename it nor do anything else with it because Windows Explorer
can't find it even though it shows up within Windows Explorer. Most
strange. It is like a ghost showing up under My Pictures.

I have a strange feeling it is behaving like a program in the startup
folder. Going to try CCleaner to see it it can sort this one out by
cleaning up the registry. I am not too keen on the idea of trying to
clean up the registry manually myself as I have never done it before.

 

[Paul]

No, it is not a library folder. It shows up as being a folder on my D
drive/Pictures/Copy of but yet isn't actually there. I can't delete it,
nor rename it nor do anything else with it because Windows Explorer
can't find it even though it shows up within Windows Explorer. Most
strange. It is like a ghost showing up under My Pictures.

I have a strange feeling it is behaving like a program in the startup
folder. Going to try CCleaner to see it it can sort this one out by
cleaning up the registry. I am not too keen on the idea of trying to
clean up the registry manually myself as I have never done it before.

If you do a search for the named folder, does it show up elsewhere ?
Navigate to elsewhere and delete it there.

Paul

 

[choro]

If you do a search for the named folder, does it show up elsewhere ?
Navigate to elsewhere and delete it there.

Paul

Just run CCleaner. It is still there under D:\Pictures\Copy of
Everything.exe shows it as being there. There are NO other copies of it.
As far as I know I was trying to move a folder into another folder
withing Pictures when this thing happened. I realized I had duplicates
of hundreds of pictures and tried to delete it but it wouldn't delete.
Eventually I deleted the sub-folders within it. No problem there. But as
for the *Copy of* folder withing *D:\Pictures* no luck in deleting it as
it *isn't there". I get the option of browsing to find it but it just
ain't anywhere else!

This surely must be a bug of some sort.

 

[Ed Cryer]

Just run CCleaner. It is still there under D:\Pictures\Copy of
Everything.exe shows it as being there. There are NO other copies of it.
As far as I know I was trying to move a folder into another folder
withing Pictures when this thing happened. I realized I had duplicates
of hundreds of pictures and tried to delete it but it wouldn't delete.
Eventually I deleted the sub-folders within it. No problem there. But as
for the *Copy of* folder withing *D:\Pictures* no luck in deleting it as
it *isn't there". I get the option of browsing to find it but it just
ain't anywhere else!

This surely must be a bug of some sort.

Try two things.
First an error check of the drive, leaving "automatically fix errors"
ticked.
If that hasn't fixed it, run a Command Prompt as administrator, navigate
into the parent folder and do;
rd "Copy of" /s

Ed

 

[James]

I did something silly again and somehow copied several Photo Sub-Folders
to My Pictures. Somehow or other this created a folder under My Pictues
named "Copy of" and then added the subfolders that I had copied and
pasted. Silly I know but...

Tried to delete the *Copy of* folder but the folder *could not be found*...
So I deleted the subfolders within it. No problem there.
Now I have got the main folder (within My Pictures) named *Copy of*
which Windows Explorer cannot find for deletion because it is *not*
there (even though it does show up under Windows Explorer).

Tried removing it as per *Resolution* instructions on...
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888820
But the instructions there do not tally with what I see on Windows 7 Pro.

I am at a loss as to how to delete this niggling *Copy of* folder within
My Pictures.

Any bright ideas?

Did you somehow change the permissions of the folder?

 

[choro]

Try two things.
First an error check of the drive, leaving "automatically fix errors"
ticked.
If that hasn't fixed it, run a Command Prompt as administrator, navigate
into the parent folder and do;
rd "Copy of" /s

Ed

Tried Safe Start and it shows up there too but is NOT there!!! So it
cannot be deleted.

Tried CCleaner to no avail.

Tried D:chkdsk /f which it did after a Restart. No luck. But it still
showed up.

Tried D:\Pictures\dir and the "Copy of" subfolder shows up there. Yet if
cannot cd to go to " D:\Pictures\Copy of " whether I have "Copy of"
within quotes or not.

rd from the command prompt did not work either because, I guess, there
is nothing there to remove.

This thing seems to be like a mirage. You see it yet it is not there.--
choro
*****

 

[choro]

Did you somehow change the permissions of the folder?

Not that I know of!--
choro
*****

 

[Ed Cryer]

Tried Safe Start and it shows up there too but is NOT there!!! So it
cannot be deleted.

Tried CCleaner to no avail.

Tried D:chkdsk /f which it did after a Restart. No luck. But it still
showed up.

Tried D:\Pictures\dir and the "Copy of" subfolder shows up there. Yet if
cannot cd to go to " D:\Pictures\Copy of " whether I have "Copy of"
within quotes or not.

rd from the command prompt did not work either because, I guess, there
is nothing there to remove.

This thing seems to be like a mirage. You see it yet it is not there.--
choro
*****

Try a Linux live disc.
BTW, is the original folder linked to a particular program? Some
photo-handling software?

Ed

 

[choro]

Tried Safe Start and it shows up there too but is NOT there!!! So it
cannot be deleted.

Tried CCleaner to no avail.

Tried D:chkdsk /f which it did after a Restart. No luck. But it still
showed up.

Tried D:\Pictures\dir and the "Copy of" subfolder shows up there. Yet if
cannot cd to go to " D:\Pictures\Copy of " whether I have "Copy of"
within quotes or not.

rd from the command prompt did not work either because, I guess, there
is nothing there to remove.

This thing seems to be like a mirage. You see it yet it is not there.--
choro
*****

Strangest thing of all is that I can copy and paste files into this
mirage folder and when I click it in Windows Explorer the files DO show
up there. But yet the mirage folder is 0 Bytes. In other words, it
doesn't exist there. And since it doesn't exist it cannot be deleted and
neither can it be renamed!!! A true ghost or mirage!!!

Most strange. Yet it must be somewhere to show up in Windows Explorer
like that. But where? However, Everything.exe shows up only ONE copy of
this "Copy of" subfolder and it shows it as being in the D:\Pictures
main folder.

BTW, my D drive is a partition which I reserve to store my User Files.

 

[choro]

Try a Linux live disc.
BTW, is the original folder linked to a particular program? Some
photo-handling software?

Ed

Now, where is my Linux Live disk? I'll be damned if I remember where I
put it. Come to think of it, I might have more than one such disk.
I will let you know in due course when I've tried the Linux Live Disk.

This thing happened while I was trying to more a folder of photos as a
subfolder into another of my Pictures folders. I guess I did it in a
slipshod way and it went somewhere else with this result. Normally I
have 2 copies of Windows Explorer open for jobs like this but I guess I
was feeling a bit lazy this time.

 

[Ed Cryer]

Strangest thing of all is that I can copy and paste files into this
mirage folder and when I click it in Windows Explorer the files DO show
up there. But yet the mirage folder is 0 Bytes. In other words, it
doesn't exist there. And since it doesn't exist it cannot be deleted and
neither can it be renamed!!! A true ghost or mirage!!!

Most strange. Yet it must be somewhere to show up in Windows Explorer
like that. But where? However, Everything.exe shows up only ONE copy of
this "Copy of" subfolder and it shows it as being in the D:\Pictures
main folder.

BTW, my D drive is a partition which I reserve to store my User Files.

WEll, don't go awarding yourself an "only man I know who's created an
undeletable folder" badge just yet. Googling finds lots of them.

I have a nice suggestion. Rename it and use it. That would be cool. I
have a personal way of exorcising (sic!) my own losses; replace the
thing with something bigger and better! That way you can kid your psyche
into doing more than just pardon you; it can be hoodwinked into praising
you.

Rename it; use it; put stuff into it.

Ed

 

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

In message <[email protected]>, choro <[email protected]>
writes:
[]

rd from the command prompt did not work either because, I guess, there
is nothing there to remove.

[]
Does dir from the command prompt show it is there? (Possibly including
the switch [to dir] to show system and hidden files, or previously
running [I think this is right]
attrib *.* -r -s
first.)

 

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

choro wrote: []

doesn't exist there. And since it doesn't exist it cannot be deleted and
neither can it be renamed!!! A true ghost or mirage!!!

[]
I have a nice suggestion. Rename it and use it. That would be cool. I

It would indeed be freezing, if he hadn't already said he couldn't do it
....

 

[Jim]

Try a Linux live disc.
BTW, is the original folder linked to a particular program? Some
photo-handling software?

Ed

+1 for the linux disk. The easiest way to remove these things is to
boot off a linux cd. If you can't find your copy just download another
one.

Jim

 

[choro]

Linux to the rescue!

See below...

+1 for the linux disk. The easiest way to remove these things is to
boot off a linux cd. If you can't find your copy just download another
one.

Jim

Found an Ubuntu 9.04 Live CD which did the job. After deleting the
damned file I went to the kitchen for a relaxing cup of strong black
coffee and a smoke.

This was more or less my first experience with Linux Ubuntu and it felt
like waking up in the middle of the night in a strange bedroom during a
power-out. But it wasn't too bad actually. They have certainly done a
good job with the graphic interface.

Got Win 7 Pro running now and noticed it sitting in the Recycle bin
which I have duly emptied. --
choro
*****

 

[choro]

choro wrote: []

doesn't exist there. And since it doesn't exist it cannot be deleted and
neither can it be renamed!!! A true ghost or mirage!!!

[]
I have a nice suggestion. Rename it and use it. That would be cool. I

It would indeed be freezing, if he hadn't already said he couldn't do it

You can't very well rename something that isn't there!--
choro
*****

 

[choro]

rd from the command prompt did not work either because, I guess, there
is nothing there to remove.

[]
Does dir from the command prompt show it is there? (Possibly including
the switch [to dir] to show system and hidden files, or previously
running [I think this is right]
attrib *.* -r -s
first.)[/QUOTE]

It does or rather did indeed show up with the D:\Pictures>dir command
until I deleted it using the Linux Ubuntu 9.04 Live CD.

However, it is still showing on Everything.exe though the dir command no
longer shows it. So I expect Everything has not updated its list of
files hence the reason why it is still showing there but not under the
dir command. A real pest if I ever came across one!

 

[Paul]

Linux to the rescue!

See below...


Found an Ubuntu 9.04 Live CD which did the job. After deleting the
damned file I went to the kitchen for a relaxing cup of strong black
coffee and a smoke.

This was more or less my first experience with Linux Ubuntu and it felt
like waking up in the middle of the night in a strange bedroom during a
power-out. But it wasn't too bad actually. They have certainly done a
good job with the graphic interface.

Got Win 7 Pro running now and noticed it sitting in the Recycle bin
which I have duly emptied. --
choro
*****

Here's a tool for another day.

This doesn't solve any problems, but it may make some files a bit more
visible to you.

Look for NFI.exe in the download. This is an ancient utility, invented to
help OEMs with the new NTFS file system. It gives the file name, and the
addresses of the sectors used to store it. It doesn't take that long to
run. And in the event the $MFT was ever blasted on your partition,
it might actually help you recover the data if you wanted. It doesn't
record every aspect of the file system, but if you need to recover
a favorite set of fragmented pictures on a disk, it could help.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/win2000srv/utility/3.0/nt45/en-us/oem3sr2.zip

This is an example of a couple "interesting" entry.
These are the control files for two libraries. From C: .

File 27142
\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries\Videos.library-ms
$STANDARD_INFORMATION (resident)
$FILE_NAME (resident)
$FILE_NAME (resident)
$OBJECT_ID (resident)
$DATA (nonresident)
logical sectors 881824-881831 (0xd74a0-0xd74a7)

File 27144
\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries\Pictures.library-ms
$STANDARD_INFORMATION (resident)
$FILE_NAME (resident)
$FILE_NAME (resident)
$OBJECT_ID (resident)
$DATA (nonresident)
logical sectors 882264-882271 (0xd7658-0xd765f)

Each of those files is in XML format, and can be viewed
with Wordpad.

If you went to the Windows 7 search and tried to find Pictures.library-ms,
you might not find it, but NFI knows where it is. I don't know
what NFI does about reparse or junction points.

Still, if you can't find something, it's worth a shot. Only
works on NTFS. There is no equivalent for FAT32 (at least,
from Microsoft).

Syntax for usage:

nfi W: > wfiles.txt

HTH,
Paul