Can't delete a folder on Win 7. Help?

[Very Strange Person]

I have a folder on a backup drive called F.E.A.R. I originally made it a year or so ago to backup the game FEAR (Steam backup). Anyway, I was clearing up some old folders and files I no longer use on my backup drive and noticed this folder, checked it and saw there was nothing in it so I tried to delete it. Win 7 is telling me that the folder cannot be found. I've tried googling and I can't seen to find anything that will help. I've also tried booting into safe mode and deleting it there. No joy. Any ideas guys?

[f0rk_b0mb]

Try this:

http://www.filehippo.com/download_unlocker/

[Very Strange Person]

Try this:

http://www.filehippo...nload_unlocker/

Thanks, but it didn't work. I'm not sure if the software is even working properly.

[Detection]

Unlocker seems hit or miss for me too, it installs but never seems to add itself to right click or even load when I tell it anymore, it used to work fine on 7 x64 too.

Maybe the folder was only a link to the real folder on the PC ? (I forget the name of them, you can make them with CMD, a Link folder or something)

EDIT - Found it

The mklink command is used to create a symbolic link. It is natively available in Windows Vista/2008+. It has the following command line syntax:[1]

mklink [[/D] | [/H] | [/J]] linkName target

	/D ? Creates a directory symbolic link. Default is a file symbolic link.
	/H ? Creates a hard link instead of a symbolic link.
	/J ? Creates a Directory Junction.
	linkName ? Specifies the new symbolic link name.
	target ? Specifies the path (relative or absolute) that the new link refers to.

Just like ordinary files and folders, del and rmdir can be used to delete symbolic links to files and directories.

To delete a symbolic link to a file or directory, the following command line syntax can be used (in each case, "linkname" specifies the name of the symbolic link to be deleted):

	For links to files:

	del linkName

	For links to directories:

	rmdir linkName

You could try this from CMD too

RD /S /Q pathname

pathname being the path and folder name

[Brandon H Supervisor]

have you tried deleting the folder from a linux live cd? I've been able to delete corrupt folders and files before using linux

[Very Strange Person]

have you tried deleting the folder from a linux live cd? I've been able to delete corrupt folders and files before using linux

I guess this is my best bet. Which means I have to twiddle my thumbs for ages while I download Ubuntu or something else onto a DVD. Windows can be a pedantic pain in the arse sometimes.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

I guess this is my best bet. Which means I have to twiddle my thumbs for ages while I download Ubuntu or something else onto a DVD. Windows can be a pedantic pain in the arse sometimes.

just get something small like puppy linux :)

[Marshall Veteran]

Have you tried Malwarebytes File Assassin tool?

[Very Strange Person]

Have you tried Malwarebytes File Assassin tool?

Tried that, didn't work.

[Very Strange Person]

Try this:

http://www.filehippo...nload_unlocker/

You know this comes with something called "Quickstore Toolbar" which you can't bloody delete? I'm going to have to format now. Jesus bloody Christ.

[articuno1au]

It's not a mklink association.

NTFS doesn't care if the root folder still exists.

I think your best bet is the live CD. Sounds like something went whack in your folder listings.

Regarding the toolbar, perhaps try CCleaners uninstaller? You can run it as a portable app so it doesn't install anything.

[Very Strange Person]

Regarding the toolbar, perhaps try CCleaners uninstaller? You can run it as a portable app so it doesn't install anything.

I tried this. It only disables the toolbar. It's still there in Firefox. EVERY addon I have in Firefox has a Remove option, but NOT the Quickstore Toolbar. I'm currently backing everything up. Thanks to that moron I have to spend my weekend formatting and restoring everything. I'll do a Live CD over the weekend as well.

WARNING TO ALL: Do NOT use Unlocker, and if you do make damn sure you deselect EVERYTHING to do with QUICKSTORE.

[Marshall Veteran]

You're going to format because of a toolbar? Get real...

[Detection]

I tried this. It only disables the toolbar. It's still there in Firefox. EVERY addon I have in Firefox has a Remove option, but NOT the Quickstore Toolbar. I'm currently backing everything up. Thanks to that moron I have to spend my weekend formatting and restoring everything. I'll do a Live CD over the weekend as well.

WARNING TO ALL: Do NOT use Unlocker, and if you do make damn sure you deselect EVERYTHING to do with QUICKSTORE.

The only moron is the one who thinks they need to format to remove a toolbar from firefox

[JTA]

I've seen on more occasions than I can count that a folder may well be deleted but still shows up in explorer on Win7. Open a command prompt and dir the folder that the F.E.A.R. folder was in and see if it shows in the list. It may just take a reboot to get it to show (or unshow in this case) properly.

And as others suggested, linux live cd is a easy fix.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

just delete the toolbar at the source, you should be able to find it at %appdata%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\(whatever random name the profile is given)\extensions

just look through those folders in the extensions folder and you should find the toolbar

edit: and a lot of times those toolbars are considered as malware so malwarebytes might be able to pick it up if you can't find it

[Detection]

just delete the toolbar at the source, you should be able to find it at %appdata%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\(whatever random name the profile is given)\extensions

just look through those folders in the extensions folder and you should find the toolbar

edit: and a lot of times those toolbars are considered as malware so malwarebytes might be able to pick it up if you can't find it

Meh, let him format

Once he's back up and running we`ll get him to create a new folder on the desktop, that should throw him

[articuno1au]

I have to say I would format in this case.

That said a format for me takes about 4 hours to be up and running completely again >.>

[Kami-]

I have to say I would format in this case.

That said a format for me takes about 4 hours to be up and running completely again >.>

4 Hours? ...

[Brandon H Supervisor]

4 Hours? ...

well to get windows 7 reinstalled, then run windows update about 5 times to get all the updates installed and then get all your programs installed again and get them set back up how you like .... 4 hours sounds about right depending on the number of programs

[Detection]

Worst case scenario would be uninstalling FF, but a format ? For a toolbar ?

[Hum]

You know this comes with something called "Quickstore Toolbar" which you can't bloody delete? I'm going to have to format now. Jesus bloody Christ.

I have never had to Format to remove a toolbar.

[f0rk_b0mb]

You know this comes with something called "Quickstore Toolbar" which you can't bloody delete? I'm going to have to format now. Jesus bloody Christ.

Are you really that ignorant? Control Panel > Add/remove Programs > Uninstall toolbar

Why did you even opt to install that crap? Uncheck the box during install. Heh. You call me idiot...

[Brandon H Supervisor]

Are you really that ignorant? Control Panel > Add/remove Programs > Uninstall toolbar

and are you blind? he said in another post that he ran the uninstaller but the toolbar is still there

[+Warwagon MVC]

Try creating a new firefox profile.

windows key + R then type Firefox /p and press enter

then create a new profile and load Firefox from the new profile and see if you still have the toolbar issue. if the issues goes away then just backup your bookmarks, and restore them in the new profile and do the Firefox / p again and delete the old profile.