Cant delete 0 byte file Windows 10

[neufuse Veteran]

even tried going into command prompt via the windows 10 trouble shooting and running chkdsk with a full scan... tried manually deleting there... everything

 

chkdsk comes back every time with no problems found, delete just comes back with path not found

[aphanic]

It peaked my interest, is the program that creates them publicly available? I wonder how it is creating those files (or those entries).

 

By the way, does it run under System or TrustedInstaller?

[Peresvet]

  On 20/06/2020 at 14:09, neufuse said:

done that many times, no errors....

 

I've had this issue from the initial windows 10 version all the way up to 2004 now chkdsk shows nothing still

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In that case, I'd just forget about it. Can you make those files hidden?

 

Another option is to back-up your data (minus those files) and reformat the damn drive - "it's the only way to be sure" 😄 

 

 

[Jim K Global Moderator]

Are they located in a folder which can be deleted (even if it requires temporarily moving wanted files to a temp directory).  What program is creating these files?  What are the file names?

 

What are the details of these files when you powershell Get-ItemProperty   ?

 

Example (fand.txt is file)...

 

PS C:\Users\Jim\desktop> get-itemproperty fand.txt | Format-list -Property * -Force

PSPath            : Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\FileSystem::C:\Users\Jim\desktop\fand.txt
PSParentPath      : Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\FileSystem::C:\Users\Jim\desktop
PSChildName       : fand.txt
PSDrive           : C
PSProvider        : Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\FileSystem
Mode              : -a----
VersionInfo       : File:             C:\Users\Jim\desktop\fand.txt
                    InternalName:
                    OriginalFilename:
                    FileVersion:
                    FileDescription:
                    Product:
                    ProductVersion:
                    Debug:            False
                    Patched:          False
                    PreRelease:       False
                    PrivateBuild:     False
                    SpecialBuild:     False
                    Language:

BaseName          : fand
Target            : {}
LinkType          :
Name              : fand.txt
Length            : 25
DirectoryName     : C:\Users\Jim\desktop
Directory         : C:\Users\Jim\desktop
IsReadOnly        : False
Exists            : True
FullName          : C:\Users\Jim\desktop\fand.txt
Extension         : .txt
CreationTime      : 6/16/2020 18:28:42
CreationTimeUtc   : 6/16/2020 23:28:42
LastAccessTime    : 6/19/2020 19:14:50
LastAccessTimeUtc : 6/20/2020 00:14:50
LastWriteTime     : 6/16/2020 18:28:42
LastWriteTimeUtc  : 6/16/2020 23:28:42
Attributes        : Archive

 

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

 

What is the completely path specification and filename that is showing up for the 0-byte long files? 

Have you checked using a program like Microsoft Sysinternals' handle to see if what process is its owner?

 

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

 

[adrynalyne]

  On 20/06/2020 at 13:46, neufuse said:

same thing it's like the file isn't there but there is a record to it in the MTF ...

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That would imply the files disappear when not in use, wouldn’t it? Does WSL also not think the file exists?

[neufuse Veteran]

  On 20/06/2020 at 15:46, Peresvet said:

In that case, I'd just forget about it. Can you make those files hidden?

 

Another option is to back-up your data (minus those files) and reformat the damn drive - "it's the only way to be sure" 😄 

 

 

Expand  

no, you can't even change properties of them... if you go into their properties it just has a red x with "the requested security information is either unavaiable or can't be displayed" for security and for the general tab  everything is blank, accessed, modified, created size etc... only location is there and type of file is just "file"

[neufuse Veteran]

  On 20/06/2020 at 17:18, goretsky said:

Hello,

 

What is the completely path specification and filename that is showing up for the 0-byte long files? 

Have you checked using a program like Microsoft Sysinternals' handle to see if what process is its owner?

 

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

 

Expand  

there is no owner process.. I can't even delete them using windows 10's safe mode command prompt..

 

I thought maybe file name length was the issue but the full path included is only 170 characters, I've seen long file names in windows from apps that exceeded 255 chars that get messed up with the path included, but nope not even that is the case

  On 20/06/2020 at 17:40, adrynalyne said:

That would imply the files disappear when not in use, wouldn’t it? Does WSL also not think the file exists?

Expand  

if I go into ubuntu via WSL I get the same thing, there is a zero byte file at the path that can't be accessed or deleted... the files are never "in use" when I'm trying to access them... I can pull this drive and put it into another system and I get the same results

[neufuse Veteran]

  On 20/06/2020 at 16:28, Jim K said:

Are they located in a folder which can be deleted (even if it requires temporarily moving wanted files to a temp directory).  What program is creating these files?  What are the file names?

 

What are the details of these files when you powershell Get-ItemProperty   ?

 

Example (fand.txt is file)...

 

PS C:\Users\Jim\desktop> get-itemproperty fand.txt | Format-list -Property * -Force

PSPath            : Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\FileSystem::C:\Users\Jim\desktop\fand.txt
PSParentPath      : Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\FileSystem::C:\Users\Jim\desktop
PSChildName       : fand.txt
PSDrive           : C
PSProvider        : Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\FileSystem
Mode              : -a----
VersionInfo       : File:             C:\Users\Jim\desktop\fand.txt
                    InternalName:
                    OriginalFilename:
                    FileVersion:
                    FileDescription:
                    Product:
                    ProductVersion:
                    Debug:            False
                    Patched:          False
                    PreRelease:       False
                    PrivateBuild:     False
                    SpecialBuild:     False
                    Language:

BaseName          : fand
Target            : {}
LinkType          :
Name              : fand.txt
Length            : 25
DirectoryName     : C:\Users\Jim\desktop
Directory         : C:\Users\Jim\desktop
IsReadOnly        : False
Exists            : True
FullName          : C:\Users\Jim\desktop\fand.txt
Extension         : .txt
CreationTime      : 6/16/2020 18:28:42
CreationTimeUtc   : 6/16/2020 23:28:42
LastAccessTime    : 6/19/2020 19:14:50
LastAccessTimeUtc : 6/20/2020 00:14:50
LastWriteTime     : 6/16/2020 18:28:42
LastWriteTimeUtc  : 6/16/2020 23:28:42
Attributes        : Archive

 

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PS D:\EDI\downloads\incoming-CARRIERS\> get-itemproperty "MDE-ITX-20200121-20200222.DAT"
get-itemproperty : Cannot find path 'D:\EDI\downloads\incoming-CARRIERS\MDE-ITX-20200121-20200222.DAT'
because it does not exist.
At line:1 char:1
+ get-itemproperty "MDE-ITX-20200121-20200222.DAT ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (D:\EDI\downlo...0222.DAT :String) [Get-ItemProperty], ItemNotFo
   undException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : PathNotFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.GetItemPropertyCommand

[yuanyasmine]

Try deleting the file/folder from Safe Mode and check if the issue persists.

Step 1: Boot to Safe Mode.

a. Press the ‘Windows + R’ keys on the keyboard.

b. In the ‘Run’ window type ’MSCONFIG’ and click ‘Ok’.

c. Click the ‘Boot’ tab.

d. Under ‘Boot Options’, select the ‘Safe Boot’ option.

e. Choose the type of safe mode by selecting one of the options below the Safe boot check box:
Select ‘Minimal’.

f. Click OK and then restart your PC.

[Peresvet]

  On 22/06/2020 at 09:12, yuanyasmine said:

Try deleting the file/folder from Safe Mode and check if the issue persists.

Step 1: Boot to Safe Mode.

a. Press the ‘Windows + R’ keys on the keyboard.

b. In the ‘Run’ window type ’MSCONFIG’ and click ‘Ok’.

c. Click the ‘Boot’ tab.

d. Under ‘Boot Options’, select the ‘Safe Boot’ option.

e. Choose the type of safe mode by selecting one of the options below the Safe boot check box:
Select ‘Minimal’.

f. Click OK and then restart your PC.

Expand  

 

  On 20/06/2020 at 19:41, neufuse said:

I can't even delete them using windows 10's safe mode command prompt..

Expand  

 

[neufuse Veteran]

  On 22/06/2020 at 09:12, yuanyasmine said:

Try deleting the file/folder from Safe Mode and check if the issue persists.

Step 1: Boot to Safe Mode.

a. Press the ‘Windows + R’ keys on the keyboard.

b. In the ‘Run’ window type ’MSCONFIG’ and click ‘Ok’.

c. Click the ‘Boot’ tab.

d. Under ‘Boot Options’, select the ‘Safe Boot’ option.

e. Choose the type of safe mode by selecting one of the options below the Safe boot check box:
Select ‘Minimal’.

f. Click OK and then restart your PC.

Expand  

* face palm * 

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

  On 22/06/2020 at 12:49, Riva said:

I just created a 0 bytes file and i was able to delete it just fine

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That is not the issue here.  It's part of it sure, but it's not the sole issue.

[shockz]

What does robocopy error out with this proposed solution: 

? 

[Brandon H Supervisor]

Like I said in my comment from last year; I've run into this a few times going all the way back to XP. I'm guessing it's as you think, there's nothing in the file space but the MFT table thinks there is or something.

Back when I had this issue I tried numerous things all of which have been listed here (besides robocopy) and a few other things and NOTHING worked aside from formatting the drive unfortunately 😕

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

One thing I remember from the DOS era is that if you do not have the TEMP environment variable properly defined and do a directory using a pipe ("|") redirection to the MORE command, the temporary file used to buffer the contents of the directory stream to the MORE command would show up only in the directory listing.  I wonder if a similar effect could be coming into play?

 

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

 

 

[Joe User]

Have you tried running streams on the file?

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/streams

 

I've heard of files with NTFS streams sometimes causing strange issues like this.

 

[George P Global Moderator]

I haven't run into a issue like this in years, when I did unlocker worked and I deleted the file.  Since it's created by that specific app you have to use, has it done it before and on other systems or is this isolated to one specific system?

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

Daft question.  What if you open Notepad, type something and try to save over the top of the file?

 

I'm assuing "File cannot be found" still?

[neufuse Veteran]

  On 23/06/2020 at 08:04, Code Name: Lockdown said:

Daft question.  What if you open Notepad, type something and try to save over the top of the file?

 

I'm assuing "File cannot be found" still?

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yes

 

but update, I tried the latest Ubuntu WSL  release and I can delete them from inside of Ubuntu WSL!

 

Finally!! Now If I could just figure out WHY windows can't do it but WSL can

[Greg Zeng]

This "standard problem" is very common.  It seems so far that the suggestions so far did not work.  In my expert opinion, none of the suggestions should really work.

Several causes for this happen.  All very standard & predictable.

Removal of rubbish files & folders is also easy.

As suggested so far, do the obvious. 

(1) As suggested, "Chkdsk /f".  I generally use Iobit's freeware "Disk Doctor", included in their Advanced Systemcare freeware.

(2) Remove any crazy file attributes, such as READ-ONLY, SYSTEM & HIDDEN.  Super Geeks like myself use powerful geekware, "Servant Salamander".  This Windows-only utility is now freeware.  It is far more powerful than all the Linux file utilities combined.  Perhaps I might do a FAQ on this product.  Used ever since it came out.

Often these rubbish files & folders have crazy reasons for existing. 

(3) If a folder, dig deep into it, to remove as much of the crud buried inside it.  As you dig your way out of the crud, some upper levels might be deleted also.  Any long file names, try to minimize their names, such as -, -=, -=-, etc..

(4) Eventually you get to the files & folders that cannot be removed. 

(5) Move all these together into the one short name folder.

(6) Then move this folder onto the root of the partition.  This can be done easily.  "Moving" is not a hardware movement, but the complex File Allocation Table Change.

(7) Most Linux operating systems can delete this Windows file & folder.  The "bad" Linux systems are now getting the Microsoft penalty, so now make it impossible to delete some Windows files.

(8) The "best" & most reliable way to remove this Windows rubbish is to use "Linuxfx".  It is based on Ubuntu, to appear to be a Windows-10 "copy".  No need to install it.  Just run & boot as usual.

(9) It takes some expertise to create & use Linux boot sticks.  Ask if you need more assistance.

[adrynalyne]

  On 10/08/2020 at 05:40, Greg Zeng said:

This "standard problem" is very common.  It seems so far that the suggestions so far did not work.  In my expert opinion, none of the suggestions should really work.

Several causes for this happen.  All very standard & predictable.

Removal of rubbish files & folders is also easy.

As suggested so far, do the obvious. 

(1) As suggested, "Chkdsk /f".  I generally use Iobit's freeware "Disk Doctor", included in their Advanced Systemcare freeware.

(2) Remove any crazy file attributes, such as READ-ONLY, SYSTEM & HIDDEN.  Super Geeks like myself use powerful geekware, "Servant Salamander".  This Windows-only utility is now freeware.  It is far more powerful than all the Linux file utilities combined.  Perhaps I might do a FAQ on this product.  Used ever since it came out.

Often these rubbish files & folders have crazy reasons for existing. 

(3) If a folder, dig deep into it, to remove as much of the crud buried inside it.  As you dig your way out of the crud, some upper levels might be deleted also.  Any long file names, try to minimize their names, such as -, -=, -=-, etc..

(4) Eventually you get to the files & folders that cannot be removed. 

(5) Move all these together into the one short name folder.

(6) Then move this folder onto the root of the partition.  This can be done easily.  "Moving" is not a hardware movement, but the complex File Allocation Table Change.

(7) Most Linux operating systems can delete this Windows file & folder.  The "bad" Linux systems are now getting the Microsoft penalty, so now make it impossible to delete some Windows files.

(8) The "best" & most reliable way to remove this Windows rubbish is to use "Linuxfx".  It is based on Ubuntu, to appear to be a Windows-10 "copy".  No need to install it.  Just run & boot as usual.

(9) It takes some expertise to create & use Linux boot sticks.  Ask if you need more assistance.

Expand  

I feel like you should have read the thread prior to replying.