"The directory name is invalid"

[zoryn]

Heys...

When i try to remove a folder in my disk, it shows "c:\....\ is not accessible. The directory name is invalid" (well, not "c:\...\", but you get the point :D )

I tried everything, from chkdsk /f /r to closing explorer and tryin to delete it from the command prompt, but nothing seems to work...

Someone told me i had to reformat my disk, but i dont intent to lose 70GB for 0bytes worth of invalid folders :no:

Any help would be appreciated...

PS: im using Windows XP on a NTFS partition...

[Tropical Dream]

http://www.jsiinc.com/SUBC/tip1100/rh1104.htm

http://forums.devshed.com/archive/t-35716

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_...Q_20637456.html

This problem is not very well documented...

hopefully someone else will be able to help you

[HellBender]

Boot into safe mode and delete it off there.

As a last resort, boot off a DOS floppy and delete it from there.

If you still cant delete it, it means that the sector on your hard drive is damaged.

[zoryn]

I also already tried it on safe mode. I dont think it's damaged, because this happened when i merged a NTFS partition and a FAT32 partition, both were on the same disk. With chkdsk i was able to retrieve the files that were in the folder, but i can delete it (the folder). I don't know what went wrong with the merging operation, everything seemed to work just fine... oh well... guess Partition Magic isn't as "safe" as they say :devil:

[zoryn]

  zORYn said:

...With chkdsk i was able to retrieve the files that were in the folder, but i can delete it (the folder).

sorry... i meant "i CAN'T delete it".

[John Veteran]

What's the name of the folder? Can you rename it?

[HellBender]

  HellBender said:

As a last resort, boot off a DOS floppy and delete it from there.

:whistle:

[zoryn]

  gameguy said:

What's the name of the folder? Can you rename it?

Yes, i can change the name, i just cant delete it :no:

It's not just one folder, it's like, probably 6 folders, all inside of a root folder.

just so you can get an idea, they're like this. The invalid ones are only the last ones (after the last \ )

C:\zRNiND\Emulators and Rom\Satourne\sv...

C:\zRNiND\Files\txt

C:\zRNiND\FruityLoops 330 Demo Install\Plugins\Fruity\Effects\Buzz Effect Adapter

C:\zRNiND\Music\Trance

C:\zRNiND\Themes\Icons

[John Veteran]

Go inside the folder and delete the contents. If something inside the folder can't be deleted, that's what's preventing you from deleting the folder.

[zoryn]

There are no contents inside the folders. They're empty, but i can't even open them, i get the invalid name folder message.

All i wanted is to delete them, cause they're there doin nothin, but oh well... :cool:

Thanks anyway

[+allan MVC]

Try booting to the Recovery Console and deleting them from there.

BTW, chkdsk /f /r is a non-setting (yeah, I know - but they're wrong ;) ). Chkdsk /r assumes the "f" switch, so that's all you need to run. And the best way to run it is from the Recovery Console (in case that's not what you did :) ).

[cpugeniusmv]

another possible solution...

open up a command prompt

cd to the directory of the offending file/folder

use dir /x to determine the 8.3 filename of the file/folder

then use that to delete it. for example:

rd /s really~1

or

del really~1