Unable to delete a file (file name too long)

[Tesla]

Hi

 

I am trying to delete this PC of anything that has me on it (local chached things etc)

 

Theres one folder (shown below) where they are 3 files that it wont let me delete, and there is no option when i right click them, to enable me to rename them.

 

Any one have any ideas?

 

Here's the path of the files

 

[Garacesh]

I'm only guessing, but "Filename is too long for destination folder", destination folder presumably being the Recycle Bin.

Shift-Delete (or equivalent on Win8) or using the command line might work as that outright deletes it.

[Tesla]

i went into recycle bin properties and set it to automatically delete the file permanently, and still got that error.

 

shift-delete did not work, will try cmd line after my lunch

[mac_shinobi]

As per this previous question on edugeek : http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows/87563-long-file-paths-solutions.html

 

Long Path Tool: Path Too Long | Filename too long | Filename is too long | Path too long utility

[chris_uk]

Download a copy of RoboCopy, create a folder called "Empty" Now run the command,

robocopy c:\empty diryouwanttoremove /mir

 

RoboCopy Mirrors the contents of the empty folder to the other directory deleting all of the contents. It will also remove deep folders without bothering you. Please remember that this will delete everything if you select the wrong destination folder.

[Garacesh]

i went into recycle bin properties and set it to automatically delete the file permanently, and still got that error.

To my knowledge, auto-empty-at-0% still has to move the file first, which it can't do if the name is stupidly long.

Like I say, I may be entirely wrong, but that's the only 'destination folder' I can think would apply here.

[LosOjos]

You can delete files like this via command line, just navigate to the directory and run "dir /x" to see the shortened version of the file name then delete it using that

 

EDIT: just to clarify, delete it at the command line i.e. "del shortened~1.doc"

Edited February 5, 2014 by LosOjos

[Garacesh]

You can delete files like this via command line, just navigate to the directory and run "dir /x" to see the shortened version of the file name then delete it using that

 

EDIT: just to clarify, delete it at the command line i.e. "del shortened~1.doc"

 

DEL SHORTE~1.DOC

8.3

[LosOjos]

DEL SHORTE~1.DOC

8.3

 

haha ok you win points for the technically correct example!

[Garacesh]

The best kind of correct.

[mac_shinobi]

If you all go to this group question, lots of things you can do :

 

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/c8xqjKOTuR8

 

I do believe there was a comment somewhere that mentioned about renaming the folders / directories ( making them shorter ) thus bringing the character count down to hopefully below 255 which will then help with deleting files, failing that you should be able to cut and paste or move the directories into a folder on the root of the C Drive to try and make the path shorter as not so many directories / sub directories etc

[Tesla]

Managed to delete via CMD, eventually.. Thanks for the help guys