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timmmay

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#242290 19-Oct-2018 20:48
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I have a file that I can't delete. When I try to delete, view, or view properties it hangs Windows explorer. The problem it's causing is my backup software complains about it. This drive is a storage spaces mirror volume sitting on top of to ReFS formatted disks. You can't check ReFS disk integrity in disk -> properties -> tools.

 

I've tried rebooting into recover mode command prompt. I cd'd to the folder then used "del filename" and got the message "The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect". I tried "icacls * /T /Q /C /RESET" in its folder, it said "cannot find the file specified".

 

I tried safe mode. I can view the file properties, but the security tab won't show anything. I can't delete it.

 

Not sure what else I can try. Any suggestions?

 

I going to tag @Regs who was very helpful last time I had a similar problem, and @nathan who knows something about Windows.


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qwerty123
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  #2111662 20-Oct-2018 23:05
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What's the file name, aux.jpg? It's nothing about integrity. AUX and CON are reserved names in Windows since MSDOS times and reside in device namespace rather than file namespace. You can delete the the device file by explicitly addressing the device namespace via the prefix \\.\, e.g.:

 

del \\.\C:\<your folder>\aux.jpg

 

 

 

FYI: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/desktop/FileIO/naming-a-file




timmmay

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  #2111726 21-Oct-2018 06:46
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Give @qwerty123 a cigar, that was the answer! The format of your command wasn't quite perfect (prefix \\?\ rather than \\.\) so I'll mark this as the answer to help others in future, but you had the concept exactly right :)

 

This command worked

 

del \\?\D:\path\to\folder\aux.jpg


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