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(Solved) - Cannot delete files

(17 posts)
  • Started 6 months ago by nell
  • Latest reply from nell
  • Topic Viewed 525 times

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nell
Posts: 54

Just trying to delete some old files left on computer by previous owner. I go to delete,and a notation comes up "Name too long for recycle bin do you want to permanently delete it? I press "Yes to all" Then another notation comes up with a bling sound and a box with red cross top right corner saying "Cannot delete file now, not valid, name too long, specify in a different file name" or words to that effect. Running Windows XP SP3
Any ideas anyone?
Thanks

Posted 6 months ago #
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Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Posts: 13598

Can you rename the files to something much shorter ?

Posted 6 months ago #
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vistamike
vistamike
Posts: 10945

nell, is this a folder or individual files.
You might find it easier to delete them individually. Is this the same machine you referred to in previous posts?

http://www.howtogeek.com/forum.....replies=36

http://www.howtogeek.com/forum.....replies=13

I thought you had reinstalled the OS so why are the files still there.

Reboot the machine after deletion.

Mike

Posted 6 months ago #
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StringJunky
StringJunky
Posts: 2454

Looks like it wasn't a clean install.

Posted 6 months ago #
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vistamike
vistamike
Posts: 10945

Yep, remember XP had the facility to recover and keep previous settings

Posted 6 months ago #
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nell
Posts: 54

Thanks for the replies, am going to study them now. It is another pc altogether, someone kindly gave me, its very old but works ok and am just going thro it to clean it up. My other pc is working absolutely brilliantly now after all the aggro.

Posted 6 months ago #
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Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Posts: 13598

I would suggest you do a clean install if possible. Much better to start afresh.

Posted 6 months ago #
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nell
Posts: 54

Thanks for that Lighthouse, I am only going to use this as a "first reserve" in the event my other one goes wrong again, as I had to keep borrowing someone's computer just recently otherwise I would have been stumped. I am certainly going to give myself a break from anything too complicated with it, maybe will, but am hanging on until early next year to get myself a new one with Windows 8 and get rid of one of these old bangers.

Posted 6 months ago #
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Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Posts: 13598

The reason I said that, is because you may never know what nasties may exist in the system. I do clean installs on new computers I buy, let alone the ones that come in for repair. You can never be too careful.

Posted 6 months ago #
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nell
Posts: 54

Right, thanks for the advice, noted for some future job, have put it on the list.

Posted 6 months ago #
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nell
Posts: 54

Just reverting back to my original post, all is ok now, seems strange that a long named file cannot be deleted, I just gave them a short 4 letter name and they were deleted pronto. Worth bearing in mind for anyone who does not know ,as I didn't, keep your file names short.

Posted 6 months ago #
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Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Posts: 13598

As I sort of mentioned in my first post. Windows can't handle a lot of things. Sometimes you have to get the hammer to it.

Posted 6 months ago #
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nell
Posts: 54

After you with the hammer!!!!!

Posted 6 months ago #
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Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Posts: 13598

Be my guest. I live at number 1047.

Posted 6 months ago #
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warlock
warlock
Posts: 4100


Ouch!

Posted 6 months ago #
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ianmagic
Posts: 3

i would recommend you to refresh your system

Posted 5 months ago #
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nell
Posts: 54

Just about recovered my equilibrium, I did like the hammer song, I would have substituted my pc in place of the various heads a few weeks ago. Noted the advice Ian, thanks.

Posted 5 months ago #
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