Re: I can't delete a folder on my desktop
Hi, 1800yolk.
> it says "The syntax of the command is incorrect."
Could you copy'n'paste the exact command you are using?
(The procedure is slightly-counter-intuitive and I often have to try this
several times to get it right.) In the Command Prompt window, right-click
to get the context menu, then select Mark. Highlight the entire command
line, prompt and all. Then DON'T try to click Copy or press Ctrl+C or any
such usual action. Simply, with the command line highlighted, Press Enter.
That puts the highlighted line onto the Clipboard and the highlight
disappears. Then, in the Compose window where you are drafting your post,
press Ctrl+V to paste that line from the Clipboard. (It's a simple
procedure, but I often mess it up a few times.)
It sounds like you may be making the all-too-frequent error of not including
the entire pathname within the quotes in your Del command. But maybe it's a
different problem. We can't tell if we can't see EXACTLY what you are
doing.
And there are a couple of other possible solutions in the
Administrator:Command Prompt window. First, as Tony suggested, Dir /x, to
see a list of the 8.3 filenames (also known as the SFN, for Short File Name,
even though it often is no shorter than the LFN). Then use the Del command
with that for-sure-legal SFN.
Second, is this a FOLDER, rather than a file? Then you might need to use rd
(or rmdir; either is short for Remove Directory), rather than Del. You
might need to move everything you want to keep out of that subfolder's
parent folder, then use the rd command with the /s switch to remove that
parent folder, including ALL files and subfolders. This way, you don't even
need to know the name of the problem subfolder, but you will wipe out any
other folders in that same parent, so be sure that the parent doesn't
include anything that you want to keep. Then, assuming the bad subfolder is
in a folder named C:\The Parent, type:
rd "c:\the parent" /s
It should ask if you are sure. Say yes and the entire Parent folder tree
should be gone, including the problem subfolder. Then, if you like, you can
create the Parent folder and put back everything you moved out.
RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc@grandecom.net
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail beta 2 in Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 beta v.275)
"1800yolk" <1800yolk@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:9114A8A5-F5F8-468F-8B54-913E44331E13@microsoft.com...
> When I renamed a folder on my desktop, instead of typing in a word, I
> typed
> "Alt+255". This makes the text disappear. This also makes the file hard to
> delete. I can't delete the folder. In command prompt, if I try to delete
> it,
> it says "The syntax of the command is incorrect." I also tried "del *.*"
> in
> the command prompt, but this only worked for other things in the prompt.
> I'm
> not sure what to do, and would appreciate your advice. Thanks, Brian 
1C8E730-12CA-4D3E-AB40-0B011A326F49@microsoft.com...