[mabuhay]

I've got a Win2k server; recycle bin indicates that there are files in it. However, when I open it, there are no files visible, no files marked as hidden files. When I empty recycle bin, it asks if I want to delete 29 files (although none show up). When I say yes, it stops and says "Cannot delete SPY3KXQZ. The filename you specified is invalid or too long. Specify a different filename." Bottom line is that these files don't get deleted and I don't know how to delete them. What is SPY3KXQZ? I don't find any reference to it on Microsoft site or on any of the virus scan sites.

Thanks for any help.

[Palos]

Sounds like a Temp file or directory...if you open the recycle bin, do you see any files? If yes, then select them and delete them normally. If no, then reboot in DOS mode and check your Temp directory for that file/directory and delete it. Also delete your Temp Internet files as well.

[insaNity]

Reboot in dos mode?
err..maybe a dos boot disk if you are using FAT32, otherwise the recovery console?

Anyway I think the cause is the files are either locked (in use) or have invalid characters in the name. Try a Scandisk, then try deleting them in safe mode.

[Palos]

With a DOS boot disk, that's what I meant...that's the whole reason behind it, in case the files are locked/in use.

[insaNity]

I realise thatm but it wont read NTFS.

The reason I was suggesting recovery console or safe mode is to read NTFS and not have the files in use.

[Ant -|- One]

From the command line, go to 'Recycled' or whatever temp directory, type 'attrib -h -s -r yourfile , then delete it safely...

C:\> cd recycled
attrib -h -s -r *.*
delete *.*

Hope this will help you !

[insaNity]

That should help if the names have unusual characters in them, but not if the file is locked.

[Ant -|- One]

What do you mean by 'locked files' ? The attrib command should take care of this, no ? And, what unusual characters ?

[insaNity]

Quote:

What do you mean by 'locked files' ? The attrib command should take care of this, no ? And, what unusual characters ?

Files are marked as 'locked' by the operating system usually if they are in use (in write mode) so other programs can't alter them. If you are multitasking and several programs are writing to different parts of the file, programs would be editing different versions of it, and it could become corrupt or cause the programs to fail.

'Locked' is not an attribute as such.

You can close a file from the command line (is it the "net file" command?) But I'm not totally sure how this works or whether it would even let you close all files.

By 'Unusual characters' I mean filenames containing characters other than the standard alpha-number range (a-z, 0-9 plus a few symbols) or ASCII characters off the usual range.

Most of my experiences are with Win9x, but maybe NT has the same problem with this type of filename.

[pbuckne]

I wonder if turning off protected storage might help momentarily. The file might be stuck in limbo so to speak, protected by this service?