File removal - long filename

Mat · 11 Jan 2007 at 09:33

I have a laptop here with a file on W2K Pro which has a rather long name / path and I cannot do *anything* with it.

The file is a .pdf and the creator used the entire URL as the filename and also buried it about 6 folders deep so the path is huge.

I have tried the removeonboot utility and also tried turning off the explorer shell and renaming the file from the CMD but to no avail.

I cannot rename it, open it, delete it, view the properties of it or move it in normal or safe mode

How can I delete it, as I want to remove the account and files of the user without having to reinstall?

Priapus · 11 Jan 2007 at 09:36

Try this

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17675945

Mat · 11 Jan 2007 at 09:51

Ok, I'll give it a go, thanks.

As an aside, I have just tried to delete it from the recovery console off the CD but access is denied to all but the WINNT folder... I presume this is a security feature of the console??

bledd · 11 Jan 2007 at 09:53

the new 7zip file manager boasts super long filename support

http://msfn.org/comments.php?shownews=19247

browse to the path in 7zfm (the new alpha version) and delete it

Mat · 11 Jan 2007 at 09:59

Unfortunately I cant "open" the file after browsing to it to import it into the renamer...

help

Mat · 11 Jan 2007 at 10:11

bledd. said:
the new 7zip file manager boasts super long filename support

http://msfn.org/comments.php?shownews=19247

browse to the path in 7zfm (the new alpha version) and delete it

You star! Worked like a charm, many thanks.

LostCorpse · 11 Jan 2007 at 10:15

Mat · 11 Jan 2007 at 10:21

Emo_hug said:
also try to rename the folder names to a single character could help.;

Didnt think of that...

MrScott · 11 Jan 2007 at 10:24

Mat said:
As an aside, I have just tried to delete it from the recovery console off the CD but access is denied to all but the WINNT folder... I presume this is a security feature of the console??

Yes, but you can turn it off so you can have access to everywhere if you want. In Group Policy Editor (Start > Run > gpedit.msc) you'll find the option in Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options. It's called something along the lines of "Recovery Console: Allow floppy copy and access to all files and folders"