Unusable folder in D&S

[SnailTrail]

Hello, Im new to this site so i have no idea whether im in the right section here, anyway here's my problem:

I recently had to re-install windows, and because i'm not really much of an expert i found out that the Documents and Settings folder of the username i used prior to the re-installation still exists. All files in there as well, which are a lot compared to my small 40GB disk capacity. The problem is that I had a password on that account and it doesnt show up in control panel, and simply deleting the folder won't work either becuase of the authorisation bs.

I use WinXP SP2

Any questions about my situation? A way for me to delete it after all? pls reply.
I was thinking about overriding the password protection one way or another? perhaps to do something in safe mode?
Anyway i appreciate any help offered to me :) Thanks in advance

Regards

[SnailTrail]

It's pretty urgent, pls reply quickly

Is there any solution? one that doesnt require me to format my harddisk? or?

[hughv]

If you're an administrator, open Control Panel/User Accounts and delete that account. You should be asked if you want to retain that user's files. Say "No".

[SnailTrail]

Sorry for double post, it didnt show up and i cant seem to delete this post:O

[SnailTrail]

The problem is that I had a password on that account and it doesnt show up in control panel

The account on which i made those files doesnt exsist anymore, but it's files and folder in documents and settings do, and that robs me of over 10GB of disk space

The only users in control panel are the one i use now, which i could delete if i wanted to, and the Guest Account which is empty and turned off anyways

[hughv]

Just logon as Administrator, navigate to those folders and delete them.
If these files are encrypted, you may be out of luck.

[SnailTrail]

okay,, i guess im out of luck then:O
Nobody else know a way to bypass the encryption? orsome way to input the password for those folders on the account i can use?

[caperjack]

what kind of options do you get if you right click on the folder and go to properties /sharing

[SnailTrail]

Uhh, i hope i translate this correctly since i have a Dutch version of XP

all i can do is check the box with 'Make this folder a shared network folder' next to it

[caperjack]

Uhh, i hope i translate this correctly since i have a Dutch version of XP

all i can do is check the box with 'Make this folder a shared network folder' next to it

I don't do much with shared folders ,but sometime you get a take ownership option ,maybe if you click to make it a shared folder you can take ownership ,cant hurt to try !!
https://email.uc.edu/help/apps/brands/@/locale/en_US.ISO_8859-1/webmail/folders_shared.html

[hughv]

Open one of the folders and see if you can delete individual files. I'm guessing these are music or video files since they're so large.

[SnailTrail]

Nope, i get an error message saying

'Error while sharing <the folder>. Access denied
The shared source is not made'

I guess i will have to move my files to a remote harddisk and format this one then:( there goes a lot of time..

Ty all for your help anyway

[caperjack]

did you try using the cmd prompt in Start/Run to delete them .type cmd into run and type del use a space then the path to the folder . I just deleted google earth exe from the root of my C: drive like this .
del c:\Google_Earth_BZXD.exe

you would do something like DEL C:\Documents and Settings\the name of User here \folder name

[SnailTrail]

@Hughv I can't open the folder since i have no authorization to open them, as it is a personal folder

@caperjack I tried it with run cmd, i get C/Windows/system32/cmd.exe. The problem is that i get a line there that i cannot delete, the line is the path to the folder in documents and settings that is for the username I am on. I cannot delete that line to input the path to the folder i want to delete.

I need to input 'DEL C:/Documents and settings/<User A>' but in cmd it says:
'C:/Documents and settings/<User B>'

Where User A is the name on the folder i cannot use, open or delete and User B is the account on windows i am now using

[hughv]

That line is just the command line telling you where you are. No need to delete it (You can't, anyway).
You should enter "DEL C:/Documents and settings/<User A>"

[caperjack]

That line is just the command line telling you where you are. No need to delete it (You can't, anyway).
You should enter "DEL C:/Documents and settings/<User A>"

right

[SnailTrail]

Are there anymore options on how exactly to type that command line? It now says (litterally translated) The system can not find the file you entered

Among others i tried:

DEL C:\Documents and settings\UserA
DEL Documents and settings\UserA
DEL \Documents and settings\UserA
DEL \Documents and settings\UserA\Desktop\<a certain file>

I know that file is there because it shows up as unmovable when trying defragmentation

I also tried replacing '\' with '/' but that didnt work

typing RMDIR instead of DEL gives me 3 error messages, 2x the system cant find file and once cant find dir

Have any idea what i could try now? ty in advance

[hughv]

This is correct:
DEL \Documents and settings\UserA\Desktop\<a certain file>
Be sure to include the file extension.

Right-click these files/folders and get the properties. Are they marked "read Only"? If so, remove the check mark.

[SnailTrail]

first off, i cant see the actual files, but the names do show up in the report of defragmentation, gonna check the read olny option now, though im pretty sure they cant be modifed becuase of the 'access denied' message, but gonna check whatsoever

EDIT: Something i didnt expect:
I can uncheck Read Only, but if i press OK it's checked again, i tried just Apply and it stays unchecked untill i close the properties window.

Without clicking OK after Apply (thus keeping the properties open and Read Only unchecked, gotta try it against better judgement) it STILL says the system cant find the file.

It's like the files are no longer there, even though they suck up 10GB and still show up in defrag, with complete path and size of the 'unmovable' files.

I dont think running cmd works.

A question: is the 'Admonistrator' account i heard about one with more authorization than an account with administrative rights? if so, perhaps i could try on that account. If not im afraid im gonna have to format it all

[caperjack]

This is correct:
DEL \Documents and settings\UserA\Desktop\<a certain file>

that would only be correct if the file is on the desktop .also needs the C:\ for full path .
open mycomputer ,go to view ,toolbars ,and check off address bar ,then when you use mycomputer to go to the file it will show the full path to the file .
and the administrator acct you are referring to is found by going into safe mode ,repeatedly hit f8 on bootup to get to safe mode .

[SnailTrail]

I know the path to the folder, or even the biggest files that need deleting, so thats not the problem,

And this safe mode Administrator, does it have more authorization when it comes to accessing personal files/folder that are encrypted? if so i guess that's my only option left if it does. I will try to get on safe mode anyway (i read frequently that it doesnt always work, hitting f8 like crazy)

If there's more to tell you'll hear from me

[caperjack]

when i use cmd in run .i go to the file or folder in mycomputer .highlite the address and copy it and then in the run/ cmd prompt i type del hit spacebar and then i right click next to the blinking cursor and choose to paste this copy the path .
don't know if the safe mode admin ,has more control but being in safe mode might help anyway .

[SnailTrail]

I tried the admin in safe, i did get all kinds of authority controlling, i gave UserB all authority over the folder but it turned out to do nothing :(
I did however get a look at the folder of the account i am using, which from an 'unauthorized' account looks empty, and i am sure that there's subfoldera and files in my documents so there are also files in UserA's folder.

I triend typing from scratch, i triend the address bar with Ctrl_c and rightclick paste, it still says it cannot find the path..
Tried with 'C:\', w/o 'C:\ ' but it just doesnt seem to know that folder is there :(

I am just gonna have to find my MP3 player and transfer it all to my mothers PC, clear the harddisk and probably reinstall windows.
Too bad it had to come to this, but those GB's are woth quite much on a 40GB harddisk

I also learnt a lesson from all of this: never to just go and reinstall windows :P

Ty all for your help

Regards

[hughv]

that would only be correct if the file is on the desktop .also needs the C:\ for full path .
open mycomputer ,go to view ,toolbars ,and check off address bar ,then when you use mycomputer to go to the file it will show the full path to the file .
and the administrator acct you are referring to is found by going into safe mode ,repeatedly hit f8 on bootup to get to safe mode .

Caperjack is right-bad copy and paste on my part.

You understand the path stuff, so try this (Command line)
CD C:\Documents and settings\UserA\Desktop\ (Or any folder)

dir (Lists all files)
del/f (filename) (The /f switch forces deletion of read only files)

[SnailTrail]

When i type:

CD C:\Documents and settings\UserA\Desktop it says (once again) The system can not find the submitted path (im sorryif that's not precisely what it would say on an english version, but i guess you understand the messgae)

And whein i type: Dir C:\Documents and settings I get the following:

"The Volumename of station C is BOOT
The Volumenumber is A87F-5DD3

folder from C:\

File not found

Folder from C:\documents and settings\UserB (the one i use now)

Folder from C:\documents and settings\UserB
File not found"

This makes absolutelyno sense to me :S

[hughv]

It makes sense if the C is wrong.
Let's find out what disks you have.
Right-click MY Computer/Manage/
Disk Management
What drives are showing? I'm wondering if you have a partition on C (Probably called D).
Nice to work with someone from the old country (My last name is Vandervoort).
I'm also wondering if you installed Windows on the wrong drive (Just a guess, but I've seen it before).
Are the DOS commands in English-just curious?

[SnailTrail]

As i expected, it shows 3 'drives'
C (BOOT) 14,6GB
D (Backup) 17,7GB
and E (Recovery) 4,8GB

I installed windows on C i guess since it was on C before and C:\windows is, as you can see, on C

Simple question, since there is 1 disk in my laptop, that is called the harddisk. what do i call C, D and E? Patritions? Volumes? Drives?

The Commands are english. Delete, RMDIR (ReMove DIRectory?), it also said ERASE etc.

The error messages are in Dutch though ;) (VanderVoort you say? Dutch too or were your ancestors dutch?)

The 'not making sense' was to let you know that i dont understand that much about it :P

[SnailTrail]

Great news, problem solved.

A little tool called The Avenger really helped me out. uses a really simple script to purge files you need to be deleted..

This thread can be closed now :D