vava Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Ok. I ran into this while doing my regular backups. There's a file on my system, that doesn't actually exist, so i cannot be erased - but the system still 'sees' it's there - so it tries to back it up, except that it doesn't exist (and hence, can't be backup up). Net result, my backup fails cause of one lousy unimportant file (which doesn't actually exist anyway!) Anyone still follow? What I need is some sort of disk utility that will 'erase' the non-existant file. I've tried: reboot, windows system restore, defrag, and command line options. Can't erase/rename file (File not found). BUT still can't backup the directory (file not found) Any suggestions would be useful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DominO123 Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 (edited) Ok. I ran into this while doing my regular backups. There's a file on my system, that doesn't actually exist, so i cannot be erased - but the system still 'sees' it's there - so it tries to back it up, except that it doesn't exist (and hence, can't be backup up). Net result, my backup fails cause of one lousy unimportant file (which doesn't actually exist anyway!) Anyone still follow? What I need is some sort of disk utility that will 'erase' the non-existant file. I've tried: reboot, windows system restore, defrag, and command line options. Can't erase/rename file (File not found). BUT still can't backup the directory (file not found) Any suggestions would be useful! Why don't you creat a file of the same name, and make think the stupid computer that it is the file so it can backup? Edited August 3, 2004 by Fadix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted August 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Can't over-write the 'non-existing' file - file not found Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sip Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Have you run a checkdisk? chkdsk with the fix options? It may need a reboot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted August 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Have you run a checkdisk? chkdsk with the fix options? It may need a reboot Chkdsk c: /f /x Reboot. No help - Cannot delete file XYZ. Cannot find the specified file. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DominO123 Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 (edited) Chkdsk c: /f /x Reboot. No help - Cannot delete file XYZ. Cannot find the specified file. But you know where the alleged file is supposed to be right? Why do you not backup manually by transfering the content you want to backup on another drive, without having to copy that file? Edited August 3, 2004 by Fadix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armen Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Vava jan, as the old Armenian joke goes, just wanted to say that I can't help you with anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted August 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Vava jan, as the old Armenian joke goes, just wanted to say that I can't help you with anything Lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted August 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Domino - I've already manually backed up my files. But I have a backup routine (automatic) so I don't HAVE to backup manually! And since the affected file is in an important system folder (/Documents/All Users/) it blocks my backup. My backup doesn't have an 'ignore' feature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sip Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 What kind of partition? NTFS or FAT32? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sip Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 (edited) And sometimes, if you go in the Recycle Bin properties and check the "Do Not Move Files to the Bin" option, it may let you delete it. (saw this on the web somewhere) It could be that the filename has some weird characters in it ... they may look like white space. I would do a directory listing in dos and dump the output to a text file ... then open it in an editor that let's you see hex or ascii codes and check the characters. Otherwise, I'm stumped. Maybe you can copy all your files on the volume, reformat, and then bring them back Edited August 3, 2004 by Seapahn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harut Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 try to start in safe mode. it may get locked by some program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted August 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 NTFS file system, and I tried safe mode. I'll try the recycle bin thing. I odn't need to re-format at this point (don't have the time to re-install everything, and the file is on the system disk) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted August 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 OK - dumb question, how do you put 'spaces' in the Dos prompt, say, for a directory name? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellthecat Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 How do you know the file does not exist? I had a sort of similar problem (a file that would not be erased or moved) a while ago. It was a file that had been copied from another computer on an network and somehow it had become named using illegal characters. So Windows would not recognise it properly to erase it, or move it, or even to rename it. My solution was to rename it using DOS. For spaces in DOS don't you just use the space bar?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted August 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 When I want to do a Chdir to a directory name that contains a space, I get an incorrect parameter fault. So I can't access the directory the file is in through teh DOS prompt. Suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azat Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 OK - dumb question, how do you put 'spaces' in the Dos prompt, say, for a directory name? for spaces you do function "x y" ie. dir "program files" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azat Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 (edited) I think the command to fix all these problems is format c: EDIT NOTE: Please dont try "Format c:" to fix this issue. it was a joke. for those who do not know it will delete everything from your PC. Edited August 3, 2004 by Azat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azat Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Vava jan, why don't you manually copy all the files from that directory(assuming it is not windows folder) to another folder. completely delete the folder with deltree in dos and recreate the folder from your backup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted August 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 for spaces you do function "x y" ie. dir "program files" I had already tried this - and I get an invalid directory error. I'll try the deltree and get back to you - if not i'll be using the other thing you mentioned (format c:) Or perhaps just 'throw c: /from the second story window' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellthecat Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 When I want to do a Chdir to a directory name that contains a space, I get an incorrect parameter fault. So I can't access the directory the file is in through teh DOS prompt. Suggestions? Then why not use Windows to change the directory name to one that is accessible under DOS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sip Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 (edited) Vav .. I didn't mean to re-install. Just copy the files, format, and then recopy back ... if it's your boot drive, then it's a bit more complicated with the boot sector. But I personally would try to get to the bottom of it just for the heck of it. The " " should work for spaces. One thing you can try is to go into "repair" mode ... NOT safe mode ... but there is this way to get to a command prompt from the windows setup in the recovery mode that lets you do things to the files. I forget exactly how you get to it but it's through windows setup. Edited August 3, 2004 by Seapahn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted August 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2004 Well - it seems there are files like this ALL OVER my system (!) I think it may be hardware related. I probably have some bad sectors on the drive... I'm surprised fdisk and the Scandisk utility haven't picked it up. I'll leep trying to diagnose the problem. Thanks for all your input - I'll keep you all posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azat Posted August 4, 2004 Report Share Posted August 4, 2004 in that case `throw c: /from the second story window` was probably not such a bad idea... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted August 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2004 (edited) uh-oh. Computer crashed. Could not reboot. Heard horrible grinding sound from box. Reboot from CD - can't mount volume Diagnosis: Dead Computer. I'm pretty sure my HD has gone to the bridge. It's under warranty anyway. he he At least I still have my MAC. Edited August 4, 2004 by vava Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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