In XP Pro SP2, I deleted a file that had a path that was excessively long.
Now I have that file (and a bunch of others) stuck in the recycle bin. The
bin looks empty but when I try to Empty Recycle Bin, i get the message,

"Are you sure you want to delete these 26 items?" (that I can't see)

When I say Yes, i get:

"Cannot delete [my big long filename]: The file name you specified is not
valid or too long. Specify a different file name."

So, How can I force-empty the Recycle Bin...?

Just taking a stab at this, but it can't hurt anything....... right
click on the Recycle Bin & choose Explore. Go to Tools>Folder
Options>View & put a mark in the box by Show Hidden Files & Folders.
Now..... Try right clicking on the file & choose Restore..... Then go
to the file's original location & rename it to something shorter &
delete it again. If the problem is as you stated, you should be able to
delete it with the shortened name.

Carol2

"JustSomeGuy" <JustSomeGuy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0A174658-6B2A-4AF2-8D74-38C8A58223A9@microsoft.com...
> In XP Pro SP2, I deleted a file that had a path that was excessively
> long.
> Now I have that file (and a bunch of others) stuck in the recycle bin.
> The
> bin looks empty but when I try to Empty Recycle Bin, i get the
> message,
>
> "Are you sure you want to delete these 26 items?" (that I can't see)
>
> When I say Yes, i get:
>
> "Cannot delete [my big long filename]: The file name you specified is
> not
> valid or too long. Specify a different file name."
>
> So, How can I force-empty the Recycle Bin...?

Carol, Nice try! Good idea...wish it worked, but...unfortunately, showing
hidden files doesn't reveal the problem files stuck in the Recycle Bin.
They're still invisible. So there's no way to get the file to appear so as to
select it. I suspect it will take some kind of registry hack to repair this
one...

"Carol2" wrote:

> Just taking a stab at this, but it can't hurt anything....... right
> click on the Recycle Bin & choose Explore. Go to Tools>Folder
> Options>View & put a mark in the box by Show Hidden Files & Folders.
> Now..... Try right clicking on the file & choose Restore..... Then go
> to the file's original location & rename it to something shorter &
> delete it again. If the problem is as you stated, you should be able to
> delete it with the shortened name.
>
> Carol2
>
> "JustSomeGuy" <JustSomeGuy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:0A174658-6B2A-4AF2-8D74-38C8A58223A9@microsoft.com...
> > In XP Pro SP2, I deleted a file that had a path that was excessively
> > long.
> > Now I have that file (and a bunch of others) stuck in the recycle bin.
> > The
> > bin looks empty but when I try to Empty Recycle Bin, i get the
> > message,
> >
> > "Are you sure you want to delete these 26 items?" (that I can't see)
> >
> > When I say Yes, i get:
> >
> > "Cannot delete [my big long filename]: The file name you specified is
> > not
> > valid or too long. Specify a different file name."
> >
> > So, How can I force-empty the Recycle Bin...?
>
>
>

hhhmmmm.....I was Hoping that would solve the problem for you. Perhaps
someone else will happen along with the correct solution.

Carol2

"JustSomeGuy" <JustSomeGuy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:551270A8-87F1-4B52-9556-8362BBEB7D96@microsoft.com...
> Carol, Nice try! Good idea...wish it worked, but...unfortunately,
> showing
> hidden files doesn't reveal the problem files stuck in the Recycle
> Bin.
> They're still invisible. So there's no way to get the file to appear
> so as to
> select it. I suspect it will take some kind of registry hack to
> repair this
> one...
>
> "Carol2" wrote:
>
>> Just taking a stab at this, but it can't hurt anything....... right
>> click on the Recycle Bin & choose Explore. Go to Tools>Folder
>> Options>View & put a mark in the box by Show Hidden Files & Folders.
>> Now..... Try right clicking on the file & choose Restore..... Then
>> go
>> to the file's original location & rename it to something shorter &
>> delete it again. If the problem is as you stated, you should be able
>> to
>> delete it with the shortened name.
>>
>> Carol2
>>
>> "JustSomeGuy" <JustSomeGuy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
>> message
>> news:0A174658-6B2A-4AF2-8D74-38C8A58223A9@microsoft.com...
>> > In XP Pro SP2, I deleted a file that had a path that was
>> > excessively
>> > long.
>> > Now I have that file (and a bunch of others) stuck in the recycle
>> > bin.
>> > The
>> > bin looks empty but when I try to Empty Recycle Bin, i get the
>> > message,
>> >
>> > "Are you sure you want to delete these 26 items?" (that I can't
>> > see)
>> >
>> > When I say Yes, i get:
>> >
>> > "Cannot delete [my big long filename]: The file name you specified
>> > is
>> > not
>> > valid or too long. Specify a different file name."
>> >
>> > So, How can I force-empty the Recycle Bin...?

try this:
start up your computer and keep tapping the F8 key on your keyboard. you
should have the windows advanced boot options screen. from there choose safe
mode with command prompt and hit enter.

You will now reach a screen that will ask you if you want to do a system
restore or start your computer in safe mode. choose the button that says yes
and it should bring you to a kind of dos box.

there use the dos commands to navigate to your windows folder eg.
cd\
cd windows

and after this you need to open the recycle folder here. just use cd recycle
that should do it.

once in this folder check for the files in this folder and then delete them
all.

That's it!!

Do tell me if this works
yogi

"JustSomeGuy" wrote:

> Carol, Nice try! Good idea...wish it worked, but...unfortunately, showing
> hidden files doesn't reveal the problem files stuck in the Recycle Bin.
> They're still invisible. So there's no way to get the file to appear so as to
> select it. I suspect it will take some kind of registry hack to repair this
> one...
>
> "Carol2" wrote:
>
> > Just taking a stab at this, but it can't hurt anything....... right
> > click on the Recycle Bin & choose Explore. Go to Tools>Folder
> > Options>View & put a mark in the box by Show Hidden Files & Folders.
> > Now..... Try right clicking on the file & choose Restore..... Then go
> > to the file's original location & rename it to something shorter &
> > delete it again. If the problem is as you stated, you should be able to
> > delete it with the shortened name.
> >
> > Carol2
> >
> > "JustSomeGuy" <JustSomeGuy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > news:0A174658-6B2A-4AF2-8D74-38C8A58223A9@microsoft.com...
> > > In XP Pro SP2, I deleted a file that had a path that was excessively
> > > long.
> > > Now I have that file (and a bunch of others) stuck in the recycle bin.
> > > The
> > > bin looks empty but when I try to Empty Recycle Bin, i get the
> > > message,
> > >
> > > "Are you sure you want to delete these 26 items?" (that I can't see)
> > >
> > > When I say Yes, i get:
> > >
> > > "Cannot delete [my big long filename]: The file name you specified is
> > > not
> > > valid or too long. Specify a different file name."
> > >
> > > So, How can I force-empty the Recycle Bin...?
> >
> >
> >

hey justsomeguy,
i guess i gave you information which was for windows 98 but when it comes to
windows xp things work a bit differrently. i got to know that just now
through my own research though.

ok first the folder that we are looking for is "recycler" and its not in the
windows folder rather its on the c drive itself. what you need to do is to
check a few options first. like for one you need to go into the folder
options and first select show hidden files and folders as well as uncheck the
option below that is hide protected operating system files.

once you have done this now just type in your run box "cmd" and press enter.
On the command prompt first come back to the c:\ prompt using cd\ and after
that use cd recycler to get to this folder.

next, use the dir /ah to list all the hidden folders that we have here.
these will be long alphanumeric names.

now you will need to go into each and every folder, use the attrib command
to check the attributes of all files present in that folder as well as to
list them. now use the attrib command to unhide them and then delete them.
but make sure you dont delete the desktop.ini file in any of these folders.

Enjoy!!

Merry Christmas and a happy new year
yogi

"JustSomeGuy" wrote:

> Carol, Nice try! Good idea...wish it worked, but...unfortunately, showing
> hidden files doesn't reveal the problem files stuck in the Recycle Bin.
> They're still invisible. So there's no way to get the file to appear so as to
> select it. I suspect it will take some kind of registry hack to repair this
> one...
>
> "Carol2" wrote:
>
> > Just taking a stab at this, but it can't hurt anything....... right
> > click on the Recycle Bin & choose Explore. Go to Tools>Folder
> > Options>View & put a mark in the box by Show Hidden Files & Folders.
> > Now..... Try right clicking on the file & choose Restore..... Then go
> > to the file's original location & rename it to something shorter &
> > delete it again. If the problem is as you stated, you should be able to
> > delete it with the shortened name.
> >
> > Carol2
> >
> > "JustSomeGuy" <JustSomeGuy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > news:0A174658-6B2A-4AF2-8D74-38C8A58223A9@microsoft.com...
> > > In XP Pro SP2, I deleted a file that had a path that was excessively
> > > long.
> > > Now I have that file (and a bunch of others) stuck in the recycle bin.
> > > The
> > > bin looks empty but when I try to Empty Recycle Bin, i get the
> > > message,
> > >
> > > "Are you sure you want to delete these 26 items?" (that I can't see)
> > >
> > > When I say Yes, i get:
> > >
> > > "Cannot delete [my big long filename]: The file name you specified is
> > > not
> > > valid or too long. Specify a different file name."
> > >
> > > So, How can I force-empty the Recycle Bin...?
> >
> >
> >

Yogi,
thanks a lot! - I see how to do it now.

Yipe! There are so many files in so many subfolders in the recycler that it
is going to take me quite a but of time to delete them all individually, by
this method. However your advice appears to work. I had forgotten about using
dos commands! How quickly we forget...

"yogi" wrote:

> hey justsomeguy,
> i guess i gave you information which was for windows 98 but when it comes to
> windows xp things work a bit differrently. i got to know that just now
> through my own research though.
>
> ok first the folder that we are looking for is "recycler" and its not in the
> windows folder rather its on the c drive itself. what you need to do is to
> check a few options first. like for one you need to go into the folder
> options and first select show hidden files and folders as well as uncheck the
> option below that is hide protected operating system files.
>
> once you have done this now just type in your run box "cmd" and press enter.
> On the command prompt first come back to the c:\ prompt using cd\ and after
> that use cd recycler to get to this folder.
>
> next, use the dir /ah to list all the hidden folders that we have here.
> these will be long alphanumeric names.
>
> now you will need to go into each and every folder, use the attrib command
> to check the attributes of all files present in that folder as well as to
> list them. now use the attrib command to unhide them and then delete them.
> but make sure you dont delete the desktop.ini file in any of these folders.
>
> Enjoy!!
>
> Merry Christmas and a happy new year
> yogi
>
> "JustSomeGuy" wrote:
>
> > Carol, Nice try! Good idea...wish it worked, but...unfortunately, showing
> > hidden files doesn't reveal the problem files stuck in the Recycle Bin.
> > They're still invisible. So there's no way to get the file to appear so as to
> > select it. I suspect it will take some kind of registry hack to repair this
> > one...
> >
> > "Carol2" wrote:
> >
> > > Just taking a stab at this, but it can't hurt anything....... right
> > > click on the Recycle Bin & choose Explore. Go to Tools>Folder
> > > Options>View & put a mark in the box by Show Hidden Files & Folders.
> > > Now..... Try right clicking on the file & choose Restore..... Then go
> > > to the file's original location & rename it to something shorter &
> > > delete it again. If the problem is as you stated, you should be able to
> > > delete it with the shortened name.
> > >
> > > Carol2
> > >
> > > "JustSomeGuy" <JustSomeGuy@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > > news:0A174658-6B2A-4AF2-8D74-38C8A58223A9@microsoft.com...
> > > > In XP Pro SP2, I deleted a file that had a path that was excessively
> > > > long.
> > > > Now I have that file (and a bunch of others) stuck in the recycle bin.
> > > > The
> > > > bin looks empty but when I try to Empty Recycle Bin, i get the
> > > > message,
> > > >
> > > > "Are you sure you want to delete these 26 items?" (that I can't see)
> > > >
> > > > When I say Yes, i get:
> > > >
> > > > "Cannot delete [my big long filename]: The file name you specified is
> > > > not
> > > > valid or too long. Specify a different file name."
> > > >
> > > > So, How can I force-empty the Recycle Bin...?
> > >
> > >
> > >

Yogi,
Your advice worked great. I found that with Windows XP, any directories
inside of my Recycler directory could be deleted by simply using the DOS
command,
rd (filename) /s

So to recap, here's how I was able to clean out the XP recycle bin when all
else failed:

1. Run "cmd" and press enter.
2. At the command prompt, type cd\ to get to the c:\ prompt
3. C:\cd recycler
4. Dir /ah to list all the hidden folders. These will be long alphanumeric
names.
5.RD (filename) /s to remove all the directories within the recycler folder.
CAUTION: Make sure you don’t delete the desktop.ini file.