I've just upgraded to Windows 11 and reorganized my files into a few new hard drives. However, I've encountered a strange situation with one particular file that I can't seem to delete. After some moving around, I ended up with a folder named "x-DELETE" that contains a file called "fonts" with no extension. It's located deep in this path: `D:x-DELETEMeDownloads_OLD DOWNLOADSOld Downloads 2023-2024Web Stuff_WP PLUGINSUltimate_VC_Addonsadmincss`. Whenever I try to delete or even rename the file, I get this error message:
*"An unexpected error is keeping you from deleting the file. Error 0x80070570: The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable."*
The file is zero bytes and dates back to 2017. I've tried everything, including command prompts and a few third-party apps, but no luck. Any suggestions on how to finally get rid of it?
5 Answers
If you want to try an application, give "Unlocker" a shot. Just install it, right-click on the stubborn file, and select Unlocker. This tool can be really effective for removing those pesky files that refuse to go away.
Have you tried running `chkdsk`? It can help with corrupted files in some cases, and it's a classic fix that’s worth a shot.
I had a similar issue before! A friend suggested using 7zip to handle it. You can try archiving the file and then deleting the archive. Sometimes these tools can bypass the issues that Windows is having with the file.
You might be dealing with a path length issue. Try this: Open the Registry Editor by pressing Win + R, type in `regedit`, and hit Enter. Then navigate to `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlFileSystem`. Look for a key named `LongPathsEnabled`. If it’s not there, right-click in the pane, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it `LongPathsEnabled`. Set its value to 1 and then reboot your computer. This can sometimes help with deleting stubborn files!
You can also rename the parent folder to something shorter. This could help you get under the 256-character limit for paths, letting you delete the file and its containing folder. Good luck!
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