Unable to delete folder

Question

Windows 10 Pro 1803, 17134.407.

I'm backing up my steam files again and I forgot about backing up F.E.A.R. to a different name unfortunately it looks like steam was able to not only create a folder with that name but chuck in a few sub folder with lots of files (20 files in two folders). Treesize can see the folder and sub folders but when I try to expand the folders everything vanishes and when attempting to delete the F.E.A.R. folder it has an error.

But when I'm in windows and trying to remove said folder it says there is an unexpected error (which could have happened previously but since I backup every year or two it has been a while). I tried to do the rd FEAR~1 trick but that doesn't work anymore either and while I did consider upgrading to 1809 to see if that would do anything I realised this was in the programs folder and not users (and probably crash the upgrade knowing my luck).

I've tried to use powershell's remove-item and even downloaded file assassin and that has an error detecting the file.

I tried to replicate the issue by manually creating a folder with the same name but windows always seemed to remove the last . (which I'm assuming is what's causing the error since I can delete those folders fine) so could someone please look at the method that steam is using to create the folder and get it to also remove any last . in folder names when creating them and hopefully patch it so I can remove this stupid folder.

I have more than enough space at this point so it's not urgent but it's ticking me off every time I go to move all the folders off to a portable drive and have to make sure I'm not selecting that folder.

Answer 1

Hi,

Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums. 

1. May I know, if your system is in domain network?

This issue could be because the files don’t have enough permission to delete, we will try few troubleshooting to eliminate and find the root cause of the issue.

We will try to take the permission of the folder and try to delete it.

Few thing to take care before following the method below.

1. Disable any antivirus program you have.
2. Close all the program including steam.

Method 1:

1. Right click on the file, Select Properties.
2. Select Security tab.
3. Click on Advanced tab.
4. Check the owner of the file, click on Change.
5. Type in Everyone on Select User or Group, select everyone will give permission to everyone, if you want only the current user to have access, you can enter the current user name or the enter administrator, to give access to administrator only.
6. Click on Check Name and OK.
7. Check on Replace owner on subcontainers and objects.
8. Click on Auditing, Click on Add, type Everyone and give full control and click OK.
9. Click on Effective Access, Click select user and Click on Select a principle, type in Everyone and give full control and click on OK.
10. Click on Apply and Click on OK.
11. Wait for the permission to apply.
12. Click on Advanced options again from the file properties Window (same step from step 3).
13. Click on Add, you might see change permission on your system, click on it and after that you will get the Add option. Add Everyone with Full control, click on OK and close all the Window.
14. Try to delete the folder now.

If taking permission doesn’t help, follow the suggestion on method 2.

Method 2:

Open Control panel select view by small Icon.

Click on Sync Center.

Click on Manage offline files from the right pane.

Click on Disk Usage tab from the Offline files (You will only get this option, if you have sync turned on) if you don’t see the option, you can skip step 5 and proceed with Method 3.

Click on delete temporary files.

If you still face the issue, try the registry fix.

Method 3:

Disclaimer: The registry is a database in Windows that contains important information about system hardware, installed programs and settings, and profiles of each of the user accounts on the computer. Windows often reads and updates the information in the registry, before proceed with the steps, I suggest you to back up the registry.

1. Press Windows + R key on your keyboard together, type regedit on the small run Window and hit enter.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CSC\Parameters
3. Right click on the right pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
4. Name it FormatDatabase.
5. Double click and open it, assign value 1 and click on OK.
6. Reboot the computer and check.

If you still face the issue, reply to this post with answers to the question above.

Hope it helps.

Amit Sunar

Microsoft Community – Moderator

Answer 2

• Good idea not trying to fix it with the 1809 update. The version updates are enough risk without trying to do them when

you have an unresolved issue such as this.

• It looks like Steam still has a grip on this folder, preventing Windows from deleting it. Have you shut Steam down, as

suggested by Amit_Sun, or rebooted your machine ?

Failing that, if you have not already, you may want to post on the Steam forums and check their support/faqs section.

"and I forgot about backing up F.E.A.R. to a different name"

I've never used Steam to backup games, but it looks unnecessarily complex to me. I just copy the games folder to my

external backup HDD. There is no real need to do regular backups of games, if that is what you're doing,

especially games of this vintage.

With newer games I wait long enough for any big updates to be done, and the smaller updates that come down the line later

wouldn't take long for Steam/Origin/UPlay to do them after copying the game from the backup HDD to the new HDD

(the only time a game should need to be 'restored', with the possible exception of a game getting totally borked by mods. )

If I need to update save backups I do the same and copy the games save folder to their external backup location.

I also make a new sub-folder in the main save folder for manual backups. Especially with games that are prone to

getting corrupt save files (eg- Oblivion, Skyrim), but also for modern games that keep only one save file (hate them),

so I can roll back to an earlier point in the game, or replay a fun section later, if I wish.

.

Answer 3

Hi Amit Sunar,

I use the pro version on my home machine (all local) because sometimes I need to build a vm to test software and things like group policy is really handy (especially for the updates).

Method 1 was no luck.

Method 2, I don't use sync centre and like doing things all locally where possible.

Method 3, I created the parameters folder and then created the FormatDatabase DWORD as mentioned and rebooted my machine but it still has the same error message as mentioned before.

Answer 4

Hey BossDweeb,

While directly copying stuff would be nice, I do own 172 games currently taking up 630gb which would take a really long time (probably over 24 hours with the total number of files listed). With the backup process 631,913 files get shrunk down to 2110 file so if I need to restore some games it will read the data from the external drive (compressed and collated) and then write everything onto the current machines drive in one hit per game. Plus from memory there is some data validation in the restore process where one game I restored 4-5 years back had an error with the backup files and downloaded a small amount of data to fix it (5-10mb from memory). ![](https://learn-attachment.microsoft.com/api/attachments/9f2ecca4-abea-4c54-9de5-d4e38d29fc21?platform=QnA"https://learn-attachment.microsoft.com/api/attachments/1c8d9a6e-0da3-42eb-83b9-f66afbc08f56?platform=QnA" rel="ugc nofollow">

Also I've only recently gotten onto the NBN here and my internet capacity has gone from a 5mbps adsl connection to 60mbps on fibre to the street (should be 100 but hey) so at least now I can easily redownload individual games quickly. Previously I was using my personal laptop as my work machine plus having steam installed with some games to use it at home and every 2-3 years I would get a new machine (partly for gaming specs but also bigger hard drive, more memory, etc) so I would have to transfer my stuff across and archive some games I had finished playing. Now I've gotten a new home gaming machine so all my steam stuff is on that and my laptop is now work only which means I only have to backup this box.

I did the backups over two days (and shut down my machine in between) and steam doesn't touch the backups once they have been done. From memory I'm sure is just some stupid folder name windows doesn't like for whatever reason and I'm sure I just did some command line stuff to remove it previously (but with windows 10 I'm not sure if they have changed anything in the underlying OS to now prevent the command line from doing it now).

Answer 5

Yes, it takes a while to copy/paste my 200+ games as well. Coincidentally,  I did a full copy of every game onto a new backup

HDD drive last week.  Just on 1.92TB. I do them in batches of around 100GB. I takes a bit longer because I compare the size after

each batch and sort out what may be missing from game x so I know the backup will be a bit more current should it be called on.

A bit tedious, and not entirely necessary but being OCD is like that.

You can also setup you external drive to compress if you need to save space.

Anyway, I only suggested it because copying is straight forward (OK ! Not so) and I find automated options are more prone to

issues such as yours.

A less is best helps avoid a visit from Murphy thing I have. Put it down to me being a relic of the past.

I've been keeping Windows on a small partition, and more recently on a small SSD, which I clone to an HDD for backup for years.

The games are on HDD's, so if the Windows drive fails I can clone back to a new drive,  and the games will still run because the

registry keys, etc are still intact.

I haven't installed Windows clean since Win7 in 2010, but I did a clean Win10 install last week and found no improvement over my

old Win7 to Win10 upgrade, which has been on three machines now. I can't be bothered getting the rest of the clean Win10

install fully organised. Spent as much time with the Win10 install and getting the basics sorted as it did doing the game copy.

"60mbps on fibre to the street (should be 100 but hey) "

Thanks Tony. Thanks Mal. I'm not even going to bother when NBN hits town (Fibre to the node is actually going to be a good thing

for me as I won't be forced to join up). 14mbps here on all copper, and the rates here, where we get the 'regional' tax, will be the same for

low end 12mbps pseudo NBN speeds as ADSL2+.

Wait! No! It's worse than I thought. I see iinet is offering a base speed of 9.9mbps. Unfreakingbelievable! Ah well! At least they won't

get caught out with slower speeds when they persist in overloading the servers (or Telstra does as they control the regional distribution).

Telstra's 25mbps advertises a 20mbps average. Thrilling...

I don't even know why the gov allows throttling speeds down to as low as 12mbps, or less than 50mbps for the base plans

(yes I do. More $$$ for industry friends).

It's looking like 5G wireless will be here before the NBN fail anyway. But wait!  So what! They will ruin that with their give with

one hand and take with the other tiered 'plans' anyway. New name. Same scams.

Anyway, I have to get back to Montana. Have to save the USA from the wacko's and make 'Murica great again.

.