So I'm backing up my freinds data, so I made a folder named "backup" on my desktop and jsut put everything there. After I finished burning it all to cd's, I went to delete it, but alas, it will not delete. Instead, I get this error "The file name specified is too long or not valid". And it seems the folder is almost infinite, becuase when I opened the backup folder, there's another backup folder right after that, and another, and another, and so on. After about 30 backup folders lol, I finally found the end. Its all the backed up data, and still, it wont delete. I tried booting in safe mode, but it gets stuck. Hmm, I've also noticed little to none of the pictures on sites load.

Have you tried deleting th last folder in the list first and then working your way backwards?
Failing that programs such as secure delete should be able to get rid of it regardless of the size or filename lengh.

windows has a limitation on folder name size .. i think its 255 characters... you will need to rename the last few folders ( or delete them as reza said) in order to get control back...

if you cant rename in windows.. use a command prompt

Well, I'm not at my pc, I'm curently at my school, but as reza said, I tried to manually delete the files and folders inside the almso infinite "backup" folders. I'll try renaming them when I get home.

Quote: Originally Posted by Wafflesomd Well, I'm not at my pc, I'm curently at my school, but as reza said, I tried to manually delete the files and folders inside the almso infinite "backup" folders. I'll try renaming them when I get home.

another thing you can do is go 10 or 11 levels deep... then right click the folder ... and then paste it into the root of the hdd

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d....mspx?mfr=true



Syntax

del [Drive:][Path] FileName [ ...] [/p] [/f] [/s] [/q] [/a[:attributes]]
erase [Drive:][Path] FileName [ ...] [/p] [/f] [/s] [/q] [/a[:attributes


the del command should fix most of your problems ie make them disappear

Wellm I ended up doing a combonation of all of your idea's, and in conjunction, I did it!

The folder and all the files are now deleted

Thank you!