Can't delete folder. Infinitely looped folders created within each other

My flex builder somehow decided to create infinite folders within folders and crashed itself. Now windows cannot delete the folder, saying the file name is too long. Even Unlocker can't delete it.

The folders are created like this:

projectname-debug -> projectname-debug -> projectname-debug -> ..........

windows

gAMBOOKa

Posted 2010-02-01T17:49:50.747

Reputation: 341

Have you tried deleting it while running Windows in Safe Mode? – Ivo Flipse – 2010-02-01T18:26:32.253

Answers

Boot up some linux live distribution and delete it from there.

Egon

Posted 2010-02-01T17:49:50.747

Reputation: 2 513

11Then stay in linux. – Josh K – 2010-02-01T18:48:26.867

And what if he's programming in Visual Studio? – Ivo Flipse – 2010-02-01T18:49:38.050

2I never said it was practical. ;) – Josh K – 2010-02-01T18:57:53.070

@Ivo: then use WINE... – quack quixote – 2010-02-01T21:57:00.773

@Ivo: I'm using Flex Builder 3, an Eclipse plugin @Josh: Bingo... did just that. I happened to have Ubuntu installed. Cheers mate! – gAMBOOKa – 2010-02-02T00:13:57.963

Soo did it work? – Kelbizzle – 2010-02-02T04:31:01.973

I just wrote an article on Flex development in Linux, but it won't be published for a while yet. However, see http://unlikelyteacher.com/2008/09/26/free-alternative-to-flex-builder/ and http://axdt.org/, which should work under Linux.

– CarlF – 2010-02-02T06:09:45.430

@Kelbizzle: That's a bingooo! – gAMBOOKa – 2010-02-02T17:59:13.693

You might try using the SUBST to map a long path to a new drive letter. That may get the path down short enough for you to delete some of the lower directories first.

RedFilter

Posted 2010-02-01T17:49:50.747

Reputation: 506

1Nice! That works great. In fact, it gave me the idea of renaming the parent directory/directories to shorter names which also works. – Bobson – 2011-11-21T02:56:55.843

Try the command line:

rmdir /s /q "C:\path\to\folder"

John T

Posted 2010-02-01T17:49:50.747

Reputation: 149 037

I've had a similar issue due to a screwed up subversion checkout. What I found worked was going in as deep as you can and the move the contents out. You should then be able to delete the outer part. Repeat the process with the stuff you moved out. Worked for me, but it might not be exactly the same situation.

developmentalinsanity

Posted 2010-02-01T17:49:50.747

Reputation: 2 310

1Windows will stop traversing inside the folders after a while. I used rm /s and it removed all the contents inside the folders, but the folders itself won't go away. – gAMBOOKa – 2010-02-01T17:53:34.077