# How Can I Delete This? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 6, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-delete-this/146859 "2003-01-06T02:13:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![qwerty02](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/cdc98d/32.png) [@qwerty02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qwerty02)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-delete-this/146859/1 "2003-01-06T02:13:47Z")
I just upgraded from Windows ME to Windows XP. During the installation, it said it made a folder with files that could not be transferred -\> c:\user~tmp.@01 - It will not let me delete this folder (the contents aren’t necessary anymore). The file inside the folder is called -ƒÓo„¦9„¢-„¤.ƒ¿„¤e and every time I try to delete it, it says Cannot delete file: cannot read from surface or disc. I have tried rebooting. How do I get rid of this file? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![sum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sum)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-delete-this/146859/2 "2003-01-06T02:24:06Z")
I dont think this will work but anyway… Right click on the file and then click on properties… If the “read only” part is checked then un check it… ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Harvey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@Max\_Harvey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Harvey)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-delete-this/146859/3 "2003-01-06T02:25:55Z")
Normally you could boot to DOS and delete any file, even required Windows system files, but I don’t know if XP has that option. Maybe you could make it hidden? I’ve done that with several folders that have nothing I need to look at. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-delete-this/146859/4 "2003-01-06T02:38:50Z")
You have one of them nasty files that has unacceptable symbols in the name, Windows can’t delete the file because it does not recognize the symbols. I was just talking to one of the computer gurus at my work yesterday about files such as these, somehow I have about 20 files named \_Å. The files contain absolutely no information but cannot be deleted. I placed them all in a common file and deleted the file in Dos. The files are finally gone. I placed all the files in a folder named zzz. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click MS-DOS Prompt. You will box will show C:/Windows. I added “del zzz” (without quotations), hit the enter key and the files were gone. ---
**Author:** ![qwerty02](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/cdc98d/32.png) [@qwerty02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qwerty02)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-delete-this/146859/5 "2003-01-06T03:04:16Z")
Sorry, I couldn’t figure out how to delete it in DOS. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-delete-this/146859/6 "2003-01-06T16:35:33Z")
Sometimes I use my FTP program…weird huh? anyway it displays file lists & can delete too. I just start the program select files & delete them. Windows isn’t the only way to handle files. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-delete-this/146859/7 "2003-01-06T17:35:15Z")
Boot into DOS using a DOS boot disk. Then use “C:>deltree \” for the parent folder in which the file exists.