# Unaccessable random folders on a portable harddrive **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2012, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unaccessable-random-folders-on-a-portable-harddrive/631457 "2012-08-14T11:12:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unaccessable-random-folders-on-a-portable-harddrive/631457/1 "2012-08-14T11:12:54Z")
Hi Some random folders have appeared on my harddrive and I can’t delete them or even view their contents… If I right click and try to view their contents it says it has a 0 size. Here are most of the names: (I’ve left off some characters) 0a69b3ea7d63611cc1ad 0cc7e1a62b9caf51280db8 448d36e1d53c9725e5fc88 6744d227601bc57748109 b5a59f26748fb879492a90 Is there any way to get rid of them? ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unaccessable-random-folders-on-a-portable-harddrive/631457/2 "2012-08-14T11:29:42Z")
You can delete them from the command line. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unaccessable-random-folders-on-a-portable-harddrive/631457/3 "2012-08-14T11:32:17Z")
looks to me like your disk file system is corrupt - at this point back up all the data you can on the drive, then format it and copy the data back (if the format succeeds without problems). Si ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unaccessable-random-folders-on-a-portable-harddrive/631457/4 "2012-08-14T11:55:17Z")
> [@grude](#): > > You can delete them from the command line. I went to the windows command prompt and it said “access denied” when I used rmdir. ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unaccessable-random-folders-on-a-portable-harddrive/631457/5 "2012-08-14T11:56:42Z")
> [@si\_blakely](#): > > looks to me like your disk file system is corrupt - at this point back up all the data you can on the drive, then format it and copy the data back (if the format succeeds without problems). I’ll try that… btw the folders were all created about a year ago within a space of 2 days. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unaccessable-random-folders-on-a-portable-harddrive/631457/6 "2012-08-14T12:15:13Z")
Then it looks somewhat more like the remnants of Windows updates. Sudden random inaccessible directories could be file system corruption. Since it has been working for a long time since they appeared, probably not. Right-click the folder, select properties. Choose the Security tab. Click Advanced. Choose the option to Take Ownership. Tick to Change Subfolders and Files. Apply, then try deleting the folder. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unaccessable-random-folders-on-a-portable-harddrive/631457/7 "2012-08-14T12:25:08Z")
Ran out of Edit time, so more accurate instructions follow This is for Windows 7, Windows Vista/XP will be broadly similar. If you don’t have a Security tab in Properties, you probably have Home edition - try doing this in Safe mode. > [@](#): > > Right-click the folder, select **Properties**. > Choose the _Security_ tab. Click **Advanced**. > Choose the _Owner_ tab, select option **Edit**. > Tick to _Replace owner on Subcontainers and Files_. Apply, > > then try deleting the folder. Si ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unaccessable-random-folders-on-a-portable-harddrive/631457/8 "2012-08-14T22:31:46Z")
Thanks I was able to change ownership of those folders and delete them…