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Phantom files in Recycle Bin

Discussion in 'Windows XP' started by PeteC, 2004/11/23.

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  1. 2004/11/23
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    This has me beat ......

    Every time I reboot the Recycle Bin icon shows that it has some content, but when opened shows no files at all and if I 'empty' it I am asked if I would like to delete between 40 and 80 files which, to all intents and purposes, do not exist :( Files which I knowingly delete show up OK and are added to that total - and delete normally.

    Have run all the various reg fixes for corrupted Recycle bin, etc from Kelly's Korner to no avail. WE shows no content in the Recycler folders on my 12 drives.

    This started some time after SP2 - I think !!

    XP Pro + SP 2

    Any ideas??
     
    PeteC,
    #1
  2. 2004/11/23
    WhitPhil

    WhitPhil Inactive

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    Empty the recycle bin.
    Then do, Start > Run > CMD
    At the prompt, enter

    CD\Recycled

    then

    Dir

    What files show up?
     
    WhitPhil,
    #2


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  4. 2004/11/23
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    Nowt!
     
    PeteC,
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  5. 2004/11/23
    Newt

    Newt Inactive

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    I just did some looking around. Same problem (but XP-pro SP1).

    Recycle bin empty (yeah, right) but looking at properties on the recycler folders showed lots of files & folders. Tried turning off the 'send to recycle bin' option. Stuff still showed up in properties.

    Agent Ransack searching c:\recycler showed the files & folders. Tried to delete from there but got 'file in use' errors.

    Selected all except the base 'recycler' folders in the Agent Ransack display again, used MoveOnBoot and opted to remove them at next boot. Rebooted. Mostly all gone - had about 6 folders that hung around. Did a MoveOnBoot again and all gone.

    I now know what the files were - mostly web stuff including pictures, page links, etc.

    I have no idea why they wouldn't show up using WE or a DIR from the cmd window.

    Interesting.
     
    Newt,
    #4
  6. 2004/11/23
    surferdude2

    surferdude2 Inactive

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    RECYCLER & RECYCLED are different folders...

    C:\>cd recycler

    C:\RECYCLER>attrib
    File not found - C:\RECYCLER\*.*

    C:\RECYCLER>cd..

    C:\>cd recycled

    C:\Recycled>attrib
    SH C:\Recycled\desktop.ini
    A H C:\Recycled\INFO2

    C:\Recycled>

    Try going to the Recycled as Whit posted and run the attrib command.
     
    surferdude2,
    #5
  7. 2004/11/23
    brett

    brett Inactive Alumni

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    The easy way ...

    ... delete something (anything will do), empty the Bin via a right-click (do not open it) and reboot.
     
    brett,
    #6
  8. 2004/11/23
    Newt

    Newt Inactive

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    brett - that didn't do it for me. Most of the junk was months old and I'd done the right-click / empty thing quite a few times. Junk didn't show up but was still there.
     
    Newt,
    #7
  9. 2004/11/23
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    Thanks guys - it's past midnight over here right now. I'll pick up on this in the morning!
     
    PeteC,
    #8
  10. 2004/11/23
    Newt

    Newt Inactive

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    Wimp. Wuzz. Slacker.

    :D :D

    I imagine we will be around tomorrow (your time).
     
    Newt,
    #9
  11. 2004/11/23
    surferdude2

    surferdude2 Inactive

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    When you get out of the sack tomorrow, delete the Recycler folder. Also delete the Recycled folder if present.

    You can do that in Windows Explorer or My Computer with a right-click > delete but be sure to hold down the Shift key to do this. You must bypass the Recycle Bin since you're deleting it. :) Reboot for effect.

    That will fix the Recycle Bin most times.
     
    surferdude2,
    #10
  12. 2004/11/24
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    Well some of us need our beauty sleep :)

    In reverse order .....

    surferdude2

    Deleted Recycler folder on all drives, reboot - no change, 45 files supposedly in Recycle Bin on reboot. No Recycled folder.

    Also see below. File Locator Pro (Agent Ransack paid version) shows just Desktop.ini.

    brett

    No go either.

    Looking at the Properties of Recycler drives C > O, only D is different, see below. Emptying the Recycle bin removes the MS folders - temporarily!
     
    PeteC,
    #11
  13. 2004/11/24
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    Hi Pete!

    I assume that You have multiple harddisks and partitions. Have You deleted the respective folder on each partition?

    What about Norton? Do You have Norton Protected Recycle Bin or even Norton Protection for the Standard Recycle Bin running? If so, purge all files after having deleted the folders.

    I know ...... :eek: ...... catching at straws.

    Christer
     
    Christer,
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  14. 2004/11/24
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    Hi Christer,

    Yes, Yes, Yes and NO :D

    2 x HD's with drives C > O and I have deleted Recycler on all drives.

    I only use NAV 2005 - no Norton Recycle bins of any type.

    See the edit to my previous post.

    Puzzling :)
     
    PeteC,
    #13
  15. 2004/11/24
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    I have folders in C:\WINDOWS\CSC\d1-d8 subfolders which are empty. The lettering/numbering seem similar to Your folders. The CSC folder is containing webpages available off-line. I don't use off-line webpages.

    Any bells ringing?

    Try clearing all TIFs, including off-line.

    Christer
     
    Christer,
    #14
  16. 2004/11/24
    surferdude2

    surferdude2 Inactive

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    Since you can "Find" the files with Agent Ransack, try deleting them from the "files found" screen. Search for Recycler. When found, double click the folder. Delete all holding the Shift key of course. Then you would need to log off and back on to fix the Desktop icon I think. Actually mine repairs itself if I right click > Properties > then cancel. Go figure.

    BTW, you should be able to double click the found items in Agent Ransack (the long string files inside the Recycler folder) and have it open to reveal what files are within. That way would allow for individual file deletion.
     
    Last edited: 2004/11/24
    surferdude2,
    #15
  17. 2004/11/24
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    surferdude2

    Not so simple :)

    The files appear to be on my D drive which is only data and right clicking on any of them brings up 'Caught Error'

    Christer

    All TIFs emptied when I close IE and I have used Steganos Internet Trace Destructor to clear caches.
     
    PeteC,
    #16
  18. 2004/11/24
    surferdude2

    surferdude2 Inactive

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    Two things come to mind now. Deleting them in the Recovery Console or using Move On Boot to do it. Your money - your choice. I'd try Move On Boot first just to put it to a good test. Besides, I don't have the recovery Console and can't get it with a HP oEM box. :( I got over that long ago though.

    Keep at it, I'm sure you'll whip it down in time. You're such a loser, you're getting error screens that I've never seen. :D
     
    Last edited: 2004/11/25
    surferdude2,
    #17
  19. 2004/11/25
    goddez1

    goddez1 Inactive

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    Try this:

    Assuming you're working with the
    recycle bin on drive c:, try the following...

    Start, Run, type in "cmd "
    Then type:
    cd c:\recycler
    attrib /s -r -s -h *.*
    del /s /q *.*
    exit

    Do this for all drives with a bin. May require a reboot. SInce I believe this also deletes desktop.ini, index.bat and info2 files. Clears out the whole bugger.

    NOTE: I have a d:\drive that is fat32 versus my c which is ntfs. The c's bin is named recycler while the d's is recycled. It took me ten minutes of fumbling around trying to figure out why I couldn't access the bin on d:.

    ----------------
    Alternative twist to the above is an F8 safemode command prompt routine:

    Reboot, hit the F8 key before Windows loads to boot to the start-up menu, and choose Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
    Type:
    cd c:\recycler
    attrib /s /d -r -s -h (ignore any "file not found" errors)
    cd..
    rd /s /q recycler
    exit
     
    Last edited: 2004/11/25
    goddez1,
    #18
  20. 2004/11/25
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff Thread Starter

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    Ann,

    Thank you, but the commands did nothing, which is strange.

    surferdude2

    Pre-empted you with MoveOnBoot.

    Daft thing is that I can delete them using MoveOnBoot or by simply emptying the Recycle bin, but they keep on coming back!

    Folders in question are all on my Data drive (Partition on 1st HD) ....

    D:\RECYCLER\S-1-5-21-583907252-1659004503-725345543-1003\Dd1\Software\en\com_microsoft.windowsxp

    D:\RECYCLER\S-1-5-21-583907252-1659004503-725345543-1003\Dd1\Software\en\com_microsoft.windowsxp\x86WinXP\com_microsoft.817787_WMZ_MSRC_1640_WMP8

    D:\RECYCLER\S-1-5-21-583907252-1659004503-725345543-1003\Dd59\Software\en\com_microsoft.windowsxp

    D:\RECYCLER\S-1-5-21-583907252-1659004503-725345543-1003\Dd59\Software\en\com_microsoft.windowsxp\x86WinXP\com_microsoft.817787_WMZ_MSRC_1640_WMP8
     
    PeteC,
    #19
  21. 2004/11/25
    surferdude2

    surferdude2 Inactive

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    Those look suspiciously like Windows Download Site files...Have you dumped your TIF's and all other temps lately? It shouldn't cause this but who knows what's at work here. ;)
     
    surferdude2,
    #20
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