Actually...its not a file...its a folder I named wrong with one file in it. Wasnt thinking...accidentally used a + symbol when re-naming a folder....and the dumb thing let me. It usually won't let me use symbols in folder or filenames. Least w2k won't let me. I'm on a borrowed XP puter here with my HDD installed as a 2ndary drive while my CPU is out for warranty. The folder I re-named is on my hdd. When I try to open the folder...or right click to delete it just locks up and I have to end that process with taskmanager. Any help in deleting this folder would be appreciated. I don't care about the one file in it. (was a .zip file in the folder if it makes a difference) Thx. Dave

DAVE440: First try deleting the file in Safe Mode, or use MoveOnBoot at the link below. LINK Solarian

Thanks for the suggestions Solarion...but no go. Tried safe mode...and move on boot. Neither helps. The folder isn't locking up. It does nothing when you left click on it to open. A right click brings up only a few options...None of which work. Open- Explore- Search- Send to-. No rename- open- or delete- options on right click. Tried to drag and drop the bad folder into move on boot file field and nothing appears in the field when i release the mouse button. Tried same thing with a known working folder to test...and it did populate the field with the folder name. That + symbol in the folder name must be throwin things outta whack. I dont even know how windows let this one get by. Any other suggestions? Any way to delete from DOS? I wouldnt have a clue where to start. I would guess a + is also a bad symbol in DOS. Any additional help you can provide...or anyone else would be appreciated. Dave

Update- Had a thought but new idea didn't work. Just tried move on boot again and typed in the complete path and folder name in the move on boot field. Indicated to delete on boot. Didn't work...folder still there.

Moveonboot will not del a folder. You must first use it to del the file[s] then del the folder. Please post back within 24 hours or I will delete the post from my follow up list. Thanks.

I understand. The problem isn't with the file though. It's that the folder was named using a special character and is completely unrecognizable for normal windows activity like open, delete, etc....and drag n drop...only works if the folder name is valid or it is rejected and left where it is. Even if I wanted to delete the file within this folder first... the filename must contain the entire path including folder name for remove on boot to find it...and since the folder itself is unrecognizable ....that doesn't work either. Any other ideas?

I think I got rid of it....? I still couldnt delete that one folder. Used BC wipe to delete the parentn folder it was in. There were 4 folders inside the parent and BC wipe identified the one with the corrupt filename containing the + character as "not existing." Right in front of my face...so it obviously existed. I also put a file in that folder before renaming it...but apparently renaming it with the special + Character made it unrecognizable as a windows folder. BC wipe said system was busied for deletion of the parent folder so I had it run on startup. It wiped the parent and took all 4 including the one with the bad filename with it. It actually probably just wiped the 3 good folders plus the parent and left the wrongly named (now orphan) folder and file it contained in some form on the HDD still since that folder was not reconizable for deletion,rename, open...etc. It was just a bios update file in that bad folder anyway...but hopefully since theres a corrupt folder name floating around on the hdd somewhere...it wont cause any problems in the future. Even if I tell BC wipe to erase all free disk space...if thats an orphaned inaccessible folder and file...it won't be considered free space or be wiped. Only a full reformat will actually allow that folder to be over-written for sure. It probably won't cause any trouble...so I'm sure not gonna reformat over that. Just wanted to let u know how I got rid of the thing...least...I THINK I did... Thanks for the help. Dave