can't delete files the search window, works with explorer

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

I cannot delete files through the search window although it is not a problem
using windows explorer. For example if I want to search and delete all of the
..bak files on our file server I would search for *.bak in our "f" drive. It
finds the files okay but when I try to delete them I get an error message
saying it cannot read from the soure disk or file. Well.... if it can't read
from the source file how did it find them in the first place? Then if I use
windows explorer and navigate to each folder I can delete the files, no
problem. The only way I can get it to work in search is to delete small
groups of files at a time, like maybe 50 or less. While this is not the end
of the world it is a pain in the butt. Any ideas??
Thanks much, Rick

 

[william]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

If you don't mind deleting all the *.bak files on your drive at a time, I
have a solution for you.
Open Start menu and click Run.
In the Run menu type cmd and press enter, and the command.window should
open.
Change the drive, in the command window, to drive "F."
Now type, without the quotations, "del *.bak" wich will delete all the *.bak
files on the drive.

Bellow are the commands to use with delete and erase.

DEL [/P] [/F] [/S] [/Q] [/A[[:]attributes]] names
ERASE [/P] [/F] [/S] [/Q] [/A[[:]attributes]] names

names Specifies a list of one or more files or directories.
Wildcards may be used to delete multiple files. If a
directory is specified, all files within the directory
will be deleted.

/P Prompts for confirmation before deleting each file.
/F Force deleting of read-only files.
/S Delete specified files from all subdirectories.
/Q Quiet mode, do not ask if ok to delete on global wildcard
/A Selects files to delete based on attributes
attributes R Read-only files S System files
H Hidden files A Files ready for archiving
- Prefix meaning not

If Command Extensions are enabled DEL and ERASE change as follows:

The display semantics of the /S switch are reversed in that it shows
you only the files that are deleted, not the ones it could not find.


"Rick H" wrote:

> I cannot delete files through the search window although it is not a problem
> using windows explorer. For example if I want to search and delete all of the
> .bak files on our file server I would search for *.bak in our "f" drive. It
> finds the files okay but when I try to delete them I get an error message
> saying it cannot read from the soure disk or file. Well.... if it can't read
> from the source file how did it find them in the first place? Then if I use
> windows explorer and navigate to each folder I can delete the files, no
> problem. The only way I can get it to work in search is to delete small
> groups of files at a time, like maybe 50 or less. While this is not the end
> of the world it is a pain in the butt. Any ideas??
> Thanks much, Rick

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

I apreciate the reply, but let's face it...this shouldn't be a problem with
"a newer improved operating system" (Windows XP) I'll take 98se any day of
the week.
Thanks again

"William" wrote:

> If you don't mind deleting all the *.bak files on your drive at a time, I
> have a solution for you.
> Open Start menu and click Run.
> In the Run menu type cmd and press enter, and the command.window should
> open.
> Change the drive, in the command window, to drive "F."
> Now type, without the quotations, "del *.bak" wich will delete all the *.bak
> files on the drive.
>
> Bellow are the commands to use with delete and erase.
>
> DEL [/P] [/F] [/S] [/Q] [/A[[:]attributes]] names
> ERASE [/P] [/F] [/S] [/Q] [/A[[:]attributes]] names
>
> names Specifies a list of one or more files or directories.
> Wildcards may be used to delete multiple files. If a
> directory is specified, all files within the directory
> will be deleted.
>
> /P Prompts for confirmation before deleting each file.
> /F Force deleting of read-only files.
> /S Delete specified files from all subdirectories.
> /Q Quiet mode, do not ask if ok to delete on global wildcard
> /A Selects files to delete based on attributes
> attributes R Read-only files S System files
> H Hidden files A Files ready for archiving
> - Prefix meaning not
>
> If Command Extensions are enabled DEL and ERASE change as follows:
>
> The display semantics of the /S switch are reversed in that it shows
> you only the files that are deleted, not the ones it could not find.
>
>
> "Rick H" wrote:
>
> > I cannot delete files through the search window although it is not a problem
> > using windows explorer. For example if I want to search and delete all of the
> > .bak files on our file server I would search for *.bak in our "f" drive. It
> > finds the files okay but when I try to delete them I get an error message
> > saying it cannot read from the soure disk or file. Well.... if it can't read
> > from the source file how did it find them in the first place? Then if I use
> > windows explorer and navigate to each folder I can delete the files, no
> > problem. The only way I can get it to work in search is to delete small
> > groups of files at a time, like maybe 50 or less. While this is not the end
> > of the world it is a pain in the butt. Any ideas??
> > Thanks much, Rick