Can't Delete Folder in Windows Explorer

[notla49285 48]

I know this is an infamous problem, but I still haven't actually found a solution to it. I am simply trying to delete a folder on my PC (one of my library folders, as it happens, and Emby can't delete it either).

 

I get told that I need permission from the owner of the folder before I can delete it. Firstly this is irritating as I am a system administrator, I should be able to delete whichever folder I want. Secondly, I AM THE OWNER!!!!!!! There is only one user on my PC, and it's this user that creates/copies/moves/renames the files and folders. Nobody else has access.

 

I am logged in as the owner that's shown to me that I need permission for. I've tried running Explorer as an administrator and logging in as "Administrator", neither have worked. I have seen one solution of booting up in Safe Mode, however this is happening very often and I am NOT shutting my server down every time Windows feels like acting up.

 

This is seriously annoying me now, anybody got any permanent ideas?

 

Edit: I've just rebooted my PC and the problem folder I've had today has disappeared, almost like it had already gone but Windows was still showing it (Emby was picking it up also). The problem folder I had yesterday I've also been able to move. Therefore I've adjusted the language in my original post somewhat, but this is still an annoying problem and because I don't know what's caused it I don't know how to solve it. That, and as I said above, I don't want to have to reboot my computer every time I want to delete a file/folder, this is stupid! Any thoughts? Is there other file management software that can do a better job? Almost seems like the folder itself was deleted but the index for it on the hard disk itself wasn't?

Edited January 12, 2019 by notla49285

[arche 177]

I'm assuming you've tried taking ownership of the folder before trying to delete the folder? I know you said you're the owner and admin, just a thought. Also, is this on your main drive or a different drive this is happening on?

[notla49285 48]

Yeah I've tried taking ownership but it's either Administrator or my own, which it's already set as. Not on main drive, it's an external connected via USB (3, if that makes any difference).

[arche 177]

Have you run a scan on the drive for errors? Also, have you tried a different USB port? You're not using a HD USB dock, right? Had one of these go bad on me.

[notla49285 48]

I will scan the drive, not tried a different port (it's an intermittent error so hard to pinpoint when it'll happen), not a dock, it's a Thermaltake enclosure.

[Happy2Play 9780]

I have seen this before as Windows doesn't appear to refresh properly even the folder is actually been deleted.  Like it is being held open by something else.  Logging off or restarting always resolves the issue.

[notla49285 48]

This marks the importance of meaningful/correct error messages!! I'll keep monitoring this and try to find a pattern to see if it is what @@Happy2Play says, will also run tests on the drive when I get back.

[notla49285 48]

Just as a follow up, this is a Windows or at least a drive issue. The actual issue, as @@Happy2Play says, is that the folder doesn't actually exist, a system reboot always fixes it, I'll carry on looking around for a solution without restarting. Thanks for your help!

[naeonline 27]

Most of the time you can kill the all the running explorer.exe processes and then start one back up (killing them all makes your start menu and taskbar disappear).  Do this through a command prompt or through task manager (use File -> Run new task to start a new explorer.exe process).

[notla49285 48]

Most of the time you can kill the all the running explorer.exe processes and then start one back up (killing them all makes your start menu and taskbar disappear).  Do this through a command prompt or through task manager (use File -> Run new task to start a new explorer.exe process).

Didn't think of that, will try it if this happens again

[notla49285 48]

Just as a follow up, closing the explorer.exe process does not fix this issue, restarting the machine does.

[notla49285 48]

Another follow up, this is happening when I try to merge folders and overwrite files. I have a shared TV recordings folder where all recordings go by default. Once they've finished, I move them to the respective users's folder (who wanted them recording). Obviously, there are previous recordings of the same show in that user's own folder, so Emby has created a new set of metadata files, posters, etc in the shared folder that need to be merged and (I chose to) overwrite the existing files in the user's own folder.

 

Merging like this causes the original recording folder to fuck up and for Windows to think it's still in the shared folder when it actually isn't. What I've started doing now is going into the show and the series within the shared folder, and only moving the episode itself (with it's own metadata and image files) over to the user's existing show folder, then deleting the rest from the shared folder. It then deletes properly, Windows can't see it any more and neither can Emby.

 

Maybe something that can be done on the drive itself to fix this, but I don't want to mess with it and if it ain't broke then.... yeah.