Can't Delete a .mp4 File

[Innoxent Ghost]

So I downloaded this mp4 file, and I was trying to cut and paste it another folder but the progress bar's just stuck at 0% and I'm not getting any kind of error pop-ups.

 

1) File runs just fine.

 

2) Can copy and paste it anywhere I want.

 

3) Can't cut and paste it.

 

4) Can't delete it. Nothing happens if I try to do so.

 

5) Can't delete using Shift + Delete.

 

6) I've tried some cmd commands; They don't work. It appears that Windows can't find the file. Here are some Screenshots.

 

 

7) I've tried running chkdsk command to see if there are any errors. As far as I think, everything seems to be ok.

 

 

8) Can't rename the file either. If try to do so, File Explorer just straight up stops responding and restarts. Here's a Screen Recording of what happens.

 

2021-05-17 21-59-33.ts

 

9) Renaming the file through third party utilities such as WinRAR and 7-Zip doesn't work either. The programs just stop working.

 

10) The same phenomena happen when I try to delete it with WinRAR, 7-Zip and Wise Force Deleter.

 

 

Please help me get rid of this cursed file ;-;

[Guest]

Have you... tried restarting your computer?

You can also try highlighting the file by holding click and moving the blue box onto the file. That works for me when this happens, I don't know though.

[Innoxent Ghost]

2 minutes ago, Cool_Evlo said:

Have you... tried restarting your computer?

You can also try highlighting the file by holding click and moving the blue box onto the file. That works for me when this happens, I don't know though.

Yup, tried rebooting. Doesn't work

And the other method you mentioned doesn't work either.

[TheCoder2019]

I see a SYNTAX error, thats what I see. Put quotations around the entire directory. Also, how'd you get cmd and Windows to look like that?

 

and have you tried rm or rmdir? Use rmdir after doing the above

Edited May 18, 2021 by TheCoder2019
Fixed Self-Stupidity

[Bitter]

When in doubt I always have a USB drive with some kind of Linux on it that I can boot up and do the things Windows will not do. Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu can be made bootable to a thumb drive easily, then easy GUI navigation to the file, and try to delete it.

[trag1c]

You could try Powershells remove-item commandlet with the -force flag.  I don't know if it operates any different then CMD's del command but its probably worth a shot.

[callmeleanh]

it's could be a virus that stay inside the the file, just my thought.

[TheCoder2019]

Just now, callmeleanh said:

it's could be a virus that stay inside the the file, just my thought.

I think unlikely. if it was a virus, it would have most likely been adware, ransomware, or spyware and the OP's antivirus didn't flag it

[callmeleanh]

1 hour ago, TheCoder2019 said:

I think unlikely. if it was a virus, it would have most likely been adware, ransomware, or spyware and the OP's antivirus didn't flag it

yeah I think the same, but maybe  who know.

[Beerzerker]

If it's persistent yet still seems to function there's probrably a bug of some kind in it.
File errors usually won't let a file work properly anyway so I'd have to suspect it's most likely a bug.

[mariushm]

use  "   "  in console commands. 

 

File may not delete if there's some application stuck in background still keeping the file opened. The file system will not release the file (and delete it) until that application closes.  If so , restarting the pc would cause the file handle to be released, and then the file system would delete the file (if you already gave the command to have the file deleted)

 

Some files can not be deleted if

* they contain Unicode characters in the name

* if there's a space or a dot right at the end of the file name

*  if the file path length (including folders to it) is very long (more than 254 characters or something like that) . 

 

You can work around that by using the UNC path instead of regular paths  ex try 

 

DEL "\\?\C:\Users\Your username\Downloads\your mp4 file name.mp4"

Copy and paste the file name from the File Properties window, in case the file name has a Unicode character that's visually similar to regular characters. Also careful, maybe your user name  has some weird characters? 

 

An alternative would be to use 7zip to browse to the file and use Shift+DEL to delete it - 7zip can handle long paths and unicode, so it should be smart enough to delete the file. Shift+Del deletes the file without moving it through Recycle Bin.

 

other trick usually done on Folders and usually when you deal with long paths is to use the command like tool robocopy 

 

ex  make a temporary folder, ex C:\temp 

open command line with admin rights 

type in console : robocopy  "C:\temp"  "C:\the folder with very long\long path that exceeds 254 characters\and so on ... "  /purge 

 

Robocopy will copy the contents of that folder into C:\temp and then delete the original location so you won't have a folder with very long path that you can't delete / rename / work with. 

[Innoxent Ghost]

10 hours ago, TheCoder2019 said:

I see a SYNTAX error, thats what I see. Put quotations around the entire directory. Also, how'd you get cmd and Windows to look like that?

 

and have you tried rm or rmdir? Use rmdir after doing the above

I used these utilities to customize the look of Windows:

 

Rainmeter

Secure Ux Theme

Start Is Back Plus Plus

System Transparency

 

You can look for details on the internet ^_^

11 hours ago, Bitter said:

When in doubt I always have a USB drive with some kind of Linux on it that I can boot up and do the things Windows will not do. Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu can be made bootable to a thumb drive easily, then easy GUI navigation to the file, and try to delete it.

Yea, this seemed the only option before I posted the issue here. *sigh*

10 hours ago, trag1c said:

You could try Powershells remove-item commandlet with the -force flag.  I don't know if it operates any different then CMD's del command but its probably worth a shot.

I'd have definitely done it if the issue wasn't fixed already.

 

10 hours ago, callmeleanh said:

it's could be a virus that stay inside the the file, just my thought.

Scanned it; it's clean.

 

9 hours ago, Beerzerker said:

If it's persistent yet still seems to function there's probrably a bug of some kind in it.
File errors usually won't let a file work properly anyway so I'd have to suspect it's most likely a bug.

I think it was cursed *_*

 

8 hours ago, mariushm said:

use  "   "  in console commands. 

 

File may not delete if there's some application stuck in background still keeping the file opened. The file system will not release the file (and delete it) until that application closes.  If so , restarting the pc would cause the file handle to be released, and then the file system would delete the file (if you already gave the command to have the file deleted)

 

Some files can not be deleted if

* they contain Unicode characters in the name

* if there's a space or a dot right at the end of the file name

*  if the file path length (including folders to it) is very long (more than 254 characters or something like that) . 

 

You can work around that by using the UNC path instead of regular paths  ex try 

 

DEL "\\?\C:\Users\Your username\Downloads\your mp4 file name.mp4"

Copy and paste the file name from the File Properties window, in case the file name has a Unicode character that's visually similar to regular characters. Also careful, maybe your user name  has some weird characters? 

 

An alternative would be to use 7zip to browse to the file and use Shift+DEL to delete it - 7zip can handle long paths and unicode, so it should be smart enough to delete the file. Shift+Del deletes the file without moving it through Recycle Bin.

 

other trick usually done on Folders and usually when you deal with long paths is to use the command like tool robocopy 

 

ex  make a temporary folder, ex C:\temp 

open command line with admin rights 

type in console : robocopy  "C:\temp"  "C:\the folder with very long\long path that exceeds 254 characters\and so on ... "  /purge 

 

Robocopy will copy the contents of that folder into C:\temp and then delete the original location so you won't have a folder with very long path that you can't delete / rename / work with. 

Yeah should've used the quotation marks.

 

I think that what you stated in second paragraph might've happened.

 

And I've tried 7-Zip as mentioned in the post. I didn't work.

 

I've tried robocopy too. It didn't work either. Windows couldn't locate the file. Should've included it's screenshot too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@TheCoder2019

@Cool_Evlo

@Bitter

@callmeleanh

@Beerzerker

@mariushm

@trag1c

 

Thank you everyone for your time. The file has been magically disappeared from the folder and appeared in Recycle Bin. I've emptied the Recycle Bin and the file is gone (finally). I've checked the time it got deleted and it appears that it happened right after I posted here. So maybe it got scared or somethin' Idk  (btw I didn't restart the PC or anything).

 

[Bitter]

Probably wise to run a chkdsk on that volume, this might have been a fie system problem.