Solve : Dos lesson?

1.	Solve : Dos lesson?
Answer» Sorry but I don't remember, so it is easier to ask the expert: I am deleting some directories from a HARD Drive I switched. One FOLDER "Program Files" contains Windows files. I am using the "takeown' and icacls, I did use this frequently, BUT the fact that the folder has a two words name, does not allow DOS to understand it. I've tried INCLUDING the words in quotes didn't help. Please help. Please post the command you are trying to execute so we can look at it for syntax errors to correct it for you to execute it properly. You are correct that you have to use quotes for names and paths with spaces! This forum is read by many and the information should follow some sort of sanity guidelines. Otherwise people might do foolish things. Deleting files from "Program Files" directory is not a good practice. Was this a joke? Can you explain why you want to do this? If you wish to use an old drive as a data drive, you should just format the dive.Quote from: amolari on November 11, 2011, 03:57:29 PM I am deleting some directories from a Hard Drive I switched. Avoiding CONFUSION is very important when discussing such a procedure. What do you mean by "switched"? Do you mean that hard drive is no longer your boot/startup hard drive? Is it now being used as a storage drive only? Sorry if I caused confusion. I swuitched the original hard drive, installing a newer one, reinstalled all my programs. I did this before and I deleted correctly the "unmovable" folders left behind by Windows. The command I use, appears on the internet and consists of: Delete Windows.old: cmd - run as administrator. takeown /F C:\Windows.old\* /R /A Icacls C:\Windows.old\. /T /grant administrators:F rmdir /S /Q C:\Windows.old\ . This works perfectly on files that need special permission. My ONLY problem is that I don't remember how to include a TWO words fplder name, as DOS does not understand the space between the two words. So, if I have a folder named 'One Two', how do I say rmdir C:\One Two Quote from: amolari on November 12, 2011, 01:45:59 PM So, if I have a folder named 'One Two', how do I say rmdir C:\One Two rmdir "C:\One Two" note that if the directory is not empty you need to use the /s switch Quote BUT the fact that the folder has a two words name, does not allow DOS to understand it. As far as I know, normally in DOS you would change a name like Program Files to PROGRA~1Quote from: Linux711 on November 12, 2011, 07:24:51 PM As far as I know, normally in DOS you would change a name like Program Files to PROGRA~1 DOS doesn't have either takeown or icacls, so clearly they aren't using DOS, and thus should favour the quoted syntax ST notes.Quote from: Linux711 on November 12, 2011, 07:24:51 PM As far as I know Quote from: BC_Programmer on November 12, 2011, 08:46:10 PM DOS doesn't have either takeown or icacls, so clearly they aren't using DOS, and thus should favour the quoted syntax ST notes. DOS doesn't have a Start Button (or Orb) and "cmd - run as administrator" either. Thank You to all you guys. It ended but I don't understand what it did happen. Previously I did run on the MS-DOS window, the Dir command and the listing was 'Program Files' (with the space in between). Today, after running several trries of "takeown/f F:\Program Files\* /R /A with and without the quotes, I RUN again a DIR, and this time it was listed as 'ProgramFiles'; running the 'takeown' just worked fine, as the SUBSEQUENT Icacls and the rmdir. I must have changed the name of the folder somehow, but if this is true, I should have to be able to delete also, right? As the explanation on WHY I am doing this, well I wanted to keep some files I had on my C drive that now is called F and E. Anyway, this has been my first experience in this group, a very good one, with lot of interacting. Thank You again.

Answer»

Sorry but I don't remember, so it is easier to ask the expert:
I am deleting some directories from a HARD Drive I switched. One FOLDER "Program Files" contains Windows files. I am using the "takeown' and icacls, I did use this frequently, BUT the fact that the folder has a two words name, does not allow DOS to understand it. I've tried INCLUDING the words in quotes didn't help.
Please help.

Please post the command you are trying to execute so we can look at it for syntax errors to correct it for you to execute it properly. You are correct that you have to use quotes for names and paths with spaces!
This forum is read by many and the information should follow some sort of sanity guidelines. Otherwise people might do foolish things.
Deleting files from "Program Files" directory is not a good practice. Was this a joke? Can you explain why you want to do this?
If you wish to use an old drive as a data drive, you should just format the dive.Quote from: amolari on November 11, 2011, 03:57:29 PM

I am deleting some directories from a Hard Drive I switched.

Avoiding CONFUSION is very important when discussing such a procedure. What do you mean by "switched"? Do you mean that hard drive is no longer your boot/startup hard drive? Is it now being used as a storage drive only? Sorry if I caused confusion. I swuitched the original hard drive, installing a newer one, reinstalled all my programs. I did this before and I deleted correctly the "unmovable" folders left behind by Windows. The command I use, appears on the internet and consists of:
Delete Windows.old:
cmd - run as administrator.

takeown /F C:\Windows.old\* /R /A
Icacls C:\Windows.old\*.* /T /grant administrators:F
rmdir /S /Q C:\Windows.old\
.
This works perfectly on files that need special permission. My ONLY problem is that I don't remember how to include a TWO words fplder name, as DOS does not understand the space between the two words.
So, if I have a folder named 'One Two', how do I say rmdir C:\One Two
Quote from: amolari on November 12, 2011, 01:45:59 PM

So, if I have a folder named 'One Two', how do I say rmdir C:\One Two

rmdir "C:\One Two"

note that if the directory is not empty you need to use the /s switch
Quote

BUT the fact that the folder has a two words name, does not allow DOS to understand it.

As far as I know, normally in DOS you would change a name like Program Files to PROGRA~1Quote from: Linux711 on November 12, 2011, 07:24:51 PM

As far as I know, normally in DOS you would change a name like Program Files to PROGRA~1

DOS doesn't have either takeown or icacls, so clearly they aren't using DOS, and thus should favour the quoted syntax ST notes.Quote from: Linux711 on November 12, 2011, 07:24:51 PM

As far as I know

Quote from: BC_Programmer on November 12, 2011, 08:46:10 PM

DOS doesn't have either takeown or icacls, so clearly they aren't using DOS, and thus should favour the quoted syntax ST notes.

DOS doesn't have a Start Button (or Orb) and "cmd - run as administrator" either.

Thank You to all you guys. It ended but I don't understand what it did happen.
Previously I did run on the MS-DOS window, the Dir command and the listing was 'Program Files' (with the space in between). Today, after running several trries of "takeown/f F:\Program Files\* /R /A with and without the quotes, I RUN again a DIR, and this time it was listed as 'ProgramFiles'; running the 'takeown' just worked fine, as the SUBSEQUENT Icacls and the rmdir.
I must have changed the name of the folder somehow, but if this is true, I should have to be able to delete also, right?
As the explanation on WHY I am doing this, well I wanted to keep some files I had on my C drive that now is called F and E.
Anyway, this has been my first experience in this group, a very good one, with lot of interacting.
Thank You again.

Solve : Dos lesson?

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