Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!gatech!mcnc!ecsvax!mvolo
From: mvolo@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (Michael R. Volow)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Need help removing directory !
Summary: probably munged FAT
Keywords: RMDIR
Message-ID: <5606@ecsvax.uncecs.edu>
Date: 17 Aug 88 13:06:25 GMT
References: <1027@pc.ecn.purdue.edu> <477@c10sd1.StPaul.NCR.COM>
Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service
Lines: 21



When I had this problem, it was not a hidden file but a disturbed
root directory (or FAT).   I understand that adding a wild card
to the baddirectoryname (e.g. RMDIR lisp* or  RMDIR lisp*) some-
times helps, but it didn't in my case.

Using the disk editor in PCTOOLS, I searched for the bad directory
name string, which I think put me in the root directory.  I then
edited the hex numbers corresponding to the bad directory name,
to make them the same as blank directory entries.  PCTOOLS will
cautioned me that I was in the system area of the disk, but I 
forged ahead, and it worked.  I did a CHKDSK afterwards.  The same
thing can be done with DEBUG, but I am less comfortable with that
program.  You might practice the operation on a floppy with sub-
directories before trying it on you hard disk.

Michael R. Volow                   919 286 0411, page beeper #550
Dept. of Psychiatry                mvolo@ecsvax.UUCP
Durham Vet Admin Medical Center
Durham, N.C. 27705