Can't delete unneeded FSLRDR folders
I hope I am asking this in the proper location.
I am using Altiris SVS version 2.1.2084. Recently, due to a required Windows XP Pro SP3 re-install, I reinstalled SVS. Unfortunately, before I added some archived layers, I forgot to change the location of the fslrdr folder to my D:\ drive. After I realized that in was at c:\fslrdr I made the registry change. Now I have an unused fslrdr folder in c:\ as well as a populated old d:\fslrdr folder and a new one in d:\.
I want to remove the c:\ and old d:\ fslrdr folders but am unable to do this. I have tried using Unlocker, command line commands and through Safe Mode. Nothing works and I receive an error message that reads "I can not delete DELLIST.TXT: Access is denied. Make sure the disk is not full or write-potected and that the file is not currently in use." (when directly using delete command in Windows) or "The object can not be deleted. Do you want to perform the requested delete operation at next reboot?" (when using Unlocker). Nothing is deleted if I ask for deletion on reboot. During these attempts, SVS is not being used and all layers are deactivated. I am able to change the fslrdr folder name.
Does anyone know how I may delete these unneeded folders? Do I need to uninstall SVS first? Any help is much appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Ray
Comments
Two options
FIRST OPTION
1. Open a command prompt and have a look at your current time (eg: 10:20) then add 2 minutes to it
2. Type AT 10:22 /interactive cmd.exe
3. Check that the task is added to the task list and close the command window.
4. When the new command window opens, anything you do in it, happens with SYSTEM privileges (which are higher than admin privileges).
5. Navigate to the c:\fslrdr folder in this cmd window and delete any subfolders you want to get rid of. If you still have problems deleting specific files, then they are in-use and need you to try the second option.
SECOND OPTION
Boot the system from a CD running either WinPE or Linux (or any other O/S which sees NTFS ). The files in c:\fslrdr will not be locked as Windows is not running, so you should be able to delete them without any problems.
If you still cannot delete them, you should check the hard disk for errors with CHKDSK as there may be problems with the filesystem.
If your issue has been solved, please use the "Mark as Solution" link on the most relevant thread.
MoveOnBoot tool
There is another otion, download and install MoveOnBoot , this freeware program allows you to copy, moves or delete files on the next system boot.

After installing , you will have a new option in the right menu :
Select files to delete and on the next boot they will be deleted.
Download link : MoveOnBoot
Hope it helps.
Regards,
Paolo
Thanks EdT and riva11 for
Thanks EdT and riva11 for your replies.
EdT, I tired option 1 but all I get is a message "Access denied" when I try to delete a file and "This folder is not empty" when I try to delete a folder. I don't have WinPE but tried BartPE and several versions of Linux with out success. The BartPE acts like it uses windows since I get same errors when trying to delete. None of the Linux versions would allow me to use the NTFS drives so I could not work with them. What am I doing wrong? I guess I need detailed instructions since I'm no expert (especially with Linux).
riva11, I thought I had tried that but can't really remember. I will download it from your link and give it a try, thanks.
I had used Unlocker and when I refused to delete it asks if I want to do the deletion on a new boot. I answered "Yes" but it did not delete anything on a re-boot.
I wonder if I could delete the spare fslrdr folder if I first uninstalled SVS? Would that then allow me to delete the fslrdr folders? I don't like to do that but at least I would be rid of the extra folders (if it works). Any suggestions?
Ray
riva11: I installed
riva11: I installed MoveOnBoot and tried it. It did not delete any files on re-boot. It didn't add anything to the right menu either but I ran the program and tired to remove a few files from the erroneous fslrdr folders.
Nothing I do seems to effect these folders and I don't know what to try next.
New note: I shut down the computer completely and after several hours I restarted it. The new right button menu did have the "delete on next re-boot" option available (only for files). I tested this and it showed a window with the selected file path and a Result of "Failed". Clicking on it a see a note: "Failed: Access is denied". Even if it had worked, it would not remove the folders apparently (which is most of the unneeded info in the fslrdr folder taking up room). Is this supposed to remove folders too?
Ray
MoveOnBoot delete files only
RGK: MoveOnBoot delete only files not folders, but in any case I tried a test on a VM and all files selected on these folders are deleted after the next boot.
Paolo
One other set of suggestions
One other set of suggestions to try...
First, make sure that the SWV software is not trying to use the files in the old locations. Look at HKLM\System\Altiris\FSL. The DefaultFileRedirect value there should point to your new location. In any of the numbered subkeys of that, each layer has a FileRedirectPath value that should also point to the new location. If you change these to point to the new area, you should reboot so that the changes take effect.
Then, if you are an administrator then you can "take ownership" of the files and directories in order to get access to delete them. Open explorer, right click on the fslrdr folder, go to security, owner tab. Click an owner (probably administrators), check the replace on subcountainers and objects option and apply. Sometimes you have to change the ownership, then set the permissions. I've even had a situation or two where I had to do each step a few times to get everything deleted.
---
Jeremy Hurren
Sr. Principal Software Engineer
Symantec Corp.
Thanks Jeremy_Hurren for your
Thanks Jeremy_Hurren for your response and solution to my problem - sorry it's taken me so long to get back here and try it.
All the entries under HKLM\System\Altiris\FSL are redirected correctly so I did not need to change anything there.
Your suggestion for getting ownership WORKS!!! I have been able to delete the bad fslrdr folders (the c:\fslrdr completely and the old d:\fslrdr one almost completely). I had to do as you suggested several times but was able to remove almost everythng (there were many, many folders and files). I still have one unneeded d:\fslrdr folder with a FSL_XTRT(5) subfolder and several subfolders to that. When I try to delete these, I get the old "access denied" message again and the folders remain. I tried your suggestion several more times but this fsl_xtrt folder will not delete.
Any suggestion how I might remove the FSL_XTRT folder too? As I understand from reading other threads, this folder does not belong there in the first place (it's supposed to be temporary?).
Your method is excellent and I will be sure to remember it for any future "access denied" problems. Thanks again!
Did you start from the lowest folder?
I have found it necessary to go to the last folder in the folder tree and delete that first, then move up the tree deleting one each time.
This should work from the Command prompt that you get using the AT scheduler.
To make your own WinPE boot media, look in the articles tab for an article called "Adventures with WinPE" which will tell you where to download WinPE and how to make WinPE boot media
If your issue has been solved, please use the "Mark as Solution" link on the most relevant thread.
Thanks again EdT. I did try
Thanks again EdT. I did try to delete the lowest subfolder from the FSL_XTRT(5) left over folder with the sceduler but it still gives me the "access denied" message. I'll read the article on winPE and see if I can use it to do the job.
Hi, I'm running XP SP3 and
Hi,
I'm running XP SP3 and wanted to re-install SWV clean. I encountered about all of
the problems everyone else described and tried all the fixes, unsuccessfully.
The following method worked for me. I suspect that all the steps are not necessary,
but I don't know which ones aren't. I tried a LOT of things before this worked.
You may want to give it a try.
I probably forgot a step or two or got some details a little wrong.
Please comment to correct my method if you find this is true.
- I booted the computer into Safe Mode as Administrator
(not just any user in the Administrator group?).
- Click Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Windows Explorer
- Navigate to the fslrdr folder and right click it. Click on "Properties"
- Click on Security tab
- In "Permissions" area click on all the "Allows" boxes. I had the "Administrators"
group highlighted for these permissions.
- Click the "Advanced" button
- In the window that opens up check BOTH boxes at the bottom, i.e.,
X Inherit from parent the permission entries that apply to child objects.
Include these entries explicitly defined here.
X Replace permission entries on all child objcts with entries shown here
that apply to child objects.
- Click OK -> OK
When XP is finished changing the permissions, delete the fslrdr folder
using Windows Explorer.
Good luck. I'd be interested to hear if it works for anyone else.
Well, sim_fan, I finally got
Well, sim_fan, I finally got around to checking this topic again for any possible additional suggestions and found yours. I'm not sure how your method differs from the one above by jeremy_hurren. At any rate I followed your instructions without re-booting and going to safe mode just to familiarize myself to the steps. To my happy surprise, the old fslrdr folder (I had renamed "trash") was deleted completly and without the need to re-boot! So, I would conclude that your method works and one does not even need to use safe mode.
Thanks for your reply. I have saved this info so I'll be sure I can remember how to do it again if need be.
Thanks very much also to all those who responded to my problem. This is a great forum!
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