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avalonnycFlag for United States of America

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Security tab missing on one file on Server 2003, NTFS, and cannot delete the file

We have one hidden file that cannot be deleted on a Server 2003 R2 SP2.  

The disk is GUID Partition Table (GPT)  The volume's file system is NTFS.  
There is no security or summary tab on this file's (and only this file's) properties page, nor any Created, Modified or Accessed data on the General tab.  
The filesize is 0 bytes on the General tab, and 82 bytes from dir in CMD.  

Trying to delete, move, rename, or change attributes from explorer yields "Cannot <delete, rename, or whatever> file: Cannot read from the source file or disk".   From CMD, trying to change attributes yields "Unable to change attribute".    

In the directory containing the file, Administrator has full control of "this folder, subfolders and files".

I've tried the following:  

* Propagate security from a directory above.  
* Propagate ownership from a directory above.  
* Change ownership & permissions with both setacl and xcacls.
* chkdsk /f, twice, with reboots after.
* Though the full path is only 106 characters long, I've also tried both SUBST  and mapping drive letters to a directory above to shorten the path.  
* Viewing the directory with AccessEnum.  This file shows just "???" for the ACLs.

The filename is "._VB.34.BG.019.psd." (without the quotes) which is a standard name for this shop, except perhaps for the dots start and end (gotta love those graphics folks).

I'm out of ideas.  I'd just live with it but I don't like storing 10TB of production data on a volume I can't trust.    So, if we can't figure out how to clean this up, we're may move the data someplace else and recreate the volume.  

Any ideas?
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efusion
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Try running cacls to check the security permissions on the file, which comes pre-installed in Windows, you can then try and give yourself full access using cacls.

If you need to take ownership you will need xcacls (Installed with Windows Resource Kit), download here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=0ad33a24-0616-473c-b103-c35bc2820bda&displaylang=en


sorry just saw your xcalcs line, ignore my last comment.
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ASKER

cacls <directory>

HQ\administrator:(OI)(CI)F
 BUILTIN\Administrators:(OI)(CI)F
CREATOR OWNER:(OI)(CI)(IO)F
NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(OI)(CI)F


cacls ._VB.34.BG.019.psd.
The system cannot find the file specified.
SOLUTION
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Henrik Johansson
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Hmm, I just realized the file has a . at the end of it. You don't happen to have Macs on your network do you? I had a similar situation with files with . at the end at a lawyer's office and they had Macs and the Windows systems were unable to do anything with those directories and files. If that 'ren' command didn't work you can try and rename the file in a Mac, and remove the doc, they can do it pretty easily.
Funny you should ask. I asked them last night to try with a Mac. We'll see.
Tried to delete from Mac Snow Leopard.  Cannot see the file in Finder, even with AppleShowAllFiles TRUE in com.apple.finder.  In Terminal, ls -al shows the file, but cannot delete it.  rm can see it but not delete it:

rm ._VB* -i
rm: ._VB.34.BG.019.psd.: No such file or directory

and same thing trying to rename with Mac:

mv ._VB.34.BG.019.psd. goodfile
mv: rename ._VB.34.BG.019.psd. to goodfile: No such file or directory


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Great find, using 8.3 names seems to be working in all cases, even with directories (which del didn't work, but move did): http://blog.itpc.ca/?p=32