Why am I unable to delete certain files

I have backed up files under my users directory to an external hard drive.  I want to delete these files on the external hard drives but I am getting a message that states that some file names are too big and I am not allowed to delete the files or the directory they are in.  I don't understand why not.  

How can I delete the folders and all of these files from my external hard drive short of doing a reformat?
WoodrowAAsked:
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helpfinderConnect With a Mentor IT ConsultantCommented:
if you can move these files/folders from external drive to computer you  can try a trick - create new user account, move it to dekttop of this profile and then delete profile

problem could be related to max 255 characters in NTFS file system - you can try to delete it in linux, boot some Live CD and check that way
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Steven HarrisConnect With a Mentor PresidentCommented:
Navigate to Computer and right-click on the external drive.  Go to Properties > Security > Advanced and check the owner of the files.  If it set to SYSTEM, or something similar, change the Owner to your local account (COMPUTERNAME\username) and check "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects".

This will force your user account to take full control of the drive and the objects contained on it.

Now try deleting the files/folders.
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nobusConnect With a Mentor Commented:
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Detlef001Connect With a Mentor Commented:
Some more searching and I have the solution. Change the owner recipe:

Right-click on folder -> Properties
Security Tab
Click on Advanced button
Owner tab
Edit.. button
select Administrators in 'Change owner to', check 'replace owner on subcontainers and objects'..this might take a while
Open cmd.exe as administrator
type 'cacls l:\messedUpFolder /T /e /g Administrators:f' ...this might take a while
rmdir /S l:\messedUpFolder
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WoodrowAConnect With a Mentor Author Commented:
@Nobus
Thank you for responding.

I went to the to the download site but saw many messages about an additional toolbar that gets installed (whether you want it or not).  I fouond a competitive product called Lockhunter 3.1.1.  See
http://www.techspot.com/downloads/4860-lockhunter.html

However, neither of these tools talk about this specific problem (file names being too long).
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nobusConnect With a Mentor Commented:
then open a cmd prompt as admin
use the command del c:\users\MyName\"my documents\picturesor whatever\file"

in other words- put the long name between double quotes
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WoodrowAConnect With a Mentor Author Commented:
@nobus
Thank you for responding.
I appreciate your input but please bear in mind that what I want to do is not just delete a file.  I want to be able to delete folders that contain other folders wherein the path statment is very long. Example:

P:\Data_Backups\Users\Woody_2\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Low\Content.IE5\7U80504H

What I really want to delete is the folder P:\Data_Backups  and all sub folders.  The syntax with quotation marks does not seem to work on folders.  I downloaded Lockhunter and tried it and it too is unable to delete these folders.  Very Frustrating.
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Steven HarrisConnect With a Mentor PresidentCommented:
@WoodrowA,

Have you tried taking permissions of the file as suggested in post a39707471?
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WoodrowAConnect With a Mentor Author Commented:
@ThinkSpace
Yes, I did try your suggestion and I thought I had responded to it here but there must have been some sort of malfunction because I don't see the response now.  As I remember it, I was already listed as the owner.  My screens didn't seem to match your instructions exactly so I  asked for further clarification.  

However, I have solved the problem.  It was tedious but at least the folders are deleted.  I did it by going to each of the folders that contained long file names and mapping that folder to a drive letter.  Once this was done I was able to delete the folder from the mapped drive.

I appreciate all the input here.  It is surprising to me that this problem exists, but the real question now is how to avoid this in the future.  Obviously I don't want to simply copy my Users directory.  I'll have to think this through.

Thank you to all again.
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nobusConnect With a Mentor Commented:
try thisd batch file :  
DEL /F /Q /S C:\Directory\*
 for /D %%i in ("C:\Directory\*") do RD /S /Q "%%i"

more info : http://www.techrepublic.com/forums/questions/dos-how-to-delete-all-files-and-subdirectories-in-a-directory/
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WoodrowAAuthor Commented:
Thank you
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