A file that NOTHING can delete! (Not just a "locked file")

I have a really strange problem with a file that just won't be deleted by anything. Some time ago I had to reinstall Windows on a PC and a while later I noticed that an old game that I installed left its file from the old Windows installation:

c:\documents and settings\all users\application data\broderbund\tc\install.xml

I couldn't delete it when I tried. And still can't. In fact normally Windows won't even open the TC directory ("access denied") but using some direct access programs I opened and even copied the install.xml file and verified that it's nothing but a small install log in xml format.

All was scanned many times with virii, spyware, rootkit scanners, hard disk error checkers... Clean.

There are no alternate data streams anywhere.

Tried many "unlock locked files" program, nothing worked. Some tried deleting it after restart, didn't. Tried spyware programs that reported that this file cannot be normally accessed by Windows API and so it may be suspicious. They tried deleting it before Windows starts. Didn't.

Tried deleting it from safe mode - nope.

Even tried booting from a CD with XP (Pebuilder) so that the c: drive wasn't even accessed. Even then nothing can delete this file or change its attributes.

What is this? How can it happen?

 

Hi Spokk, welcome to Wilders.

Have you tried KILLBOX ?

Cheers

 

Take a look here: https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=96869&highlight=reaper

 

Move on boot?
http://www.softwarepatch.com/software/moveonboot.html

 

Have you tried chkdsk /R ? (BartPE has a chkdsk somewhere in the menu) or is this something which will delete from a BartPE boot but reappears later?

 

it is possible to have such files. some files can be programmatically dealt with, but not via the GUI. For example, see http://www.standards.com/index.html?CreateFileFailure.

At some point the file system created such a criiiter and oft those critters cannot be fixed with checkdsk, etc. Only programmatically, as decribed in the above link.

I've had it happen.

 

have u tried Unlocker? if it cant delete a file, it will usually offer to delete it on reboot.

 

I've often used Merijin's Brute Force Uninstaller (BFU) to deal with things that didn't want to be removed.

 

You could also try Boot Deleter

 

I forgot to mention that the OP could go to a Command Prompt and try deleting using the short file name.

 

Which commmand do you use in the script?

I'm afraid you will find that it uses the same method Killbox uses.