Cannot delete file. Says "Item Not Found Could not find this item Verify this item's location and try again."

Anonymous
2010-01-01T14:35:26+00:00

Cannot delete file.  Says "Item Not Found Could not find this item Verify this item's location and try again."

I had this file sent to me from my friend - it's a word document I had on their computer.  So I tried using Disk Cleanup to delete temporary files, temp internet files, and downloaded program files.  Doesn't work.

When I check properties, there is no security tab, so I can't transfer ownership that way.

I also don't want to experiment using the Command Prompt way of transferring ownership since the file's name is several sentences long.  I can't rename it either, of course.

Windows 7, a week in and I've already got a stupid glitch which has already wasted an hour of my time.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Files, folders, and storage

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Anonymous
2011-01-25T20:37:12+00:00

What i did was create a notepad file that was blank and saved it at the same location as the file that wont go away.  once saved.  I right click the new file and rename it to the exact name as the problem file.  Be sure to change the file extension (ex: .doc)

ex problem file: word.doc

new file: word.doc

as long as they match eachother exactly you should see the problem file disappear and once thats gone you can delete the new file created.

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  1. Anonymous
    2017-09-05T16:43:00+00:00

    Better yet - if you right click the problem file and select "Open", a dialogue box will pop up asking if you wish to create a new file of that type. Select yes and a new notepad window will open, pre-named the exact same as the problem file, and set to save in the same location. Type some arbitrary gibberish in, save, and delete.

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-08-03T23:19:20+00:00

    Found an easy solution. I just right click the file and with the popup window go to sent to: than compressed file. It will say it cannot compress the file than when you click ok it will delete all the files without locations at once. With this method you don't have to delete each one individually like with the notepad solution.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-06-16T01:37:05+00:00

    I just had this problem today not sure if people still having problem.  Do a Disk Defrag on the drive with the files.  They will be able to be deleted afterwards.

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-06-06T05:32:13+00:00

    Didn't work for me as the faulty file has a blank space at the last place of its name and has no extension. while, when I'm renaming the notepad file it is not accepting blank space in the last.

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