manager@a.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu (Cris Fuhrman, Systems Manager) (03/08/89)
On one of the hard-disk machines here at school, we have some files and
directories with funny-characters (smiley faces, hearts, diamonds, etc.) in
the file names. How do I delete these files? How did they get there?
I've tried Norton Utilities (short of writing directly into the directory),
Qfiler, and PC-Tools with no luck. Can anyone help me?
-Cris
--
/''''--''''''''''''''''. Cris Fuhrman, Systems Manager''''''''''''''/
/ / \ . WVU College of Engineering /
< | __ o . Morgantown WV 26506-6101 <
\ | ) | | /\ . internet: manager@a.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu \
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Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.djo7613@blake.acs.washington.edu (Dick O'Connor) (03/09/89)
I ran across a problem like this where an application program and a new user conspired to create file names with blanks embedded within. Luckily, the first character of each file name was a standard alphanumeric. I renamed files I wanted to keep, and deleted the obnoxious files using the first character of their filenames, as in DEL G*.* Nothing fancy, but it worked! Dick O'Connor Washington Department of Fisheries Olympia, Washington 98504 Internet Mail: djo7613@blake.acs.washington.edu **************************************************************************** DISCLAIMER: I speak only for myself, not for the Department. Here, anyway! ****************************************************************************
shapiro@rb-dc1.UUCP (Mike Shapiro) (03/10/89)
In article <56@a.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu> manager@a.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu (Cris Fuhrman, Systems Manager) writes: >On one of the hard-disk machines here at school, we have some files and >directories with funny-characters (smiley faces, hearts, diamonds, etc.) in >the file names. How do I delete these files? How did they get there? Try writing the delete command using a ? in place of the funny character in the file name. In case you accidentally delete a file you didn't intend, use the Norton Utility QU to unerase the file. -- Michael Shapiro, Gould/General Systems Division 15378 Avenue of Science, San Diego, CA 92128 (619)485-0910 UUCP: ...sdcsvax!ncr-sd!rb-dc1!shapiro
russ@hpldola.HP.COM (Russell Johnston) (03/10/89)
>On one of the hard-disk machines here at school, we have some files and >directories with funny-characters (smiley faces, hearts, diamonds, etc.) in >the file names. How do I delete these files? How did they get there? >I've tried Norton Utilities (short of writing directly into the directory), >Qfiler, and PC-Tools with no luck. Can anyone help me? Try to find a utility available on many bulletin boards called SDEL (Selective DELete) (or a similar utility). Use the command: SDEL *.* It will prompt you for each file in your current directory, you answer Yes or No for each file to indicate if you want to delete it.
abcscnge@csuna.csun.edu (Scott "The Pseudo-Hacker" Neugroschl) (03/10/89)
In article <56@a.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu> manager@a.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu (Cris Fuhrman, Systems Manager) writes:
#On one of the hard-disk machines here at school, we have some files and
#directories with funny-characters (smiley faces, hearts, diamonds, etc.) in
#the file names. How do I delete these files? How did they get there?
#I've tried Norton Utilities (short of writing directly into the directory),
#Qfiler, and PC-Tools with no luck. Can anyone help me?
Cris, Norton 4.0 Advanced has a directory editor which will allow you
to edit a directory in "directory format" rather than as hex dump data.
Change the names to clean up the funny characters and then delete them.
Alternatively, you might be able to use alt-key sequences to enter
the funny chars for deletion,but I wouldn't swear to it.
--
Scott "The Pseudo-Hacker" Neugroschl
UUCP: ...!sm.unisys.com!csun!csuna.csun.edu!abcscnge
-- unless explicitly stated above, this article not for use by rec.humor.funny
-- Disclaimers? We don't need no stinking disclaimers!!!Vaprak@cup.portal.com (John C Foy) (03/11/89)
If you have funny characters in you filenames, you can use '?' - the question mark, as a 'placeholder' for the strange character... ie. str?la.e?e Vaprak.cup.portal.com Sun!cup.portal.com!Vaprak
Erik@cup.portal.com (Erik - Dufek) (03/11/89)
In article (56@a.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu) manager@a.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu (Chris Fuhrman) >On one of the hard-disk machines here at school, we have some files and >directories with funny-characters (smiley faces, hearts, diamonds, etc.) in >the file names. How do I delete these files? How did they get there? I'm not sure how they got there. I have several programs that leave this evidence of where they've been. A real pain if you don't know how to get rid of them. I use a program called JADU. Just Another Directory Utility. Very powerful and configurable. I either delete them with this utility or rename them. Suggest you try it out. But lacking that use the DOS "?" wildcard to get rid of them. The worst one is a filename with a space. To delete FILEN ME.EXT use "del filen?me.ext" Just make sure that valid files won't get erased with this command. It's best to clear out the directory before using the wildcards. You know Murphy! Erik Dufek <erik@cup.portal.com>
jzitt@dasys1.UUCP (Joe Zitt) (03/12/89)
In article <56@a.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu> manager@a.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu (Cris Fuhrman, Systems Manager) writes: >On one of the hard-disk machines here at school, we have some files and >directories with funny-characters (smiley faces, hearts, diamonds, etc.) in >the file names. How do I delete these files? How did they get there? My guess at this would be to try the "?" wildcard. For example, you might be able to kill a file named FOO(thing)BAR.TMP by saying ERASE FOO?BAR.TMP. -- Joe Zitt {sun!hoptoad,cmcl2!phri}!dasys1!jzitt PAM Repertory Company Big Electric Cat Public Access Unix also: (killer,uunet}!cbis3!elephant!zitt!joe The worldlines of the needle and the digit intersect -- Paul Pedersen, 1988
bobc@killer.Dallas.TX.US (Bob Calbridge) (03/13/89)
In article <56@a.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu> manager@a.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu (Cris Fuhrman, Systems Manager) writes: >On one of the hard-disk machines here at school, we have some files and >directories with funny-characters (smiley faces, hearts, diamonds, etc.) in >the file names. How do I delete these files? How did they get there? How about using the alt key? For the practice, from your DOS prompt hold down the ALT key and enter some digits from 0 to 255 then release the ALT key. You will see the extended ASCII representation of that value. For example, if you hold the ALT and enter "1" (without quotes) then release the ALT key you will get a smiley face. Try this for numbers greater than 127 to see some of the graphics characters. I've used this trick for the fun of it and some software companies apparently use it to keep some files from being deleted. If the file name has a decimal 255 embedded in it, it is still recognized as a valid ASCII character by DOS. However, the character prints out as a blank, meaning that you have to do something like type in the beginning of the file name then hold the ALT key while entering "255" then hit your return. BTW______I should have mentioned that this is only possible using the numeric keypad, NOT the number keys on the QWERTY keyboard. Bob
ejablow@dasys1.UUCP (Eric Robert Jablow) (03/14/89)
In article <1103@blake.acs.washington.edu> djo7613@blake.acs.washington.edu (Dick O'Connor) writes: >I ran across a problem like this where an application program and a >new user conspired to create file names with blanks embedded within. For example, True Basic (TM Addison-Wesley) will do this. I can confirm that using the ? and * wildcard characters will let you access the files through MS-DOS. A conventional trick is to use ALT-255 to include that character in a file name to keep people from accessing it. -- Eric Jablow {allegra,philabs,cmcl2}!phri\ Big Electric Cat Public Unix {bellcore,cmcl2}!cucard!dasys1!ejablow New York, NY, USA New address: jessica!eric@sbee.sbcc.edu.
Bridgeter.Kannoner@f20.n3321.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Bridgeter Kannoner) (03/14/89)
> From: bobc@killer.Dallas.TX.US (Bob Calbridge) > Date: 12 Mar 89 17:24:35 GMT > Organization: The Unix(R) Connection, Dallas, Texas > Message-ID: <7519@killer.Dallas.TX.US> > Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc > > > In article <56@a.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu> manager@a.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu (Cris > Fuhrman, Systems Manager) writes: > >On one of the hard-disk machines here at school, we have some files and > >directories with funny-characters (smiley faces, hearts, diamonds, etc.) > in > >the file names. How do I delete these files? How did they get there? > > > How about using the alt key? For the practice, from your DOS prompt > hold down > the ALT key and enter some digits from 0 to 255 then release the ALT > key. You > will see the extended ASCII representation of that value. For > example, if you > hold the ALT and enter "1" (without quotes) then release the ALT key > you will > get a smiley face. Try this for numbers greater than 127 to see > some of the > graphics characters. I've used this trick for the fun of it and some > software > companies apparently use it to keep some files from being deleted. > If the file > name has a decimal 255 embedded in it, it is still recognized as a > valid ASCII > character by DOS. However, the character prints out as a blank, > meaning that > you have to do something like type in the beginning of the file name > then hold > the ALT key while entering "255" then hit your return. > BTW______I should have mentioned that this is only possible using the > numeric > keypad, NOT the number keys on the QWERTY keyboard. > > Bob > > --- ConfMail V4.00 > * Origin: MaMaB--the Machine in Mark's Bedroom (1:363/9) > junk...just testing -- Fidonet: Bridgeter Kannoner via 1:363/9.0 Usenet: ...!peora!rtmvax!mamab!3321!20!Bridgeter.Kannoner Internet: Bridgeter.Kannoner@f20.n3321.z1.FIDONET.ORG
simpsong@ncoast.ORG (Gregory R. Simpson @ The North Coast) (03/15/89)
>directories with funny-characters (smiley faces, hearts, diamonds, etc.) in >the file names. How do I delete these files? How did they get there? >I've tried Norton Utilities (short of writing directly into the directory), >Qfiler, and PC-Tools with no luck. Can anyone help me? > >-Cris >-- You can use the plain old MS-DOS delete command, but you must use ascii equivalents to enter the special characters. If you put your numlock on, and then hold down the ALT key, and then type in a number on your keyboard, it will print the character corresponding to that ascii code when you release the ALT key. For example, ALT-251 will produce a square root sign. You should be able to find a table of the ascii equivalent of a diamond, smiley face, etc in your MS-DOS manual. (On my machine I HAD to use the keypad numbers, the regular numbers across the top didn't work, this may be system dependent.) The files get there in a similar fashion... Hope this helps, Greg -- --- Gregory R. Simpson Prefered Internet: SIMPSONG%LTD2.decnet@ge-crd.arpa UUCP: uunet!steinmetz!ltd2.decnet!simpsong UUCP: <BACKBONE>!cbosgd!ncoast!simpsong
geoff@eagle_snax.UUCP ( R.H. coast near the top) (03/17/89)
In article <1748@csuna.csun.edu> abcscnge@csuna.csun.edu (Scott Neugroschl) writes: >In article <56@a.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu> manager@a.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu (Cris Fuhrman, Systems Manager) writes: >#On one of the hard-disk machines here at school, we have some files and >#directories with funny-characters (smiley faces, hearts, diamonds, etc.) in >#the file names. How do I delete these files? How did they get there? ... >Change the names to clean up the funny characters and then delete them. >Alternatively, you might be able to use alt-key sequences to enter >the funny chars for deletion,but I wouldn't swear to it. >-- Something interesting happened between DOS 3.x and DOS 4.0. In the DOS 3.x documentation, IBM/Microsoft said "these are the characters which are legal in file names"... and so by implication all others are illegal. Since all of the legal characters were in the range 00H - 7FH, any programmer (including myself :-) could be forgiven for treating any character with the top bit set as illegal. Time went by, and then I started getting calls from Europe complaining that our software wouldn't handle foreign-language symbols in file names. Before I was able to shout "RTFM", my eye fell upon the relevant page in the DOS 4.0 doc. In this, IBM enumerated those characters which were ILLEGAL in file names - so by implication, all others were legal. And this made all those characters from 80H to FFH as legitimate as could be..... Obviously this change took place during the latter days of DOS 3.x, but it only showed up as a documented fact in DOS 4.0. (And naturally we've fixed this now - no flames, please!) DOS actually performs a fair bit of processing on these characters. If you include the character "lower case e acute" (ALT-130) in a file name, a DIR will show that DOS has mapped this into "E". On the other hand "pi" (ALT-227) is untranslated. This game is interesting for about 3 minutes..... pity the poor SQA soul who has to wade through all of them, aided only by an ALT key :^) -- Geoff Arnold, Internet: garnold@sun.com Manager, PC-NFS Engineering UUCP: ....!sun!garnold PCDS Group, Sun Microsystems Inc. *** I SPEAK ONLY FOR MYSELF *** (MY CHILDREN INSISTED THAT I SAY THAT) ***