How to force Windows to rename a file with a special character?
Grab a linux live-cd and use that.
Have you tried using the short filenames version of its name? Eg
ren whereh~1.ogg where.ogg
If it's the only file in the current folder that starts with the first few letters, then use the first 6 letters of the name (ignoring spaces) followed by a tilde (~) then a 1.
- In Windows 7: Run cmd.exe in Administator Mode.
- cd into the Directory with the filenames.
- run: chkdsk /V /f [My bad files were on another drive other than the OS drive, so it was able to dismount it. If it is the OS drive, it may have to do this stage at startup.]
- Wait (May have to reboot).
As you will see the result was that chkdsk actually deleted the files for me. So, if you want to keep the files, I don't know what to do, but this will get rid of the files for sure.
Results/Cmd Log:
E:\islag\Music\llb>dir
Volume in drive E is FreeAgent Drive
Volume Serial Number is 5038-892A
Directory of E:\islag\Music\llb
02/02/2011 12:18 PM <DIR> .
02/02/2011 12:18 PM <DIR> ..
04/04/2010 02:19 PM 4,014,099 01 Los Lonely Boys - Se?orita - www.file2
4ever.com.mp3
04/04/2010 02:18 PM 3,125,942 12 Los Lonely Boys - La Contestaci?n - ww
w.file24ever.com.mp3
2 File(s) 7,140,041 bytes
2 Dir(s) 87,743,991,808 bytes free
E:\islag\Music\llb>chkdsk /V
The type of the file system is NTFS.
Volume label is FreeAgent Drive.
WARNING! F parameter not specified.
Running CHKDSK in read-only mode.
CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 3)...
231424 file records processed.
File verification completed.
34 large file records processed.
0 bad file records processed.
0 EA records processed.
0 reparse records processed.
CHKDSK is verifying indexes (stage 2 of 3)...
18 percent complete. (29338 of 245164 index entries processed)
An invalid filename 01 Los Lonely Boys - Se?orita - www.file24ever.com.mp3 (3196
6) was found in directory 31962.
All filenames for File 31966 are invalid.
Minor file name errors were detected in file 31966.
An invalid filename 12 Los Lonely Boys - La Contestaci?n - www.file24ever.com.mp
3 (31973) was found in directory 31962.
All filenames for File 31973 are invalid.
Minor file name errors were detected in file 31973.
73 percent complete. (233817 of 245164 index entries processed)
Index entry 01 Los Lonely Boys - Se?orita - www.file24ever.com.mp3 in index $I30
of file 31962 is incorrect.
Index entry 12 Los Lonely Boys - La Contestaci?n - www.file24ever.com.mp3 in ind
ex $I30 of file 31962 is incorrect.
245164 index entries processed.
Index verification completed.
Errors found. CHKDSK cannot continue in read-only mode.
E:\islag\Music\llb>dir
Volume in drive E is FreeAgent Drive
Volume Serial Number is 5038-892A
Directory of E:\islag\Music\llb
02/02/2011 12:18 PM <DIR> .
02/02/2011 12:18 PM <DIR> ..
04/04/2010 02:19 PM 4,014,099 01 Los Lonely Boys - Se?orita - www.file2
4ever.com.mp3
04/04/2010 02:18 PM 3,125,942 12 Los Lonely Boys - La Contestaci?n - ww
w.file24ever.com.mp3
2 File(s) 7,140,041 bytes
2 Dir(s) 87,743,991,808 bytes free
E:\islag\Music\llb>chkdsk /V /f
The type of the file system is NTFS.
Cannot lock current drive.
Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another
process. Chkdsk may run if this volume is dismounted first.
ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID.
Would you like to force a dismount on this volume? (Y/N) y
Volume dismounted. All opened handles to this volume are now invalid.
Volume label is FreeAgent Drive.
CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 3)...
231424 file records processed.
File verification completed.
32 large file records processed.
0 bad file records processed.
0 EA records processed.
0 reparse records processed.
CHKDSK is verifying indexes (stage 2 of 3)...
18 percent complete. (29339 of 245164 index entries processed)
Deleted invalid filename 01 Los Lonely Boys - Se?orita - www.file24ever.com.mp3
(31966) in directory 31962.
File 31966 has been orphaned since all its filenames were invalid
Windows will recover the file in the orphan recovery phase.
Correcting minor file name errors in file 31966.
Deleted invalid filename 12 Los Lonely Boys - La Contestaci?n - www.file24ever.c
om.mp3 (31973) in directory 31962.
File 31973 has been orphaned since all its filenames were invalid
Windows will recover the file in the orphan recovery phase.
Correcting minor file name errors in file 31973.
73 percent complete. (233642 of 245164 index entries processed)
Deleting index entry 01 Los Lonely Boys - Se?orita - www.file24ever.com.mp3 in i
ndex $I30 of file 31962.
Deleting index entry 12 Los Lonely Boys - La Contestaci?n - www.file24ever.com.m
p3 in index $I30 of file 31962.
245164 index entries processed.
Index verification completed.
CHKDSK is scanning unindexed files for reconnect to their original directory.
2 unindexed files scanned.
CHKDSK is recovering remaining unindexed files.
2 unindexed files recovered.
CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors (stage 3 of 3)...
231424 file SDs/SIDs processed.
Cleaning up 41 unused index entries from index $SII of file 9.
Cleaning up 41 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 9.
Cleaning up 41 unused security descriptors.
Security descriptor verification completed.
6871 data files processed.
CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
1116928 USN bytes processed.
Usn Journal verification completed.
Correcting errors in the master file table's (MFT) BITMAP attribute.
Windows has made corrections to the file system.
244196000 KB total disk space.
158175168 KB in 30003 files.
22820 KB in 6873 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
306168 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
85691844 KB available on disk.
4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
61049000 total allocation units on disk.
21422961 allocation units available on disk.
E:\islag\Music\llb>dir
Volume in drive E is FreeAgent Drive
Volume Serial Number is 5038-892A
Directory of E:\islag\Music\llb
02/02/2011 12:18 PM <DIR> .
02/02/2011 12:18 PM <DIR> ..
0 File(s) 0 bytes
2 Dir(s) 87,743,979,520 bytes free
E:\islag\Music\llb>