Rmdir fails to delete folder with admin access

chiuchimu · May 1, 2023

I run win11 pro on a minis forum um690.

I am using Cobian Reflector to incrementally backup my documents which makes a lot of empty folders. I can easily delete these empty directories in File Explorer using context menu. I wanted to automate this in a batch file but found that these empty folders made by my backup program are not easy to delete by command line. I have tried RD "My \folder\path" and get access denied. I have tried changing the ownership from myself, Admin, to Everyone and also change their respective permissions to full control but still get Access denied. Oddly, RD "My \folder\path" /s will delete the folder(adding the /q flag makes it quite). The "/s" deletes subfolders and files so that implies that the folder was not empty but show hidden files is checked and properties shows 0 files, 0 bytes and 0 folders in file explorer.

Although this works, it deletes empty subfolders which I don't want to happen because it is a backup. I just want empty folders in current directory deleted and empty folders that are down deeper in other directories left alone.

TairikuOkami · May 1, 2023

Have you removed inheritance? I have to remove it first to be able to do anything.

Code:

takeown /s %computername% /u %username% /f "%SystemDrive%\Users\Public\Desktop" /r /d y
icacls "%SystemDrive%\Users\Public\Desktop" /inheritance:r
icacls "%SystemDrive%\Users\Public\Desktop" /inheritance:e /grant:r %username%:(OI)(CI)F /t /l /q /c

TechnoMage2021 · May 2, 2023

After thinking about this problem, I can come up with only one answer:
If your chosen backup solution is not working, then try something else. There are actually many.

I like doing Data Backups because they are Quick and as easy as plugging in my Data Backup Flash drive, and running a little batch file.
In that batch file I use "XCOPY" (old DOS command) to do my backups. With a wide range of switches, it can do just about any kind of data backup you want.

I really like its ability to just back up the new files and ignore the old files that have already been backed up.
Regular Data backups, usually only take a few seconds.

Just a thought!
TM

chiuchimu · May 4, 2023

TechnoMage2021 said:
After thinking about this problem, I can come up with only one answer:
If your chosen backup solution is not working, then try something else. There are actually many.

I like doing Data Backups because they are Quick and as easy as plugging in my Data Backup Flash drive, and running a little batch file.
In that batch file I use "XCOPY" (old DOS command) to do my backups. With a wide range of switches, it can do just about any kind of data backup you want.

I really like its ability to just back up the new files and ignore the old files that have already been backed up.
Regular Data backups, usually only take a few seconds.

Just a thought!
TM

Thanks for reply. I can delete the folder thru explorer, robocopy so I believe xcopy will use the same method. Basically my Mickey Mouse work around is to move everything onto itself with the subfolders flag "/s" included( ie; Robocopy /my/folder/path /my/folder/path /s /move). It works but deletes every empty folder including subfolders which I don't want it to do. Also I prefer to fix it properly; it is some setting/property that I can't access or nobody knows how to access - seriously, I search the whole internet. I have tried this on three computers, my um690 running win11 pro, SER5 win11pro and a win10 machine and this access denied problem happened all computers. Anyone can duplicate this problem. I might have to try writing my own code with my very limited programming ability.

chiuchimu · May 4, 2023

Update. This strange issue seems to have cleared it self. I've been workin on this issue for a week and just today I retried Rmdir and it worked. I even used a simple:

for /d %d in (.) do rd "%d"

and it work on two of my machines. Now I just have to turn this into an EXE and my backup solution is complete. I think the issue was a windows update because it solved itself. I had an issue with win updates breaking my system by crashing my AMD GPU driver but an update 3 weeks later fixed the issue - it started with 3/1/2023 update and ended around 3/25/2023 update . I think a similar thing happened here. I'm posting this in case someone else runs into same issue.

Try3 · May 4, 2023

chiuchimu said:
Now I just have to turn this into an EXE

If you mean use something like Bat2Exe then do note that what they do is create a self-extracting archive file [much like WinZip can] then, when you run it, it extracts the batch file then runs the batch file.

All the best,
Denis