Rmdir fails to delete folder with admin access

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.

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

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

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

Click to expand...

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.

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.

chiuchimu said:

Now I just have to turn this into an EXE

Click to expand...

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