How can I remove a folder that cannot be deleted (two folders in the same directory have the same inode number)?

001121100

1/22/24, 12:13 AM

I have tried using rm with various flags, such as -d and -r (-r was successful as folder is now empty), tried moving to trash through GUI (which produces error that file cannot be moved to trash), tried troubleshooting the ownership of the directory (received error that directory does not exist), nothing works.

The problem seems to stem from the fact that the folders have the same name, only one folder also has a punctuation mark at the end. How can this folder be removed?

I tried deleting the folder from Windows, but Windows throws an error that the entire directory is unreadable and cannot be accessed. I can read the directory just fine from Linux but cannot remove the folder (drive is NTFS).

0 + 3

filesystem

delete

directory

ntfs

inode

Levente

1/22/24, 12:14 AM

I would reboot into an emergency mode / recovery shell, and would see what `fsck` has to say about the partition.

matigo

1/22/24, 3:51 AM

Sounds like the partition’s indexes have been damaged. If Windows won’t properly recognize data on an NTFS partition, you’re working with borrowed time. Backup the data you want to keep, wipe the drive, and start fresh. If it needs to stay NTFS, be sure to format it in Windows to ensure maximum compatibility.

user10489

1/22/24, 3:24 PM

Backing up is a good idea. But before wiping, I'd try fsck or the windows equivalent chkdsk and see if it can be fixed. Might have to run it from a rescue disk or windows recovery mode.

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EN: How can I remove a folder that cannot be deleted (two folders in the same directory have the same inode number)?

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