Windows XP Removal from Recycle Bin

[Zembu]

This follows on from my closed thread Dual Boot 3.

The Windows XP Installation I didn't want was on my D Drive. The one I kept is on my C Drive. Having fixed boot.ini to stop dual boot - thanks mainly to sknake and also to Fest3er, I searched D for all files with the recent date 18/6/09 on which I installed it, checked they and associated folders were right for deletion as far as I could determine, then deleted them. I didn't try shift delete, as I thought that just in case I have to recover then I'll just let them go to recycle bin.

I had a problem with the My Documents as I couldn't delete them from D, but I managed to delete (that is it went to recycle bin) using software "Unlocker".

As everything then seemed fine I next tried to delete from the recycle bin. I find it difficult to remember the exact sequence but it seemed I had deleted them; but they returned after closing and reopening the recycle bin. Up until then I hadn't used Unlocker on the recycle bin. Then I tried deleting the desktop in the recycle bin, and I used Unlocker to do it. It didn't delete all, but what that revealed is that even although the remains of the operating system that I am trying to delete, (which was on D) never had the same desktop as the one I am currently running on C, the deletion affected the current desktop, removing lots of icons and leaving the remainder randomly placed.

Next I tried renaming the folders in the Recycle bin and deleting them - that seemed to succeed, but again after closing and reopening recycle bin they are still there. I renamed My Documents - after, My Computer - after2, and the network one renamed after3.

Now I find that when I click on Start, these above names "after" "after2" and "after3" are there in place of the original names. But at least when I click on these it takes me to the folders and files of the current installation.

In the recycle bin there is a separate recycle bin and when I click on empty recycle bin in the drop down list area for the main recycle bin the recycle bin within the recycle bin emptied.

I would appreciate any help I can get on this.

[sknake]

I don't really understand what the problem is -- you deleted files and need them back? Was it just icons or the files themselves? It is easy to mix files on two operating systems with drives mounted on the same machine as when you go to save a file you could save it on the C: or D: this creating the problem. Also I assume you are using NTFS and not FAT?

[Zembu]

Hi Sknake,

To go back to the beginning before I posted the Dual Boot 3 that you helped with - I had been using the pc in morning (Saturday) - no probs and switched off before lunch - after lunch switched on and after entering the bios password next should come the windows logo and a bar showing its loading, which happened then that stopped and just a blank black screen.

My first reaction - stupid of me! - was to put in the windows disc and see if it would act as a boot disc. Well, this is a Mesh PC and they don't supply the proper windows XP disc. The disc contains that but some other stuff of theirs. Anyway - it started installing windows - I thought well OK installation on top should be OK.

Anyway it turned out it didn't install on top - it installed a new installation on a separate drive. Machine has four drives.

Then when I booted I got a screen that gave me the option of two systems. (But they were both named the same) The new one (first on list) worked OK but I didn't want it - you can't access through it the My Document files of the old installation.

I could only enter the other in Safe Mode. So did that and searched for problems but found none. Carried on into Sunday. No progress.

Monday morning - (I had thought on Saturday afternoon I wonder if its to do with the fact that I switched the PC off before switching off my printer) - but I discounted that as clutching at straws - however - switched printer on and started PC and it was normal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - except that I had two operating systems.

You helped me remove the reference to the second system in the boot.ini file. Then I deleted the operating system I didn't want, but it went to the Recycle Bin and I don't want it left in there, but it behaves as if it is still part of my computer, and if you read the original post in this thread again, you should be able to see the problem. I don't want files back - I want them deleted from the Recycle Bin.

[sknake]

Its still not very clear -- You have files in the Recycling Bin you want deleted permanently? How does windows behave like it still has a second installation installed? What thing(s) does it do to make you say that?

[Zembu]

Hi Sknake,

I just spent a while writing an explanation, but in doing so have realised that there is no problem. But I took so long to write it (including a screen shot) that I must have been logged out before I sent it. (Probably just as well) Somehow the Recycle Bin window had become set to include the folders area at the left, which normally I haven't seen in the past. There is actually nothing in the Recycle Bin.

So thanks again for your help and sorry for wasting time.