Hello,

My Windows 2000 Server IIS FTP service was accidentally "activated"
with the anonymous user open.  Some unknown individual logged in and
started using my FTP server and was using my server for illegal
filesharing.

The user created a series of sub directories using bizarre and "null"
names in such a way that when I go to delete them, even after browing
right down to the lowest level, I get error messages such as "Cannot
delete deviance.nfo:  Cannot find the specified file. Make sure you
specify the correct path and filename."

So obviously filenames were created that cause some form of confusion.
 There was no virus or trojan software installed, just a serious of
convoluted directory names extending many times deep which for some
reason Microsoft would not let me delete.

For example, here is what there directories look like:

c:\www\ftproot\pub\incoming\ \  \   \ \ \ \ \ \aux\aux \ %T@ggEd

Here is my question, does anyone know of a shareware or freeware
program which would enable me to delete this annoying directory
structure?  Basically how the heck can I dete this annoying crap?

Ideally, I would hope that Microsoft might have an answer/utility to
this problem... afterall, if someone could create this directory using
standard FTP commands, why can't it handle a simple RIGHT
CLICK->DELETE command.

Thanks in advance!

Hello, douglas69:
  Many of us has suffered the same problem as you, the problem is they
create directories that contain reserved words like "aux" or "com1",
and the shell can't handle this kind of files/dirs.
  
To remove this kind of directories, you will need to open a command
prompt and use the rmdir command this way:
  
  rmdir \\.\<drive-letter>:\<directory>

For example:
  rmdir \\.\c:\aux

You can also use it to create such dirs:
  mkdir \\.\c:\aux

If you use '\\.\' before the filename, this causes NTFS to bypass the
reserved words check. When doing it, don't have any file explorer
window open, because it won't be refreshed and you will see the
directories there, but they are deleted.

If you have any kind of problem or it doesn't work for you, just
request for a clarification.

Regards.

great answer .... it worked right away !

Wow, great answer, and very very fast....