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View Full Version : How to delete obsolete OS X files on Windows?

Cartesius
07-14-2008, 04:58 PM
Howdy folks,

I usually have to deal with files, folders and drives sent to me by Mac OS X users. These folders and drives are when mounted on Win XP just littered with obsolete files. Let's say I get a folder with 200 files named and numbered sequentially like this:

Sq Frame Neg-7112221.jpg
Sq Frame Neg-7112222.jpg
Sq Frame Neg-7112223.jpg
Sq Frame Neg-7112224.jpg

For each of these regular files there's a corresponding file like this:

._Sq Frame Neg-7112221.jpg
._Sq Frame Neg-7112222.jpg
._Sq Frame Neg-7112223.jpg
._Sq Frame Neg-7112224.jpg

As a result I now have so many of these files beginning with "._" I've lost track of them. They are everywhere where I have a project folder. I suppose they are connected to Mac OS X somehow but as I don't need them I'm looking for a quick way to delete them from Windows XP. The easiest way is to open the folder, select all offending files and delete them but when you have hundreds of folders (and folders within folders) this will take ages.

Searching for "._" will result in hundreds of these files but Windows will not let me delete them all in one sweep from the search.

So, does anyone know of a way to locate these files on my system and delete them without having to hunt each down manually?

Thanks!

/Anders
danlefeb
07-14-2008, 05:41 PM
Usually those files are treated as system files on a Windows system, so they're hidden. As long as you turn on "Show hidden files and folders" and turn off "Hide protected operating system files", then you should be able to do a search throughout your hard drive for "._" and delete them all at once. I've used this method many times to delete files (and system files).

If you have Vista, you could set up a saved search folder so you don't have to do it manually each time.
Cartesius
07-14-2008, 08:01 PM
Usually those files are treated as system files on a Windows system, so they're hidden. As long as you turn on "Show hidden files and folders" and turn off "Hide protected operating system files", then you should be able to do a search throughout your hard drive for "._" and delete them all at once. I've used this method many times to delete files (and system files).

If you have Vista, you could set up a saved search folder so you don't have to do it manually each time.

Turning off "Hide protected operating system files" appears to have done the trick! As I'm on XP I can't set up a saved search but at least now it looks like I can search for and then delete them straight from the Search Results window. Many thanks!

/Anders
danlefeb
07-15-2008, 01:32 AM
Glad to help!

This may help as well:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308885
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