Go to START > PROGRAMS and find the 7-Zip File Manager, and run the program. Once the file is downloaded, run it and install 7-Zip, keeping defaults all the way through. If there’s any doubt, the 32-bit version should run on both 32-bit and 64-bit machines, so grab that one. Most likely if you’re on Windows XP you’re going to want the 32-bit version, not the 64-bit version. Deleting files can be dangerous business if you’re not careful.ĭownload 7-Zip File Manager. Read all these instructions before beginning, if you’re not confident you’ll know how to perform these steps, then it’s a good idea to get help with the task. Simply install and launch 7-Zip, navigate to the folder in question, select the files/folders you want to delete, and hit delete. There’s a free file compression tool called 7-Zip can, remarkably, deal with and delete these files even though Windows’ own Explorer program cannot. Why Windows XP lets the file be created in the first place is a bit of a mystery, but fortunately there’s a fairly reliable way to get rid of such files if you want to.

Often, these long-named files are part of the cache of temporary Internet files. It’s very possible to end up with a file that you find you can’t delete, move, rename, etc. Ever try to delete a file or folder in Windows XP and get the message “File name is too long for recycle bin” or something similar? Windows XP has some limitations on the length of a file’s name, and that length calculation includes the drive letter and the whole “tree” of folders where that file is located.

Where is recycle bin in windows xp