Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!cbnewsl!bonnie!prg
From: prg@bonnie.ATT.COM (Paul R. Gloudemans)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: My machine is possessed - Folder from Hell
Summary: ResEdit??
Message-ID: <4259@cbnewsl.ATT.COM>
Date: 21 Feb 90 17:16:23 GMT
References: <15543@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU> <1990Feb6.213912.26834@ultra.com> <14003@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
Sender: nntp@cbnewsl.ATT.COM
Reply-To: prg@bonnie.ATT.COM
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 26

In article <14003@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>, englandr@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Scott Englander) writes:
> 
> No need to take such drastic action.  Simply select the folder from
> within ResEdit, and then select "Clear" from the Edit menu.  That will
> get rid of it.

Oh!  How come my version of ResEdit comes back with an Alert that says
(paraphrased) 'That operation is not allowed on a non-empty folder'?

The problem is caused by an erroneous valence in the directory entry
for the Folder.  Any application using File Manager calls is not going
to be successful in deleting the folder.

Assuming you have made absolutely sure the folder
really is empty, by using ResEdit, for example, to verify this, then
there are only two ways I know to correct the problem.  One is
complete backup and re-initialize the disk, i.e., create a new
directory structure and the other is to edit the disk volume with a
program like MacSnoop, FEdit+, or Symantic Tools according to
directions I previously posted which worked for me and at least one
other person who dropped me an email thanks.

Since this topic has been burning so much bandwidth on the net, I
really wish Apple would respond with a "sanctioned" method for getting
rid of these beasties (or have I just missed it because of the volume
of posts on this subject).