Windows 7: Could not find this item - when deleting files

Here's how i fixed it:


i had this problem with a folder that had an incredibly large name and i think some files were inside of it that had the same filename..

i couldn't delete or rename or do anything with it. i couldn't even go into it to see if anything was inside.

so i tried the advice here and none of it worked either.

but i got it eventually.. and here is what i did:

since i couldn't move that folder, i renamed and moved the folder that held it (parent folder) to the number "1" and moved it to the root of the drive and it let me.. thus making the total filename/directory structure a little shorter.. I dont know if that was needed but thats what i did.

Then i tried to delete that problem folder again and it still didn't work.. and still couldn't rename it to something shorter.. so then i tried something else.

I ran "cmd" and in DOS i went to the directory "1" that was holding the problem-folder and then i typed "dir/x" to get the 8.3 format of the folder.. and tried "del <foldername>" and it didn't work.. Then i tried the rename command.. 

"Ren <8.3foldername> <new shorter foldername>" 

and guess what? it worked!!!!!

it actually let me rename it and then i closed DOS and went back to explorer and now it's acting like a regular folder that can be deleted or whatever again.

from http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/27924-could-not-find-item-when-deleting-files-2.html