Help Folder Labeled '.' Won't Delete

[LBird]

On my android tablet, I use security apps like MobileCare and Hornet AntiVirus (more the first one though) to clear junk files and keep my device running quickly. However, when running a basic scan in MobileCare, it takes forever on a file simply labled "." It never finishes the scan and force closes.

Seeing if I could manually delete the folder preventing the scan from finishing, I went to ES file Explorer and found it under Downloads. There are 3 files labled "." that show up as if there's nothing in there. You can't click the folder. When I tried to delete it, it says Contains: ---- files (the number goes up and up and doesn't stop), Size 1.96 GB. It either never finishes determining how many files are in it so I can delete or force closes ES file Explorer.

I just want to delete these folders so I can do my scans again. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Hadron]

"." is Linux shorthand for "your current directory". It makes no sense to delete it. If you are starting from the root of the filesystem "." would correspond to the whole filesystem, if in a subdirectory (such as Downloads) then it would be that directory, but there will always be a "." wherever you look. The reason you think you can't click on it is that it takes you straight back to where you already are.

It's a red herring. Whatever that app's problem is, that isn't the solution.

 

[LBird]

"." is Linux shorthand for "your current directory". It makes no sense to delete it. If you are starting from the root of the filesystem "." would correspond to the whole filesystem, if in a subdirectory (such as Downloads) then it would be that directory, but there will always be a "." wherever you look. The reason you think you can't click on it is that it takes you straight back to where you already are.

It's a red herring. Whatever that app's problem is, that isn't the solution.

Thanks. I just want to clear something up. I don't know much about what "your current directory" does/is, but when you say it makes no sense to delete it, does it mean that it would hurt if I DID remove it and it would be better to leave it as is?

If it doesn't make a difference whether it is there or not, would it be possible to remove it?

Sorry if it's a silly question. Thank you.

 

[Hadron]

Your current directory is the directory you are currently looking at, whatever that might be. That's why it's not a good target for deletion, because it could be anything at all, and need not be the same thing that the other app was looking at (almost certainly isn't).

If it's the word "directory" that confuses you you can call them "folders" instead.

 

[EarlyMon]

And if you see any with two dots, it means - the folder above this one.

Because of various shortcuts set up between folders, I'm not surprised that some apps won't know better than to not follow shortcuts to other folders - and it sounds like that's what you're seeing.

Here's how bad messing with dot references can be - imagine your next step if you went and formatted your pc C: drive right now.

Do as Hadron suggests, stay away from them, your apps are lying to you about them.