How to Get Rid of a File That Has Question Marks in it
Although you can't save a file name with question marks in it, many files and file types may have question marks in them. This is particularly true for word processing documents. Getting rid of a file that has question marks in it is as simple as deleting any file from your computer. You can also globally replace question marks inside a file if you have word processing software installed on your computer. If you want to retain a copy of the original file, backup the file on removable media.
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Instructions
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Deleting a File
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1
Click on "Start." In the "Start Search" text field, type "windows explorer." Press the "Enter" key.
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2
Browse to the folder that contains the file or files you wish to delete.
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3
Right-click on the file. If you want to delete more than one file, hold down the "Ctrl" key as you left-click on each item, then right-click. Left-click on "Delete." Click on "Yes" when asked if you are sure you want to delete the file.
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4
Find the "Recycling Bin" in the left column. Right-click on it. Left-click on "Empty Recycling Bin." Click on "Yes."
Remove Question Marks from File
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5
Open your word processor. Click on "File" in the menu bar, then "Open."
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6
Browse to the file that contains question marks that you want to delete. Double-click the file.
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7
Hold down "Ctrl" + "F." Enter "?" (without quotes) in the "Search for" field. Leave the "Replace with" blank or input a desired character, such as a period or exclamation point.
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Click on "Replace All." Click on "OK," then close.
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Tips & Warnings
You can modify your auto-correct options to automatically change question marks to another form of punctuation as you type. Enable auto-correct, then modify the options.
You may have to modify the file's permissions, end a system process, or correct hard drive errors via Chkdsk in order to delete files in NTFS file systems.
