Q: Why can't I delete a directory that the FTP server shows as being empty?
A: This happens because you have hidden directories under the directory you are trying to delete. FrontPage Server extensions create the next tree of system or hidden directories under each web or sub-web root:
/_vti_bin
/_vti_cnf
/_vti_log
/_vti_pvt
/_vti_txt
/images/_vti_cnf
/_fpclass/_vti_cnf
/_private/_vti_cnf
/_vti_bin/_vti_adm
/_vti_bin/_vti_aut
/_vti_pvt/_vti_cnf
Plus, there is a hidden _vti_cnf directory in every content folder.

Never use FTP to delete content published with FrontPage.

When you remove a sub-web using FrontPage client, not all the files can be deleted right away because some Front Page ISAPI DLLs are loaded by the web server into memory. These directories will be eventually deleted by the system when IIS releases the lock.

In the case you deleted several FrontPage folders using FTP and your FrontPage web is not accessible anymore, please ask support execs to repair frontpage extns on your website

Article ID: 324
Keywords: web publishing ftp frontpage