Can't delete directory from Amazon S3

Question

I\'m using the web interface of Amazon\'s S3, and when I right-click a folder X and choose Delete, X seems to be deleted. Then when I refresh the interface, X may either disappe

Answer 1

As of March 2017 the AWS Console UI has changed and you can no longer enter a 'versioning mode' described in my old post.

It seems now folder with versioned files can be deleted freely without restriction.

If this is not the case please drop a comment so I can correct this post.

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Previous Version of AWS Console

If you are using the AWS Management Console and you have versioning turned ON, you must be in 'versioning mode' to delete the folder. You enter 'versioning mode' by going to the top of the page and next to where it says 'Versions:' select the Show button. Then you can proceed to right-click and delete your folder. Hope this helps someone.

Answer 2

S3 does not actually use folders. Instead the path separators in object paths are treated like folders. If you want to remove a folder, all the contents of the folder will have to get deleted.

If there is any delay in deleting all of the contents, the folder may continue to exist.

Answer 3

I had the same problem in the AWS web interface after AWS Command Line (CLI)-deleting a "recursive" folder in a bucket. Some objects randomly reappeared (not files, but in fact "folders") in the web interface. Even though i tried to delete these folders in the web interface, they were still there (The interface said the operation was successful...)

Solution that worked for me in the AWS web interface: Right clicked the folder -> CUT, and PASTE into another folder. Worked great, and then deleted the new folder. Gone!

Answer 4

Tried the same as Kristoffer's answer, but CUT/PASTE to another folder made the new folder to not be deletable.

Further hacking: create a new temporary bucket. CUT/PASTE the folder to this bucket and delete the bucket.

Answer 5

Tried various alternatives to delete from Web interface to delete a folder with sub folders in it without luck. I had an installation of S3 browser and then tried from S3 Browser interface, worked.

Answer 6

had an "elastic-bean-stalk" bucket and had to delete "bucket policy" before it would delete.

pitney