Unlink / File_exists says that the file does not exist, but the file exists

Hello,

I have a problem with PHP, I need a script that deletes a file in a directory, all passed by URL, as in the script I made below:

<?php

$file = !isset($_GET["f"])?0:$_GET["f"];
$dir = !isset($_GET["dir"])?"":$_GET["dir"];

var_dump($dir.$file);

if ($file === 0)
{
    echo 0;
    die();
}

if (file_exists($dir.$file)) 
    echo unlink($dir.$file);
else 
    echo 0;

? >

The problem is as follows, the function file_exists() and unlink() , of which I pass the path by parameter, say that the file I'm trying to access does not exist. Using var_dump() I noticed that the return is as follows:

  

string(30)"C: \ xampp \ htdocs \ aaaa \ test.txt"

The file exists in the specified directory, but the functions say no. Look:

The file exists, the directory is correct, I have already tried it with \\ (use character deviation) but it is still in it. Please help me!

Addition of attempts already made:

• Switch file_exists () to is_file ()
• Use clearstatcache () before checking the file
• Switch \ to \\

No results, all failed.