"Cannot delete, file may be in use"

[Beattie]

There's this stupid file that wont let me delete it. I have rebooted and even tried from safe mode but it always says that there's a sharing violation. Is there some program that will show me all of the open files and what process if using them like lsof on unix?

 

Kill all processes except explorer.exe and try it. What's the file name?

 

[Ranger X]

You must be running WindowsXP, correct? Whenever I have problems like this, I go into Nero and delete the files through there. For some reason, using Windows Explorer you get sharing problems.

 

[Beattie]

Originally posted by: jumpr
Kill all processes except explorer.exe and try it. What's the file name?

I have killed everything I can.

It's an exe for some dinky image management program that apparently doesnt work.

 

[xcript]

Open up a command prompt -> 'cd \path\to\file\' -> kill explorer.exe -> 'del foo' -> restart explorer.exe -> done

 

[Beattie]

Originally posted by: xcript
Open up a command prompt -> 'cd \path\to\file\' -> kill explorer.exe -> 'del foo' -> restart explorer.exe -> done

ahh that worked quite well. Thanks.

 

[Shivatron]

Originally posted by: xcript
Open up a command prompt -> 'cd \path\to\file\' -> kill explorer.exe -> 'del foo' -> restart explorer.exe -> done

Or you could use a program like WhoLockMe (Google for it) to see which process is locking the file.

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: xcript
Open up a command prompt -> 'cd \path\to\file\' -> kill explorer.exe -> 'del foo' -> restart explorer.exe -> done

'kill' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: iloveme2

Originally posted by: xcript
Open up a command prompt -> 'cd \path\to\file\' -> kill explorer.exe -> 'del foo' -> restart explorer.exe -> done

'kill' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

just try and delete the file from a dos prompt "del filename" from the appropiate directory

 

[vshah]

Originally posted by: iloveme2

Originally posted by: xcript
Open up a command prompt -> 'cd \path\to\file\' -> kill explorer.exe -> 'del foo' -> restart explorer.exe -> done

'kill' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

have a task manager window open as well as the cmd window, and close explorer from there.

-Vivan

 

[xcript]

Originally posted by: iloveme2

Originally posted by: xcript
Open up a command prompt -> 'cd \path\to\file\' -> kill explorer.exe -> 'del foo' -> restart explorer.exe -> done

'kill' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

Commands to be entered at the command prompt are in quotes. 😉

 

[Shagga]

Originally posted by: Ranger X
You must be running WindowsXP, correct? Whenever I have problems like this, I go into Nero and delete the files through there. For some reason, using Windows Explorer you get sharing problems.

This is soo true I noticed this the other day... 🙂

 

[UCJefe]

For future reference, this little program rocks. It's called "handle" and it will show you exactly which process has a file open. I use this guy all the time. If you want a visual version, you can out "Process Explorer" at that same site.

 

[LordSnailz]

I have the same issue, but for some reason I can't change directory in the command prompt.

I've typed "cd H:\" exactly without the quotes but it just returns me to the orginial directory.

 

[UCJefe]

try just "H:" don't put the cd or the trailing backslash in there

 

[KeithP]

Occasionally this will happen to me (using XP) as well. I simply bring up the task manager, kill the explorer.exe process, then go to the applications tab, click the new task button, type explorer.exe to relaunch. After that, I can always delete the file.

Of course, if IE isn't the problem, that won't help. 🙂

-Keith