"Cannot delete file; may be in use". But it isn't! 2

[ifx]

Hi all,

I was sent an image file, but it was given the wrong extension (.jpg). I tried a couple of different file extensions to open it including .png. The problem now is that explorer seems to crash every time I browse to that folder. It's only started happening since that file was put on. I've tried deleting it but I always get the error:
"The process cannot access the file becuase it is being used by another process".

This is even after a fresh reboot and going straight through a DOS prompt as soon as getting into Windows.

Is there anyway I can find out what process is running it and stop it (though I have a suspicion it's explorer.exe), or overide the usage and delete it anyway? I've got lots of other files in that dir which can't really be moved, so I'd just like to get rid of this one file!

Any help would be great! Thanks!
Rob

 

[bcastner]

Close all open apps. Open a command prompt (Start/Run/CMD) and navigate to the directory with the offending file(s). Then open the Task Manager and click on the Processes tab, select "explorer.exe" under Image Name. Click "End Process".

In the opened Command Prompt, DEL the offending files (DEL *.mpg, DEL mus*.avi, DEL test.wmv, etc.) Once done, go back to the task manager and click on the Applications tab. Click the "New Task..." button. in the dialog, type explorer.exe and click OK.

Note: You may have to attrib the file first.
ATTRIB -H -R -S filename before the DEL command will work.

Or you can use Process Explorer:

http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/procexp.shtml.

Use the search function to find every handle that Explorer.Exe has open and close them (right-click on the file and choose 'close handle'). Then delete the file(s) in question.

NTFS: "Access Denied" Error Message When You Try to Delete a File

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;298345

Source: from the suggestions by Kelly Theriot

 

[ifx]

Thanks for that - logging in as administrator and using the Process Explorer let me see what was using the file so I could remove it!

Cheers!

 

[irzyxel]

what was wrong ?
i constantly got this problem, and its explorer.exe thats not releasing the handle !!!
often some directories are in there like 50-100 times

 

[bcastner]

Try using DelLater, freeware

http://www.diamondcs.com.au/index.php?page=products

 

[Policekauk]

Bcastner:

I downloaded the freeware "DelLater" you seggested to enable me to delete two tmp files that 4.00GB in size. I try to run the program and all I get is a box with :Usage:delLater.exe<filename>.

I tried stopping Explorer.exe in the task Manager and deleting the floder that seems to have 4.0GB of .tmp files.but wih little success. Why can't I delete such a large file?

Please help,
Will

 

[bcastner]

Dr.Delete performs a more GUI based version of DelLater:

http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/remark,7374516~root=sware~mode=flat

 

[Policekauk]

Dr. Deleter does nothing. It acts as if it is scheduling files to be deleted but there are still there after I reboot. What am I doing wrong?

 

[Giordano]

I advise you to use XTM from

http://www.warecase.com/downloads.asp

Find file, check who is locking it and close the file handle.