Deleting folders becoming a pain in the bum bum.

[Hyper_Psycho]

For some reason I cannot delete any folders with files in them. I get a message like :

Cannot delete ___folder name: It is being used by another person or program. Close any programs that might be using the file and try again.

If I have a folder with files, try to delete it, I get that message. If I go into the folder and delete all the files (non foldered) and then go back and try to delete the folder I get the same message. This is happening all over the system and I dont know how to explain it.

I am running Windows XP and this problem has been happeening for a week. I am just too lazy to do anything about it. Any thoughts and suggestions would be nice.

[Darkstar850]

Do you have any file indexing running?

[TGA]

I too have had this same problem. This usually happens to folders containing my digital photos. You see when I transfer pictures over from my camera. I put them in a temp folder under a date, until I have had time to go through and sort them all. I often have trouble deleting these folders when I am done with them. I get the same error you do and have never been able to figure it out.

I have tried all sorts of thing to track down the cause, all with no success. Opening my photo editing and viewing software and making sure the last thing I viewed was not in that folder does no good. Rebooting the PC seems to have no affect. The only thing that seems to work is to forget about the folder and delete it at a later date. My PC is set to show all hidden files including the thumbnail DB file that gets created in these folders. I have no trouble deleting all files including this DB. So for the life of me I can’t figure out why Windows refuses to let me delete these folders right away.

Anyone else know anything about this issue? The only thing I can think of that I haven’t already mentioned is that I don’t recall ever having this problem before updating to SP2.

[TGA]

Do you have any file indexing running?


In my case no, indexing is not enabled. I disabled and uninstalled it from add remove programs as soon as I was done installing the OS.

[sirholio]

I get this when I move folders with mp3's from a temp directory to my main music directory. they go there just fine, but the folder stays behind with nothing in it. Then, until i close explorer, and restart explorer, It wont delete or anything.

[hulksterjoe]

Have you tried from safe mode?

[Hyper_Psycho]

Do you have any file indexing running?

how can i know ?.. check ?

[Hyper_Psycho]

Have you tried from safe mode?

yes

your point being for me to log into safe mode every time i need to delete something ? :eek:

[Hyper_Psycho]

I too hav... snip ... to SP2.

your problem looks really smimiar to mine

infact i updated to sp2 so that just maybe it gets fixed ... no luck so far

[Synchro]

I've run into this before and it's an issue with long file names, and the trunchated filenames that are stored for dos mode. The each maintain a seperate database that tracks the file names and they will get out of sync at times - in use by one and not the other.

You can go to a command prompt usually and delete the file by using the 8.3 filename.

eg: del filenam~1.txt

Folders can be deleted in the same way -

I know I haven't explained this the best, but this has been my solution, and you can google the topic and get a more detailed blurb I'm sure.

I had a file on my XP desktop that I couldn't delete for 5 months before I got motivated to find a solution and get rid of it.

Good Luck!

[Mister Natural]

If it's a long filename issue the fix is to rename the parent directory above the directory where the file resides. Once you do that you can delete pesky long file names.
Simply rename the directory back to what is was when you are done.

[Hyper_Psycho]

it seems that for me that any directory no matter the name cannot be deleted witout the files in it being gone first

anyone else have any thoughts on this ?

[Hyper_Psycho]

ok this is just getting insane!
i cant even move files to folders
say that i have some recordings that i got off my camcorder
and that the file is 800mb
moving it to a folder in the same dir does not work ... ahhhhhhh :confused: :mad:

[pigster]

ok this is just getting insane!
i cant even move files to folders
say that i have some recordings that i got off my camcorder
and that the file is 800mb
moving it to a folder in the same dir does not work ... ahhhhhhh :confused: :mad:

Makes sense, since move = copy + delete. If you're having trouble deleting files, then you're going to have trouble moving files.

Something is locking these files - try a utility like this (http://www.dr-hoiby.com/WhoLockMe/index.php) to discover what's going on.

[Hyper_Psycho]

Makes sense, since move = copy + delete. If you're having trouble deleting files, then you're going to have trouble moving files.

Something is locking these files - try a utility like this (http://www.dr-hoiby.com/WhoLockMe/index.php) to discover what's going on.

Thanks for sharing this app.
So far half the files that are being pain in the ass are locked by explorer
the other half do not display anything. Hmmm... If i were to quit explorer
could I use ws FTP to move things about ?

let see if this is going to fail

[Hyper_Psycho]

Thanks f...snip...o fail

nope
this is insane
imma go try to boot into safe mode and see wtf is up with this
:mad:

[pigster]

I suspect that your issue has something to do with explorer locking the file to generate a thumbnail or preview. Did you install the 'Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer' ? There's a known issue. (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/prophoto/filelocking.mspx)

[Hyper_Psycho]

I suspect that your issue has something to do with explorer locking the file to generate a thumbnail or preview. Did you install the 'Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer' ? There's a known issue. (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/prophoto/filelocking.mspx)

no i dont think i have that installed

[Hyper_Psycho]

anyone else have any suggestions ?

[TGA]

Hmm in my case I don’t seem to have any trouble with files being moved or deleted. Or maybe I should say when I do have a problem with moving a file I am always able to figure out what is keeping it there with out any trouble. I have this problem with folders only. As I mentioned above all files in these folders can be moved and or deleted. Even hidden files places there by XP,

Anyway my problem really does seem to be a bug in XP and how it tries to manage today’s digital media files while still hanging on to PC legacy support. I suppose I am going to have to learn to live with it and for the most part already have. That or just go back to 2k, losing some of the features I do use but seem to be causing these problems and wait for the new Windows Vista and see if it’s bugs are easier to live with (doubtful).

[Phoenix86]

Have you scanned for malware?

[Hyper_Psycho]

Have you scanned for malware?

if spybot and adaware check for it than yes

[Phoenix86]

I was thinking more along the lines of a virus.

[Hyper_Psycho]

I was thinking more along the lines of a virus.

hmmm
i guess ill go find that free virus checker thingamajigger since i really hate norton

[Hyper_Psycho]

soo umm anyone have any ideas ?

[Phoenix86]

hmmm
i guess ill go find that free virus checker thingamajigger since i really hate norton
Hmm, so your not running A/V?

How did the scan go?

[Hyper_Psycho]

Hmm, so your not running A/V?

How did the scan go?

nothing was detected :|
now im really confused as to what the heck is going on

[S1nF1xx]

Try running chkdsk /r. I've seen problems with explorer.exe that have been fixed by a simple chkdsk.

[Hyper_Psycho]

Try running chkdsk /r. I've seen problems with explorer.exe that have been fixed by a simple chkdsk.

thanks
it will check as soon as the computer restarts