Why can't I move any .avi files from one directory?

[jimnms]

Ok, I'm seriously about to blow my computer up. I spent three days trying to find out why my TV card was crashing. I lost count how many times I formatted the HD and reinstalled XP. Long story short, it was Nero of all things.

Anyway, I've got all my stuff reinstalled and everything set the way it was before. I held off activating Windows until I was sure I wasn't going to have to format again. I thought everything was fine, so I activated it.

Now I'm having a strange problem. I can't move any .avi files from one certain directory. The directory is D:\Download, which obviously is where I place files I download and then move them later to where they need to go. These aren't new files, I downloaded them weeks ago, and I'm trying to move them to a different directory. I can move any other file from the directory except .avi files. I get an error saying the file is being used by another person or program. I've tried rebooting, there are no other programs running, and the directory isn't shared.. I can play the .avi files, just not move them.

I downloaded a program that will show what process has locked a file, and it shows that explorer.exe is locking them. Why just .avi files, and why just the ones in this directory?

I went ot a different directory that has some .avi files in it, and I was able to move them. What's even stranger, after I play an .avi from a different directory, I can move one file from the Download directory, then it starts giving me the error again.

 

[MorfiusX]

Boot the PC in safe mode and then move them.

To boot in to safe mode, press F8 before the first WinXP loading. You can press repeatedly. (don't kill your keyboard thought) You get a menu, choose Safe Mode.

 

[jimnms]

I already tried safe mode, same thing. I did get them moved by playing another avi file, then moving them. Now that I have them moved to a new location, if I try to move them somewhere else it says they are in use. It's just those files, not any others even in the same directory.

 

[sparkles]

this is quite a common issue with windows xp. you *can* often get around it with a simple reboot, or, for a more permanent fix:

All you have to do to fix this problem is delete the registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClassesCLSID{87D62D94-71B3-4b9a-9489-5FE6850DC73E}InProcServer32

This prevents explorer from loading shmedia.dll which is used to provide you with properties of AVI (DivX) files. My understanding is that due to the way DivX files are encoded, XP has trouble collecting the properties and gives you the file in use message when you try to delete them.

taken from techzone