Arrrgh - cannot delete file

[pieces o nine]

I am requesting tech advice from anyone up to assisting an XP user who is not and will not be using Vista in the forseeable future.

I have a flash video file which I cannot eradicate. RealPlayer never opened it, and I can't move, rename, or delete it because a prompt insists that it is in use by another program. Checking on-line help and a couple how-to's has left me more confused than empowered.

Despite my art degree, I am bright and can learn. 
I just need reassurance -- from someone who actually knows what the heck s/he is doing -- that instructions to 'disable' certain things are ... correct.

Fanks in advance.

[ivor]

I assume you have tried rebooting?

I got a new laptop and it doesn't have Vista on it. 

[beagle]

Has it been quarantined by a virus checker?  If so then going through the management system of that is the way to free it.  Worth googling the name of it too in case it's a known threat.

This tool  http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/    seems to work, though it does install an executable so you might want to uninstall it again afterwards.

[Swatopluk]

Rebboting would also be my first idea (I encountered the same problem with media files). Checking the task manager also often gives a clue, whether the file is really officially "not in use".

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

- Go to My Computer and do a right click.
- Among the options choose 'Manage'
- In the tree under 'System Tools' expand 'Shared Folders'
- Select the 'Open Files' folder

Is the file there? If so you can unlock the file by selecting the file, and after a right click you can choose the option to unlock the file.
---
If that's not the case, have you look into the properties of the file itself? Look for the file in explorer and do a right click. Select properties and under the 'General' tab at the bottom you have 'Attributes' with 2 check boxes: Read-only and Hidden. Remove the checks on both, click OK and try to delete again.

[Bluenose]

- Go to My Computer and do a right click.
- Among the options choose 'Manage'
- In the tree under 'System Tools' expand 'Shared Folders'
- Select the 'Open Files' folder

Is the file there? If so you can unlock the file by selecting the file, and after a right click you can choose the option to unlock the file.
---
If that's not the case, have you look into the properties of the file itself? Look for the file in explorer and do a right click. Select properties and under the 'General' tab at the bottom you have 'Attributes' with 2 check boxes: Read-only and Hidden. Remove the checks on both, click OK and try to delete again.

Dang.  Beat me to it....  <grin>

[pieces o nine]

Thanks, dujes. I've rebooted a few times since the day I lost my mind and downloaded that! Re: unchecking the attributes; I'd already tried that as well, without success. Your other suggestion for checking System Tools for Open Files was a good one, but it wasn't in there. Bummer. Also Norton 360 didn't try to block, isolate, or flag it.

I couldn't rename, move or delete this. I tried a 'spearmint' and copied the file to another location on my hard drive. (I don't know why I got the brainwave to do this.) Could not play, rename, move or delete that either, as a prompt insisted *it* was in use by another program. Fantastic! Now I had *two* copies of this movie hogging up space! You are a freaking GENIUS, PoN!

However, I *was* able to delete the *folder* the duplicate was in, and successfully empty the trash. I tried this with the folder the original is in, but no luck. RealPlayer Downloads cannot be deleted because ... it contains a file in use by another program. Curses!  Foiled again!

I tried overwriting that folder by copy/moving the RealPlayer Downloads folder from my mom's log-in to my location (as the original sole user of the PC, I am admin by default). It warned me that it was going to overwrite and I'd lose any contents blah blah blah. Fine by me. Except it didn't work.

I located instructions involving Start\Run Cmd and a bunch-o-gibberish after that. Thanks, but no thanks. Last night I tried 'MoveOnBoot' and it did the trick. Yay.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

For an 'if all fails' I was going to suggest burning the latest version of ubuntu* on a CD and boot from it, then look for the file and remove it, but you figured it out. 

* only after version 8 you can delete files in a NTFS partition.

[pieces o nine]

For an 'if all fails' I was going to suggest burning the latest version of ubuntu* on a CD and boot from it, then look for the file and remove it, but you figured it out. 

Thanks -- that's good to know about, too. I'll read up on them just in case. The little app I downloaded worked very well, and I didn't read any horror stories or warnings from disgruntled users. Hopefully no one else needs it, but if they do, I'll give one testimony.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

For an 'if all fails' I was going to suggest burning the latest version of ubuntu* on a CD and boot from it, then look for the file and remove it, but you figured it out. 

Thanks -- that's good to know about, too. I'll read up on them just in case. The little app I downloaded worked very well, and I didn't read any horror stories or warnings from disgruntled users. Hopefully no one else needs it, but if they do, I'll give one testimony.

If your file system is NTFS (likely) then it's a permissions/ownership issue, not one of an open program.

The "open" program is the Real Player virus that INSISTS on having a kernal of itself in memory AT ALL TIMES (why I do not, and never will have ANYTHING by real player on my machine).

*bleah* 

First, temporarily kill any instance of real player from memory:  Hit Ctrl-Alt-DEL, go to processes, and end anything that has "real" in it.  If you kill something that is vital, simply reboot.

Next, (from Windows Explorer, not "My Computer"-- go to Accessories for W.E.) on the offending parent directory, right-click, choose PROPERTIES.

Go to the SECURITY tab. 

Next click the ADVANCED button. Click "OWNER" tab.  Under there, is another box listing possible owners-- you should recognize YOUR login in that list.  Highlight that one.  BE SURE the box below is checked (replace owner on subcontainers and objects).

Click APPLY.  It may take a few minutes.  When it's done, it should refresh, and the "current owner" should NOW display YOUR login/profile.

Click OKAY--- dialog closes.

Click OKAY to close the security/properties dialog.

now, back in Windows Explorer, you should be able to delete the offending directory-- you'll need to navigate to one level HIGHER in the LEFT panel, and delete the offending directory in the right pane-- click ONE TIME and press "CONTROL-DEL" this will delete it without it going to the recycle bin.  It's now GONE, if all is well.

Reboot your computer, to restore all those processes you killed earlier.

If it STILL won't delete-- throw the computer in the trash, and buy a mac........ NO! JUST KIDDING! _{(actually, I typically hate macs, but in this case, the mac wins...even though you'd have to resort to an obscure UNIX command to delete the file...)}

If the above does not work, post your results, along with any messages-- I have a few more tricks up my sleeve, for dumping offensive refuses-to-delete files.

BTW, do you have a bootable copy of XP?  You may need it, if the above does not do the trick.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Bob is right, in fact it may be a good idea to do a Start|Run type msconfig and hit enter. There you can check both the junk in startup (everybody wants to have their pe(s)t resident! ) and also in services. Obviously you need some care disabling services but you can be assured that any Real service is NOT essential. 

[Griffin NoName]

Hmmmm, haven't looked at that for a while. Anyone know what "annie" does (in WIN.INI) ? (no jokes please )

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Its a conspiracy, no body knows WTF it is apart from being video related. The best comment I found suggested it's part of a codec but no definitive answer on the subject.

I have it too and it bothers me to no end that there isn't an official explanation for it.

[Griffin NoName]

   
 

Maybe All Toadfish have it?  Time to start a poll      (and start the panic...... )

I am chasing another problem Source ESENT event id 490 edb.log file in use cant write to it

***  don't bother looking it up.... I've been all over cyberspace already ***

edb.log logs all access to active directory objects; but it's cyclical; best guesses - it is a valid install failure due to Kapersky stopping a Trojan - OR - it's an invalid install failure due to Kaspersky tying itself in knots. MSINSTALL keeps failing on install for other reasons, and I am damned if I know what it's trying to install anyway.

Problem One ; have forgotten if  I ever registered at Kaspersky support and forum ; YET ANOTHER search of my entire building to find out. YES I am in chaos. Chaos is a city near you. ok,ok, I could just register as some other idiot. But I don't want to start having more than one identity per forum as I cannot keep up with one per forum as it is (where numer of forums is appraoching infinity..........)....  SOMEONE SORT MY LIFE OUT I am begging....... why haven't I got a P.A.?

Problem Two: the ""event"" apparently goes away eventually usually probably well it did once when someone else's a/v supplier sorted Their little problem out..... so. indecision. Arrrgh! Have to make a decision. How many more hours to spend on this..... what was that? oh yes I want a P.A.

Problem Three:  No room in my bed for a P.A.

Resolution: get back to "annie", annie seemed like a nice girl. What? Oh? Yes. That was me that said No Jokes Please
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seriously, really, I am hacked off at how much time all this WASTES.

[pieces o nine]

My very first pc was a Mac.   

It's my preference, but when I had to replace, I got a home PC to keep my skills up on both platforms. I know Mac can get mired in hidden and weirdly named files, but I've always felt comfortable going in there with the digital equivalent of a machete and clearing things out.

On the pc...woah. A lot of very oddly-named stuff and I *don't* know what is actually needed. I've looked at Change or Remove Programs more than once and been mighty tempted to excise anything I have never used. But -- I just don't know what some of that does and it's safer to let it sit there, snorkeling up memory.

Thanks for the detailed info, Bob. I'll add it to my troubleshooting tips in case this ever happens again. Meanwhile, I will guiltily use realPlayer.