Cant delete a file

Dempsey

I have a avi file, somehow copied itseff to my documents folder and wont delete, It says its in use but it isnt cant do anything with it. Sometimes going near it, its slows down the computer, explorer size increases and takes 100% of the processor for ages. How can I force delete it, its taking up 1.36Gb

tman

get some antivirus software, files don't just magically copy themselves & then refuse to be deleted.

if it happened just now, restarting the pc might sort it

Dempsey

No checked it. I have Norton 2002 and the definitions are up to date. I though that too, but the filename is the exact size it should be for that file.

Also, realone player kept crashing there yesterday, when I discovered the file. A system restore got realone going but that file was still around

DeadBankClerk

Random Guess:

Open task manager.
(CTRL+SHIFT+ESC)
Close all processes that you can, including explorer.
Start a new process: c:\winnt\explorer.exe
Try deleting the file.

oeNeo

Happened to me before. There was some .inf file that fixed it I think, I got it from someone on IRC but I can't find it nor can I remember who I got it from. Sorry.

Kairo

I come across this loads.

Don't know the exacts..but i do know its something to do with winxp/win2k's explorer thumbnails system, where it trys to create a preview of the avi's.

Sometimes, I find that deleting the thumbs.db file solves the problem.

For a long term solution tho, I just renamed all my .avi's to .divx instead. Now it never happens

Another alternative...restart the computer, and go into a dos command box. Get the filename, go to its location and delete it that way. Just dont go opening explorer or try deleting the file in explorer, or the cpu usage maxes out once again.

Capt'n Midnight

If using 95/98 safe mode or command prompt only

If using 2k/xp - find the i386 folder - use the CD if you have to and the run the command

\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons

and then you can boot into a command line without that nasty GUI or any of those auto run progs getting in the way

Dempsey

The filename in question is about 25 characters long (with spaces), dos doesnt seem to be able to delete it.Doesnt dos have some problem with long filenames?

Capt'n Midnight

Or just use the first 6 letters.. DEL FILENA~?.EXT BTW ~ is ALT 126
If it is DOS or Win9X then DELTREE Filename

Also run scandisk / chkdsk too if still problems..

Dempsey

It was the only avi file in that directory and the was other important folders there aswell, forgot all about *.avi, did the trick. I did by just opening the command prompt window while explorer.exe process was still running. Though i'd have to restart into dos to do it.

DOS, what an operating system. The best ever.:D

Kairo

heh..another trick is to just copy the full file name, then to write it as 'del "whatever the movie is called.avi" ' . Stick the file name in quotes..should do the trick. And you shouldnt need to shut down to 'proper dos' . Just do a run, 'cmd'. The dos window would have worked too.

Dos eh?

LastIrishMonkey

quarintine the file or floder and try to delete throw quarintineww) i think i did that once

Dempsey

Originally posted by Dempsey
It was the only avi file in that directory and the was other important folders there aswell, forgot all about *.avi, did the trick. I did by just opening the command prompt window while explorer.exe process was still running. Though i'd have to restart into dos to do it.

DOS, what an operating system. The best ever.:D

I got it deleted, thanks for all the help.