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Dated: Aug. 13, 2004
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Windows XPComputer Beginners Guides
Here is a perfect scenario that I've gone through when deleting the undeletables. It was like going through hell and back.
I was working with some PhotoShop files (*.psd) and after I was done, I saved them on my desktop. Since I didn't have any need for them later on, I had a brilliant idea. I thought, why not just DELETE them? Little, did I know that at times, my Microsoft OS wouldn't let me. For some reason, It kept on giving an error (another program or person is using this file) and won't delete these particular files.
As with anything annoying on computers, I had to look up way around it. After tons of searching for answers on the net here is what I found.
If you ever come across something similar, here are few of many things you can do:
Work Around 1
Go to Start/Run/CMD and type in: RD /S [drive:] path
Work Around 2
Open Notepad and save the (blank) file with the name of the undeletable file. Under save as, navigate to the file, delete.
Work Around 3
Move the file into a new directory and then delete the directory.
Work Around 4
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.
Work Around 5
Try moving the folder to C: & from Explorer delete the file.
Work Around 6
Try booting your computer from Safe Mode and try removing from there.
Delete/Modify "Locked Files"
The XP bug that sometimes locks files (mostly AVI's) can be overcome quite easily. When XP refuses to delete/modify a file; simply jump into the command prompt (Start>Run>"cmd") and modify the file from there. Windows-DOS seems to work around this bug. No need to wade through complex procedures for this one.
CopyLock
is a small program that allows the replacement or the deletion of one or many files that are currently in use (e.g. the system files like comctl32.dll.)Add the files to update, click Replace, and restart and that's it!
You can also list and edit the pending operations from the system after you ran an installer.
Disclaimer: you can crash your system or make it unbootable if you are not careful, use at your own risk.
MoveOnBoot
- move or delete files on next reboot.
MoveOnBoot allows you to copy, moves or delete files on the next system boot. This comes in very handy, if you need to replace or delete files which are locked by other applications, loaded into memory or cannot be changed until next system boot. You could manually enter a line to the wininit files, but using MoveOnBoot is much simpler, since the program can be integrated into shell - it creates the "Copy/Move/Delete on boot" context menu item.
License: Freeware
Price: Free
Windows: 98/ME/NT/2000/XP
BusyDelete
BusyDelete will delete files even if they are busy. The file(s) you specify will be marked for deletion. Then the next time you reboot your system the Operating System will delete the file(s). For example BDEL ATL.DLL will delete the file during the next reboot.
DiamondCS DelLater
It's free, it's tiny, it's open source, it's easy to use, and it can delete files for you when all else fails. So what is it?
is a simple program that uses the only method that Microsoft recommend to delete files that are in use. This method is based on documentation from Microsoft that describes a function called MoveFileEx, and DelLater has been carefully designed to be technically accurate to the guidelines set forth in the article. Interestingly, this is the technique used by anti-virus scanners when they're unable to delete a file (such as a trojan) because it's in use. Although the MoveFileEx function isn't supported under Windows 95/98/ME, the article does describe how to implement the same functionality, which DelLater does. Don't worry if you don't understand the Microsoft article as DelLater simplifies everything.
DelLater is the ideal program to use when you can't delete a file, no matter how hard you try. This is usually because an active process has an open handle to the file which prevents it from being deleted. Normally if you close down all running programs you'll find that most files will then be free to delete, but that's not always the case, and in some cases it may even be a trojan that's preventing itself from being deleted.
To DelLater A File...
1. Run dellater.exe
2. Reboot (whenever you like).
That's all that's required. After rebooting and logging in you'll be able to see that the file you specified is no longer there.
WhoLockMe
Have you ever bored by this Windows message : "Error Deleting File or Folder, ... There has been a sharing violation. The source or destination file may be in use.", when you try to delete, move or rename a file?
is a little extension for your Microsoft Explorer. It permits you to list all the processes locking your selected file.In almost all cases, at least few of these ways would have already resolved your deletion issues.
Now that you've gotten free know-how on this topic, try to grow your skills even faster with online video training. Then finally, put these skills to the test and make a name for yourself by offering these skills to others by becoming a freelancer. There are literally 2000+ new projects that are posted every single freakin' day, no lie!
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