Cannot delete avi files

I am using Winxp and i am unable to delete soem of my avi files. I always get the error that the file is being used by another program. I have tried deleting it from the dos prompt doesnt work either. I read somewhere that this is a bug in XP but i am unable to get a proper solution for this problem. Can someone help me, please my machine works so slow it takes 5 mins to open a search page on google. PlEASE HELP ME!!!! this is driving me crazy. Thank You

 

hi! i usually incountered problem like that if i am deleting a file that i have just work with. please try to shutdown your computer then before doing anything after you reboot, delete the file or try to delete the folder where the file is if there are no other important files in the same folder. regarding your very slow system, maybe you should try to use the system restore function of XP (you will have to go back to the date when your computer was still working fine). if any of this doesn't work, maybe you should try to reformat your unit and reinstall the windows again.

hope this will help you

 

the method that has worked for me before is this.....open a different folder and create a file with the same name...then just drag it into the folder that has the pescky file...when it asks if you wanna eplace...hit "yes".....that usually does it for me....hope it helps....no worries

p.s.
if you have something along the lines of Norton that protects files that you delete....it might store it in the protected files......just purge the protected file....that happened to me a few times.....it may or may not be relative

 

With such an error message, I would try this:
1. Hit ctrl+alt+delete to open the Task Manager
2. Click on the Processes tab
3. Select explorer.exe and click on End Process
4. Click on New Task, type cmd.exe and hit enter
5. Type cd C:\Directory\subdirectory (wherever the file is located)
6. Type del nameofyourfile.here (whatever the exact filename is)
Usually the program tying up the file is explorer.exe. If dos still won't let you delete it, try (while still in that directory) typing attrib -r -a -s -h filename (where filename is the name of the file) which will remove any read only, archive, system, or hidden attribute, and then retry deletion of that file (step 6). After you're done, click New Task, type explorer.exe, and hit enter to get the ol' desktop back. You probably have the file deleted by now, but try that procedure next time you have the problem, as it has worked for me numerous times in the past.

 

Mattrage if that doesnt work I had to start up in safe mode to deletete files once but got rid off them but damm that was from a file thaty must of been driven by the devil

DaOsT

 

that killing of explorer.exe & remanimg/deleting/moving in command prompt really does work!!

thanks!

 

No problem man. Glad I could be of assistance. It certainly is an annoying bug, but at least there's a workaround.

 

Hi, I am having the same problem and I tried all of your suggestions and none seem to work. I think the one where you kill explorer.exe will work but the files are on my second hard drive and when I type in cd D:\ it shows the d prompt but then goes right back to c prompt. I tried typing in the entine directory and subdirectory but then it doesnt even show d prompt....just back to origional c. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

I've just managed to delete 2 .avi's this way :- right click on file, scroll down to 'Rename', rename it 'blank', or whatever ya want, should delete ok, if not it will after a reboot.

Dene

 

Hehe, just download eraser and erase it. It works every time . Seriously doubt you'll get a error message with eraser.

Trigun

 

Well, i had the same problem.
Of course system restore will not work because it keeps the data, it just goes back with the system, anyway that wouldn't be practical at all.
I use DOS command prompt to delete them and it works perfectly... what happens when u try to delete one of those files with DOS prompt?