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re: Error deleting file or folder Monday, October 24, 2005 at 3:19 pm Posted by Johnb33 (2283 messages posted) What are the names of these folders? have you ran malware/adware software and virus scan? On Monday, October 24, 2005 at 3:10 pm, Nuentes wrote: >I've seen posts about this before, but none of them solved my exact problem. I have >two folders right now that I am trying to delete. Every time i try to delete them, >I get the message saying "error deleting file or folder", and then it says that the >file or folder is in use. Both folders are empty. Now, I know that a simple restart >will solve the problem, but I dont want to restart. Is there something I can do >to delete these files without a reboot? [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Error deleting file or folder Monday, October 24, 2005 at 4:07 pm Posted by C K (6910 messages posted) I gave up trying a "one size fits all" answer so I just bring up the task manager and kill the explorer process then restart it by typing in "explorer.exe" (or just "explorer" without the quotes under the applications tab) after clicking on the "New Task" box. Saves you from a total restart. There are some view options that seem to be associated with delete errors but haven't had time to find out exactly what works and what doesn't. May or may not work for you depending on what apps you have running. Others here may know but not all suggestions worked for me.. Works in W2k and XP.. :-) On Monday, October 24, 2005 at 3:19 pm, Johnb33 wrote: >What are the names of these folders? have you ran malware/adware software and virus >scan? > > > [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Error deleting file or folder Monday, October 24, 2005 at 4:14 pm Posted by jcw (5124 messages posted) "....a simple restart will solve the problem...." Not necessarily. A reboot into safe mode and deleting the two folders there may solve the problem. You could try this if you don't want to reboot: Determine the correct location and path of the two folders you want to delete. Close all open programs. Open the command prompt window. Open Task Manager and on its Applications tab, end all open programs except the command prompt window and any programs you use for your mouse or keyboard. On the Processes tab of Task Manager, end all processes that you can without causing an error or a shutdown of the computer. As before, don't end any process for your mouse or the keyboard, or the process for the command prompt window. Then end the process called:   explorer.exe. Keep Task Manager open. In the command prompt window, use the RMDIR command to delete the folders you want to delete. To determine the correct syntax to use, type at the command prompt of the command prompt window:   RMDIR /?   to view available syntax. When done the deletions, return to Task Manager, and in its New Task... box under its File menu, type:   EXPLORER   in order to re-start Windows Explorer. You will need then to re-start the applications that you normally run in the background. Note: if either of the two folders are malicious, you may need to reboot into safe mode to successfully delete them. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Error deleting file or folder Monday, October 24, 2005 at 5:55 pm Posted by Nuentes (35 messages posted) This problem occurs frequently for me. Often times, I will cut a folder, and try to paste in a different location, and it will move the files and create a new folder, but the original folder will not move, and then I receive the error message. The folder remains empty, but cant be removed. A simple reboot always fixes it. It has happened to me at least 50 times between two computers. It may be a good thing, tho, because if it didnt happen, i would probably never reboot. It's just a pain in the arse for me. There is no malware, adware, viruses... any of that. I am running ad-aware, spybot, norton, webroot spy sweeper, and registry cleaner. And it's not related to any programs I'm running. Like I said before, it happens all the time to me for some reason, I just want to find a way to fix it without having to reboot. On Monday, October 24, 2005 at 4:14 pm, jcw wrote: >"....a simple restart will solve the problem...." > Not necessarily. A reboot into safe mode and deleting the two folders there >may solve the problem. > You could try this if you don't want to reboot: > Determine the correct location and path of the two folders you want to delete. > Close all open programs. > Open the command prompt window. > Open Task Manager and on its Applications tab, end all open programs except the >command prompt window and any programs you use for your mouse or keyboard. > On the Processes tab of Task Manager, end all processes that you can without >causing an error or a shutdown of the computer. As before, don't end any process >for your mouse or the keyboard, or the process for the command prompt window. Then >end the process called:   explorer.exe. Keep Task Manager open. > In the command prompt window, use the RMDIR command to delete the folders >you want to delete. > To determine the correct syntax to use, type at the command prompt of the command >prompt window:   RMDIR /?   to view available syntax. > When done the deletions, return to Task Manager, and in its New Task... box under >its File menu, type:   EXPLORER   in order to re-start Windows Explorer. > You will need then to re-start the applications that you normally run in the >background. > Note: if either of the two folders are malicious, you may need to reboot into >safe mode to successfully delete them. > > [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Error deleting file or folder Tuesday, October 25, 2005 at 8:23 am Posted by jcw (5124 messages posted) Ah, OK.  Well, as you can see, the procedure I suggested would be just as - perhaps more - cumbersome than simply rebooting. You said you cut and paste the folder to a new location? Really mean that? Why not just move the folder from one location to another (which doesn't leave the folder in the old location, and doesn't involve the creation of a new folder)? On Monday, October 24, 2005 at 5:55 pm, Nuentes wrote: >This problem occurs frequently for me. Often times, I will cut a folder, and try >to paste in a different location, and it will move the files and create a new folder, >but the original folder will not move, and then I receive the error message. The >folder remains empty, but cant be removed. A simple reboot always fixes it. It >has happened to me at least 50 times between two computers. It may be a good thing, >tho, because if it didnt happen, i would probably never reboot. It's just a pain >in the arse for me. There is no malware, adware, viruses... any of that. I am running >ad-aware, spybot, norton, webroot spy sweeper, and registry cleaner. And it's not >related to any programs I'm running. Like I said before, it happens all the time >to me for some reason, I just want to find a way to fix it without having to reboot. > > > [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Error deleting file or folder Tuesday, October 25, 2005 at 11:38 am Posted by C K (6910 messages posted) Tried this?: http://www.jakeludington.com/ask_jake/20051018_unlocking_cannot_delete_file_or_folder_error.html On Monday, October 24, 2005 at 5:55 pm, Nuentes wrote: >This problem occurs frequently for me. Often times, I will cut a folder, and try >to paste in a different location, and it will move the files and create a new folder, >but the original folder will not move, and then I receive the error message. The >folder remains empty, but cant be removed. A simple reboot always fixes it. It >has happened to me at least 50 times between two computers. It may be a good thing, >tho, because if it didnt happen, i would probably never reboot. It's just a pain >in the arse for me. There is no malware, adware, viruses... any of that. I am running >ad-aware, spybot, norton, webroot spy sweeper, and registry cleaner. And it's not >related to any programs I'm running. Like I said before, it happens all the time >to me for some reason, I just want to find a way to fix it without having to reboot. > > > [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Error deleting file or folder Tuesday, October 25, 2005 at 3:42 pm Posted by Nuentes (35 messages posted) > You said you cut and paste the folder to a new location? Really mean that? >Why not just move the folder from one location to another (which doesn't leave the >folder in the old location, and doesn't involve the creation of a new folder)? > > > This occurs when I do that as well. It is something that I cannot explain, but occasionally when I try to move a folder, or copy and paste to a new location, it will successfully move everything, but the original folder will remain, it will be empty, and it will be un-deletable. I dont know why or how, but it happens to me... Anyways, someone suggested using taskmanager to end explorer, and then reopen explorer through taskmanager, and that worked wonders. So thanks! [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Error deleting file or folder Tuesday, October 25, 2005 at 3:49 pm Posted by Falcon (13489 messages posted) Now, use ShellExView to find the buggy shell extention that fails to close the folder. Malware Removal [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Error deleting file or folder Wednesday, January 18, 2006 at 10:04 am Posted by Ollie (1 messages posted) Use "Unlocker" - http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/ It's freeeee. Problem solved. [Reply or follow-up to this message] Tip: Use one of the [Reply or follow-up to this message] links above to add a message to this thread Search this forum Start a new thread on a different subject Report abuse of the forum Return to the Windows XP Discussion Forum