Windows Explorer won't Delete files After SP2

[glamart]

For some reason, when I try to delete word processing files, spread
sheet files, JPEG files, zip files etc., sometimes they delete and
sometimes I get a message that the "file is in use...". Usually the
second or third try will delete it. Sometimes I have to boot to
command mode to delete these files. These files are not program
files, systems files, etc., just files that I have created or
downloaded for future use.
Any thoughts - thanks!

[Will Denny]

Hi

Please try the following link to Kelly's web site:

Line 39 - right hand side
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

--

Will Denny
MS-MVP - Windows Shell/User
Please reply to the News Groups


"glamart" > wrote in message
...
> For some reason, when I try to delete word processing files, spread sheet
> files, JPEG files, zip files etc., sometimes they delete and sometimes I
> get a message that the "file is in use...". Usually the second or third
> try will delete it. Sometimes I have to boot to command mode to delete
> these files. These files are not program files, systems files, etc., just
> files that I have created or downloaded for future use.
> Any thoughts - thanks!
>

[glamart]

Thanks Will - Certainly a neat work-around, but it sure would be
nice to know what causes this problem? - especially since I have not
had such a problem until SP2. Thanks for the response.
--

"Will Denny" > wrote in message
...
> Hi
>
> Please try the following link to Kelly's web site:
>
> Line 39 - right hand side
> http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
>
> --
>
> Will Denny
> MS-MVP - Windows Shell/User
> Please reply to the News Groups
>
>
> "glamart" > wrote in message
> ...
>> For some reason, when I try to delete word processing files,
>> spread sheet files, JPEG files, zip files etc., sometimes they
>> delete and sometimes I get a message that the "file is in
>> use...". Usually the second or third try will delete it.
>> Sometimes I have to boot to command mode to delete these files.
>> These files are not program files, systems files, etc., just
>> files that I have created or downloaded for future use.
>> Any thoughts - thanks!
>>
>
>

[Wesley Vogel]

Try hitting the F5 key to Refresh, then try deleting the file.

refresh
[[To update displayed information with current data.]]

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes

In ,
glamart > hunted and pecked:
> Thanks Will - Certainly a neat work-around, but it sure would be
> nice to know what causes this problem? - especially since I have not
> had such a problem until SP2. Thanks for the response.
>
> "Will Denny" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Hi
>>
>> Please try the following link to Kelly's web site:
>>
>> Line 39 - right hand side
>> http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
>>
>> --
>>
>> Will Denny
>> MS-MVP - Windows Shell/User
>> Please reply to the News Groups
>>
>>
>> "glamart" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> For some reason, when I try to delete word processing files,
>>> spread sheet files, JPEG files, zip files etc., sometimes they
>>> delete and sometimes I get a message that the "file is in
>>> use...". Usually the second or third try will delete it.
>>> Sometimes I have to boot to command mode to delete these files.
>>> These files are not program files, systems files, etc., just
>>> files that I have created or downloaded for future use.
>>> Any thoughts - thanks!

[glamart]

Doesn't seem to help. Still can't delete files.
--

"Wesley Vogel" > wrote in message
...
> Try hitting the F5 key to Refresh, then try deleting the file.
>
> refresh
> [[To update displayed information with current data.]]
>
> --
> Hope this helps. Let us know.
> Wes
>
> In ,
> glamart > hunted and pecked:
>> Thanks Will - Certainly a neat work-around, but it sure would be
>> nice to know what causes this problem? - especially since I have
>> not
>> had such a problem until SP2. Thanks for the response.
>>
>> "Will Denny" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Hi
>>>
>>> Please try the following link to Kelly's web site:
>>>
>>> Line 39 - right hand side
>>> http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> Will Denny
>>> MS-MVP - Windows Shell/User
>>> Please reply to the News Groups
>>>
>>>
>>> "glamart" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> For some reason, when I try to delete word processing files,
>>>> spread sheet files, JPEG files, zip files etc., sometimes they
>>>> delete and sometimes I get a message that the "file is in
>>>> use...". Usually the second or third try will delete it.
>>>> Sometimes I have to boot to command mode to delete these files.
>>>> These files are not program files, systems files, etc., just
>>>> files that I have created or downloaded for future use.
>>>> Any thoughts - thanks!

[Alex Nichol]

glamart wrote:

>Thanks Will - Certainly a neat work-around, but it sure would be
>nice to know what causes this problem? - especially since I have not
>had such a problem until SP2. Thanks for the response.

The common case is AVI files, using especially the DivX codec, that came
out after XP did. And SP2 seems to have made Explorer more sensitive to
those; though there is not a new version of the codec that does not help
for files already in existence. What happens is the when you open a
folder of files that may contain additional 'metadata', such as
resolution; frame rate; Artist; copyright. . . Explorer dives in to
read that out so it can be used say in Properties. And with some files
it can get stuck; so that the program with the file in use is explorer
itself. You can normally delete them by either closing down explorer
(as in Kelly's suggestion) or doing a fresh boot and using a Command
Prompt delete without ever opening the folder concerned

You can stop explorer looking into AVI files for such information, which
cures the matter -
Start - run - regedit.exe, open to

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.avi\shel lex\PropertyHandler

highlight that and delete it

And similarly for other extensions if you have reproducible evidence of
this happening with them (I have not seen any)


--
Alex Nichol MS MVP (Windows Technologies)
Bournemouth, U.K. (remove the D8 bit)

[glamart]

"Alex Nichol" > wrote in message
...
> glamart wrote:
>
>>Thanks Will - Certainly a neat work-around, but it sure would be
>>nice to know what causes this problem? - especially since I have
>>not
>>had such a problem until SP2. Thanks for the response.
>
> The common case is AVI files, using especially the DivX codec,
> that came
> out after XP did. And SP2 seems to have made Explorer more
> sensitive to
> those; though there is not a new version of the codec that does
> not help
> for files already in existence. What happens is the when you open
> a
> folder of files that may contain additional 'metadata', such as
> resolution; frame rate; Artist; copyright. . . Explorer dives in
> to
> read that out so it can be used say in Properties. And with some
> files
> it can get stuck; so that the program with the file in use is
> explorer
> itself. You can normally delete them by either closing down
> explorer
> (as in Kelly's suggestion) or doing a fresh boot and using a
> Command
> Prompt delete without ever opening the folder concerned
>
> You can stop explorer looking into AVI files for such information,
> which
> cures the matter -
> Start - run - regedit.exe, open to
>
> HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.avi\shel lex\PropertyHandler
>
> highlight that and delete it
>
> And similarly for other extensions if you have reproducible
> evidence of
> this happening with them (I have not seen any)
>
>
> --
> Alex Nichol MS MVP (Windows Technologies)
> Bournemouth, U.K. (remove the D8 bit)

Thanks for the response Alex. I haven't tried to delete AVI files so
I haven't seen that problem. I can definitely close explorer or
boot to a command prompt to delete files. Also, there doesn't seem
to be any particular file type that will not delete, just about all,
randomly, at any given time. As I mentioned in an earlier post,
usually the second or third try will delete the file - but not
always.

This apparently isn't a common problem so I am experimenting with
sharing and permissions to find out if these may be an issue. Its
unfortunate that there isn't an easy way to uninstall explorer then
reinstall. It appears that explorer is opening file handles, then
not closing them, since closing explorer (as Kelly suggests) allows
file deletion 100% of the time.