2 Stupid Files!!!

[Sharif]

I'm trying to delete these Illustrator files... which arent even being used, but keeps telling me access is denied because the files are in use... BY WHO? GOD?

Is there any way to force delete these files? Or at least find out which mysterious program is using them?

[ComputerNut]

Have you tried booting in safe mode and deleting the files from there?

HTH,
CN

[macko72]

http://www.softwarepatch.com/software/moveonboot.html

MoveOnBoot allows you to Move, Copy or Delete files before Windows can lock or alter the files.

[wilcopshot]

I have had files that move on boot doesnt touch..spybot can't shred and that no program is ever using. I used dos to get rid of it. If the above fail tell me and i'll explain how to delete through dos

[HyperTF]

Trusty old DOS (well not true DOS of course) works for me too in most instances.

[wilcopshot]

even if ms-dos prompt doesnt work i have a 98 startup disk placed majesticly on a gold pedastle being worshipped by thousands of commandlinealumpas waiting for its chance to work its all seeing all knowing all powefull magic on a nearby system. Brings a tear my eye.. or maybe i got something stuck in my eye. oh NO..a GUI!

[HyperTF]

I have a 98 startup disk sitting on my webspace for emergencies... but tell me, given you have to reboot to the floppy drive and fire it up... how does it work with NTFS?

To explain, I actually posted a link to my file here last night, but thought I would test it first, but when I did, I couldn't change drives from A: to C:... the only reason I could think of is that my C: drive is formatted with NTFS file format, so the trusty old 'true dos' could not understand the different file format it was trying to read and failed. I know the pretend DOS in windows XP can regardless... try it yourself.

Anyway, I had to delete a file yesterday that normal delete methods could not do but cmd or command did the trick yet again....

Sharif, FYI if you open windows explorer and locate the file you are having trouble deleteing, then go to the run menu option from the start button, type in cmd and when the little dos window opens, type in del followed by a space... then drag and drop the actual file from windows explorer into the dos window. You should see the full path displayed to the actual file you are trying to delete... once you are sure it looks right, press enter... it hopefully will delete.

[jeeter2]

I had this problem in WinXP and I moved the files to a DVD using packetwriteing software (Incd) Windows wouldnt me delete them there either but it let me reformat the DVD.

Try that and see if it works.

[wilcopshot]

having not used my 98 start up disk since the days of xp i had'nt realised this. good point. Guess its finally redundant. SOB. As for the ms-dos prompt drag and drop tip. i never realised that. thats gonna save me a lot of time in the fufure. cheers HyperTF!

Greg

[ffreeloader]

Have you tried the recovery console? If not, install the recovery console and boot to it. You should be able to delete just about anything on c: drive.

If you're running XP home I don't know if it's available on it or not, but if it's not, it's just one more reason to never buy XP home or a computer with it installed, imo.

[submaster]

Originally Posted by Sharif I'm trying to delete these Illustrator files... which arent even being used, but keeps telling me access is denied because the files are in use... BY WHO? GOD? Is there any way to force delete these files? Or at least find out which mysterious program is using them?

Iam sure those files are ....dll . You could use software to delete them or try to move them to other folder and delete (moved, restart then delete)
Or find any files with name .dll, and rename it likes page1 (without .dll) and then u could delete them.

[Sharif]

Going in through safe mode did the trick...