Cannot Delete folder in WinXP pro

[ray123]

Hello. This has been driving me crazy but it only happens on my sisters computers using WinXP pro using Picasa (graphic program from goggle), as it has never happened to me. For some reason, I cannot delete a folder it created. The folder was originally created by Picasa. She has 2 folders that cannot be deleted now. It gives the message "Error copy file or folder--Cannot read from the source file or Disk" when I try to delete them. These 2 folders also cannot be copied to another external Hard drive or burned to CD. It will give the same message. When I helped her to reinstall, I did not create administative priviledges or passwords. I even rebooted in safe mode to to delete them. Going to properties did not help either. The folders had digital pictures in them and I had to drag over the pictures in the folder into another folder so that they could be moved and/or burned leaving the orginal folders empty. Now there are many other folders created by Picasa, at least 40 other folders now, which could be copied, deleted and/or burned. Any ideas on how to delete such folders? Wonder why they occur. These occurances makes it dificult for her to burn CD's, and then she get's confused. thank you

[rightcoast]

you could try deleting it from the command prompt. Lets say you need to delete only a file called c:\documents and settings\rightcoast\my documents\audio.mp3. Go to the prompt (run>cmd)

C:>cd c:\documents and settings\rightcoast\my documents
C:\documents and settings\rightcoast\my documents\>del audio.mp3

If its a folder you need to remove try changing to the parent folder, say its in picasas programfiles folder:
C:\>cd C:\program files\picasa
see what folder you want to delete with dir, this lists all the folders in there.
C:\>dir
C:\>rmdir foldername

do a bunch at once with:
C:>rmdir "directory" "directoryb" "directoryc"

that may do it. If not you could always try using moveonboot. http://www.snapfiles.com/get/moveonboot.html

[grcr99]

Use the Command Prompt:

You can usually use Windows' command prompt to delete these types of files. Follow the steps below:


Click Start > Run, and type "CMD" (without quotes). Leave the window open

Close all open programs

Open Task Manager either by pressing ctrl-alt-del, or clicking Start > Run > Taskmgr.exe

In Task Manager, go to the 'Processes' tab, and select 'End Task' for explorer.exe

Leave Task Manager open

Go back to the command prompt window, and navigate to the folder in which the file is by typing 'cd' (without quotes), followed by a folder name, until you are in the folder in which the file is

Type 'del', followed by "filename.extension". (All without quotes)

Go back to the Task Manager, click File > New Task. Then, type "explorer.exe"

Close Task Manager and the command prompt.


It is not always necessary to close explorer.exe from the Task Manager, however this can help to end processes that might be preventing you from deleting the file.

Boot into Safe Mode

For this solution, all that you need to do is press F8 during boot up, thereby booting your pc into safe mode. Hopefully, this will prevent processes from being run that are using the file in question. If F8 doesn't work for you, click Start > Run, and type 'msconfig'. Go to the BOOT.INI tab, and check '/SAFEBOOT' under Boot Options. After booting into safe mode, make sure you uncheck this box.

Once you are in safe mode, try and delete the file.

Use MoveOnBoot

If the previous two methods both fail, you can download the program http://www.snapfiles.com/get/moveonboot.html. What this program basically does is deletes the file for you on your next boot up, before any processes that use it may have a chance to load. Very rarely is this program unsuccessful.

Hopefully, through these three methods, you will be able to delete any files you'd like to, regardless of whether Windows wants you to or not.