There are two files on my computer that I can't delete. The two files are the .exe files of Norton diskedit and an old program called Pctools. I got these programs to try to recover some data off of a damaged floppy damaged (unsuccessfully). they are both dos based programs that run through a command window in Windows. When I try to delete them, it tells me "another program or person is using this file; close any program that might be using it and try again". I've searched these forums and read a lot of methods for deleting files. Here's what I've tried so far: 1) closing explorer.exe in the ctrl+alt+del screen, then trying to delete the file in the browse window. 2) starting windows in safe mode and trying to delete them 3) unplugged my network (internet) cable, in case that was using the file. 4) combinations of these methods 5) tried a program called Process Explorer that shows the current processes and what programs they have a "handle" on, then closing the handle on the program and trying to delete. All of these have been unsuccessful. Does anybody have any other ideas? I've never had this problem before.

The are probably loading at start up. If you go to the Start button select RUN when the window appears Type msconfig Another menu appears select the STARTUP tab Unselect the boxes that contain the programs you are trying to delete. However do this only if they are not listed in your ADD/REMOVE programs window in the control Panel.

I don't think I see them under the startup menu in msconfig. here's what I have under startup menu: 1) Vet Tray - eztrust antivirus 2) PNSetup - popup blocker 3) PopNot - Popup Blocker 4) NVCpl - Command: Rundll32.exe C:windows\system32... 5)MicrosoftOfice.ink 6)Registration InstantCopy.ink Do these all look normal? I know antivirus and the popupblocker are normal.

Here is a tip from Kelly's Korner: Delete - Can't Delete Files or Folders Checkpoints/workarounds: Test the Delete after each suggestion. 1. Go to Start/Run/CMD and type in: RD /S [drive:] path 2. Open Notepad and save the (blank) file with the name of the undeletable file. Under save as, navigate to the file, delete. 3. Move the file into a new directory and then delete the directory. 4. Close all open apps. Open a command prompt (Start/Run/CMD) and navigate to the directory with the offending file(s). Then open the Task Manager and click on the Processes tab, select "explorer.exe" under Image Name. Click "End Process". In the opened Command Prompt, DEL the offending files (DEL *.mpg, DEL mus*.avi, DEL test.wmv, etc.) Once done, go back to the task manager and click on the Applications tab. Click the "New Task..." button. in the dialog, type explorer.exe and click OK.

More here . Delete "Unremovable" File . http://www.xs4all.nl/~laar2002/tweak/delete-unremovable-file.html 1) Open a Command Prompt window and leave it open. 2) Close all open programs. 3) Click Start > Run and enter TASKMGR.exe 4) Go to the Processes tab and End Process on Explorer.exe. 5) Leave Task Manager open. 6) Go back to the Command Prompt window and change to the directory the undeletable file is located in. 7) At the command prompt type DEL where is the file you wish to delete. 8) Go back to Task Manager, click File, New Task and enter EXPLORER.exe to restart the GUI shell. 9) Close Task Manager. Another way . Delete undeletable files http://rogier.xszone.nl/windows/wintricks.html 1) Close all open programs. 2) Open a Command Prompt window. 3) Close Explorer.exe from the task manager (ctrl-shift-esc), leave Task Manager open. 4) Navigate to the folder with the undeletable file(s) in the command prompt window with the cd command. 5) Delete the file with del filename.ext 6) Reopen explorer.exe from the taskmanager. ===================================== You Cannot Delete a File or a Folder http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320081 ====================================== Remove Empty Folders (RmEmpty) http://kickme.to/OTBSoft/ Script Ready Logo . This symbol means the program is designed to run in a completely automated fashion using command line parameters and/or configuration files. Recommended for use in batch files and scripts. Unless otherwise noted, all programs below were designed to run on Windows 9x, Me, NT40, 2000, and XP. Because they're all 32 bit applications, none of the programs below will run under MS-DOS. Remove Empty Folders (RmEmpty) 1.2 Free rmemp12.zip (36 Kb) A console mode utility that recursively deletes only empty folders. Great for clearing out all those junk directories you have laying around. Will NOT delete files, or folders that have files in them. Only empty folders (or folders containing nothing but other empty folders) are removed. ================================== http://www.windowsxpatoz.com/cgi-bin/performance/index.cgi?answer=1050716977&id=1036282433 Delete/Modify "Locked Files" The XP bug that sometimes locks files (mostly AVI's) can be overcome quite easily. When XP refuses to delete/modify a file; simply jump into the command prompt (Start>Run>"cmd") and modify the file from there. Windows-DOS seems to work around this bug. No need to wade through complex procedures for this one. ===================================== Delete an Undeletable File in Windows XP http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm Permission Denied - When Trying to Delete Folders/Files http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_d.htm#del Windows Explorer/Tools/Folder Options/View/Unmark "Use Simple File Sharing". Right click the folder/file in question/Properties/Security/Advanced/Owner/Set Permissions. HOW TO: Set, View, Change, or Remove File and Folder Permissions http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_abc.htm http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q308/4/18.asp ---------------- CopyLock http://www.noeld.com/dlmisc.htm#copylock [Windows 9x/Me/NT/2000/XP] PAD CopyLock is a small program that allows the replacement or the deletion of one or many files that are currently in use (e.g. the system files like comctl32.dll.) Add the files to update, click Replace, restart and that's it! You can also list and edit the pending operations from the system after you ran an installer. Disclaimer: you can crash your system or make it unbootable if you are not careful, use at your own risk. ======================================== http://www.webattack.com/get/moveonboot.shtml http://www.softnews.ro/public/cat/13/4/13-4-17.shtml MoveOnBoot - move or delete files on next reboot MoveOnBoot allows you to copiy, moves or delete files on the next system boot. This comes in very handy, if you need to replace or delete files which are locked by other applications, loaded into memory or cannot be changed until next system boot. You could manually enter a line to the wininit files, but using MoveOnBoot is much simpler, since the program can be integrated into shell - it creates the "Copy/Move/Delete on boot" context menu item. License: Freeware Price: Free Windows: 98/ME/NT/2000/XP ================================= http://www.sover.net/~whoi/WinUtils1.html http://www.csc.calpoly.edu/%7Ebfriesen/software/files/bdel32.zip BusyDelete BusyDelete will delete files even if they are busy. The file(s) you specify will be marked for deletion. Then the next time you reboot your system the Operating System will delete the file(s). For example BDEL ATL.DLL will delete the file during the next reboot. ================================ DiamondCS DelLater http://www.all4you.dk/FreewareWorld/links.php?page=4&cat=014 http://www.diamondcs.com.au/index.php?page=dellater It's free, it's tiny, it's open source, it's easy to use, and it can delete files for you when all else fails. So what is it? DiamondCS DelLater is a simple program that uses the only method that Microsoft recommend to delete files that are in use. This method is based on documentation from Microsoft that describes a function called MoveFileEx, and DelLater has been carefully designed to be technically accurate to the guidelines set forth in the article. Interestingly, this is the technique used by anti-virus scanners when they're unable to delete a file (such as a trojan) because it's in use. Although the MoveFileEx function isn't supported under Windows 95/98/ME, the article does describe how to implement the same functionality, which DelLater does. Don't worry if you don't understand the Microsoft article as DelLater simplifies everything. DelLater is the ideal program to use when you can't delete a file, no matter how hard you try. This is usually because an active process has an open handle to the file which prevents it from being deleted. Normally if you close down all running programs you'll find that most files will then be free to delete, but that's not always the case, and in some cases it may even be a trojan that's preventing itself from being deleted. To DelLater A File... 1. Run dellater.exe <filename> 2. Reboot (whenever you like). That's all that's required. After rebooting and logging in you'll be able to see that the file you specified is no longer there. ================================= WhoLockMe Explorer Extension (NT-Win2K-XP) http://www.dr-hoiby.com/WhoLockMe/ Have you ever bored by this Windows message : "Error Deleting File or Folder, ... There has been a sharing violation. The source or destination file may be in use.", when you try to delete, move or rename a file ? WhoLockMe is a little extension for your Microsoft Explorer. It permits you to list all the processes locking your selected file. =============================== Two other ways to try . Try moving the folder to C: & from Explorer delete the file . Try booting to Safe Mode & removing . ======================================== DELETING FILES . If you're having trouble deleting a file , first make sure the application isn't active ( open ). Then, right-click on the file & select Properties to determine if the file has a System attribute box checked . If that's the case, and you're sure the file is no longer needed by Windows or some other program, you may find it easier to delete it in DOS . Open the DOS Command prompt by going to Start|Run and type "command" ( without quotes ) in the Open field and click OK . At the prompt , type (without quotes) "attrib -r -h -s c:\somefile" substituting the actual file name for "somefile" . This removes the hidden, read-only, and system attibutes from the file . Then , to delete , type "del c:\somefile", again without quotes & with the correct file name replacing "somefile" & press Enter . If that doesn't delete the file , type "deltree c:\somefile" or "remdir c:\somefile" , without quotes and using the correct file name & press Enter . ======================================== Try running scandisk http://users.iafrica.com/c/cq/cquirke/scandisk.htm or chkdsk http://www.activewin.com/winxp/tips/basic/3.shtml http://www.ultratech-llc.com/KB/ASP/FileView.asp?File=/KB/ScanDisk.TXT ----- In dos , locate the directory using dir/x to display the 'short' dos directory names . http://gracie.santarosa.edu/~eric/cmdline/T02Topics.html Using Advanced Command Line Switches This section builds on the previous section, presenting sort order parameters for the /O switch, using the /X switch to display short filenames, and displaying files and directories according to their attributes with the /A switch. If the directory is empty , simpy use: rd directoryname and this will 'remove directory' Example: Directory name: Painintheass may translate in dos as: 'painin~1' So command is: rd painin~1 If the directory is not empty: cd painin~1 del . cd.. rd painin~1

Here a simple one. start computer with ms-dos and delete the file.

Get MoveOnBoot from google. It dels the files before windows loads them. Rgds.