Undeletable files- can anyone help
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 294
Likes: 0
From: Melbourne, oz
Undeletable files- can anyone help
hello all,
My daughter was playing with my laptop and was downloading 2 rather large music files which she has stored in our "my music "folder.
These files can't be opened - nor can they be deleted. If I right click the "delete" option does not come up - nor can I drag and drop into another folder and delete that. I have up to date virus protection which tells me the files contain no nasties- as does ad aware. Is there any way I can remove them.
My daughter tells me she actually aborted the downloads towards the end as they were entire albums and were taking ages.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
My daughter was playing with my laptop and was downloading 2 rather large music files which she has stored in our "my music "folder.
These files can't be opened - nor can they be deleted. If I right click the "delete" option does not come up - nor can I drag and drop into another folder and delete that. I have up to date virus protection which tells me the files contain no nasties- as does ad aware. Is there any way I can remove them.
My daughter tells me she actually aborted the downloads towards the end as they were entire albums and were taking ages.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 228
Likes: 0
From: Middle of nowhere
Have you tried highlighting the files and pressing shift-delete? Hold shift and press delete at the same time.
Sometimes windows (I'm assuming this is a windows system) gets a bit confused about file permissions so:
Use an administrator account to try to delete if you are not already doing so.
Try the delete again after the machine has been turned off an on-sometimes this helps, sometimes not.
I have only once had a 'stuck' file that absolutely nobody could remove-even IT pros. It was removed when I (for another reason) reinstalled the operating system: it's certainly not worth the hardship of reinstalling the operating system for an undeletable file!
B
Sometimes windows (I'm assuming this is a windows system) gets a bit confused about file permissions so:
Use an administrator account to try to delete if you are not already doing so.
Try the delete again after the machine has been turned off an on-sometimes this helps, sometimes not.
I have only once had a 'stuck' file that absolutely nobody could remove-even IT pros. It was removed when I (for another reason) reinstalled the operating system: it's certainly not worth the hardship of reinstalling the operating system for an undeletable file!
B
Hippopotomonstrosesquipidelian title
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,825
Likes: 1
From: is everything
Easiest way: reboot & try again. Close any running applications (especially anything that monitors the music folder) and try again.
If that fails, on the assumption you're using XP, you can try this "it it wiv an ammer" approach:
Close everything you can.
Start Task Manager (ctrl-shift-esc) and select the Applications tab. Close anything that's in there. Try to delete the files again. Still in Task Manager, select the Processes tab.
Open a command window (Run... cmd)
In the command window, change directories to the one with the target files (do a "DIR" to confirm you're in the right place)
In Task Manager, highlight "explorer.exe" and click the End Process button.
At the command prompt in the cmd window, delete the files ( DEL filename). Whether they delete or not, carry on with the next step.
In Task Manager, select "File", "New Task", enter "explorer.exe" (no quotes).
At this point, you're either happy or unhappy. If the latter, it weren't my fault
If that fails, on the assumption you're using XP, you can try this "it it wiv an ammer" approach:
Close everything you can.
Start Task Manager (ctrl-shift-esc) and select the Applications tab. Close anything that's in there. Try to delete the files again. Still in Task Manager, select the Processes tab.
Open a command window (Run... cmd)
In the command window, change directories to the one with the target files (do a "DIR" to confirm you're in the right place)
In Task Manager, highlight "explorer.exe" and click the End Process button.
At the command prompt in the cmd window, delete the files ( DEL filename). Whether they delete or not, carry on with the next step.
In Task Manager, select "File", "New Task", enter "explorer.exe" (no quotes).
At this point, you're either happy or unhappy. If the latter, it weren't my fault
Hmmmyeah
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 652
Likes: 0
From: Leopardess.
Just a thought, but might it be that since the downloads were cancelled part way through, as far as Windoze is concerned they're 'in use' by any download management software which loads at system start up and which is then waiting to resume them?
If you have any such software, try finding the files via it and, if they're listed there as pending, cancel them and then try again to delete.
Alternatively, boot to safe mode and try to delete them. It's quick and easy to try and often does the trick.
If you have any such software, try finding the files via it and, if they're listed there as pending, cancel them and then try again to delete.
Alternatively, boot to safe mode and try to delete them. It's quick and easy to try and often does the trick.
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,694
Likes: 15
From: Wellington,NZ
If the above fails, or you want to try something simple first,check that their names are in characters your installation of windows recognizes. If not (eg, odd characters, or foreign fonts, maybe not installed on your computer) rename them, then delete.
'nother poss option: open the (p2p?) application used to download them. Navigate to the library of stored files in that program. Delete them from there. Might work. Should work. Well, it has with me.
'nother poss option: open the (p2p?) application used to download them. Navigate to the library of stored files in that program. Delete them from there. Might work. Should work. Well, it has with me.
Per Ardua ad Astraeus
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 18,575
Likes: 4
From: UK
priapism - you may not actually have the same problem as Mostafa.
If you can right click on the files, can you tell us
1) Which Operating system you are using?
2) What the 'properties' of one of the files is? (right click option)
3) Which programme they were being downloaded in?
4) What the letters/numbers after the 'dot' at the end of a file name are?
If you can right click on the files, can you tell us
1) Which Operating system you are using?
2) What the 'properties' of one of the files is? (right click option)
3) Which programme they were being downloaded in?
4) What the letters/numbers after the 'dot' at the end of a file name are?
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 425
Likes: 0
From: UK
Try this (free).....
http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/
Once unlocked (if it was) deletion should not subsequently be a problem.
NB: There is also a 'file delete' facility for files jammed in the Windows memory under Config... > Misc Tools, in HijackThis
(see bottom image on this link; third button down under 'System Tools': Delete a file on reboot...)
http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/
Once unlocked (if it was) deletion should not subsequently be a problem.
NB: There is also a 'file delete' facility for files jammed in the Windows memory under Config... > Misc Tools, in HijackThis
(see bottom image on this link; third button down under 'System Tools': Delete a file on reboot...)
