Cant delete a file on my desktop

[Bible John]

My Compaq Armada 1700's hard drive crashed. So I have been using my Windows
XP desktop as place to outsource the files too. I have been able to
retrieve much of the data, but the rest will have to be re-installed from
CD's or the Internet.

I downloaded a file from the Internet called SP11409.exe. I have not
launched this app, because I only copied it to a floppy disk and then
launched it on he Compaq laptop which runs Windows 98. But know for reasons
unknown I cannot delete this file on my XP desktop. It keeps on telling me
that the file is in use. I have even booted into safe mode and still the
file cant be deleted.

I've had problems like this in Windows 9.x, and they usually could be fixed
by booting into DOS, or by booting with a floppy. But in Windows XP I cant
boot into DOS, nor can I boot from a floppy. I did try booting into the Safe
Mode command prompt, but its horribly slow. My old Pentium II 266 Compaq
Armada is tons faster with the safe mode command prompt. I am told by DOS
experts that Windows XP runs a DOS emulator and is not running native DOS
like what Windows 98 did.

So I just wonder how to delete this file. Its not a problem, its just
annoying seeing this file on my desktop and having no way to eliminate it.


Thanks,


John

--
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[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

Your friends are correct, there is no underlying DOS, only an emulator. Try
this: Hit ctrl+shift+escape to open Task Manager, then kill explorer.exe on
the processes tab. Now on the applications tab click new task and run CMD to
open the emulator. Go to your desktop folder (%userprofile%\desktop) and DEL
the file from there. Then close the command prompt and run explorer.exe from
the new task prompt to restart the Windows shell.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Bible John]

That did it. Thanks! But how do files get corrupted like this?

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

Could be any number of ways, but usually what you are seeing occurs when
either a program or the Windows shell does not release the file properly. It
gets hung up and the file is constantly seen as being in use. The trick is
to disable whatever the system thinks is using it.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org