Can't Delete or Move Folder

[sawalkers]

XP Home, SP2 w/latest update, Cable connection.

I'm having a problem deleting and moving folders. It
doesn't matter if it is an empty folder that I made and
didn't use or if it is a program folder that I have
uninstalled, when I try to delete or move it to storage,
I get a message telling me 'someone is using it or it is
being used by another program.' For my requested action
to take place, I must restart my computer.

Action I've taken: Checked Task Manager to see if the
folder or program was open. Checked to see if other
programs depend upon it or are using it. Negative in all
cases.

Can anyone help me with this problem?

SS

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, SS.

Maybe the "someone" who is using the folder is Windows Explorer itself. :^[

Close all Explorer windows. Then open a "DOS" window. Navigate to the
parent of your rogue folder and use the rd (Remove Directory) command with
the /s switch (to Include Subdirectories):
rd <foldername> /s

You might need to reboot into Safe Mode to be sure that no program is using
the folder.

If that doesn't work, post back with exactly what you did and exactly what
result you saw.

RC

 

[johnf]

I've seen this reply many times, but started off with W95 & have never had
the need to delve into DOS instructions.
Could you please give an example as to how to proceed "Navigate sequence"?
An example may be an undeletable folder in My Documents on my C-drive named
"OVELAN6J", which contains a 0B file called "search[1]."

--

johnf

Hi, SS.

Maybe the "someone" who is using the folder is Windows Explorer itself.
:^[
Close all Explorer windows. Then open a "DOS" window. Navigate to the
parent of your rogue folder and use the rd (Remove Directory) command
with the /s switch (to Include Subdirectories):
rd <foldername> /s

You might need to reboot into Safe Mode to be sure that no program is
using the folder.

If that doesn't work, post back with exactly what you did and exactly
what result you saw.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP

XP Home, SP2 w/latest update, Cable connection.

I'm having a problem deleting and moving folders. It
doesn't matter if it is an empty folder that I made and
didn't use or if it is a program folder that I have
uninstalled, when I try to delete or move it to storage,
I get a message telling me 'someone is using it or it is
being used by another program.' For my requested action
to take place, I must restart my computer.

Action I've taken: Checked Task Manager to see if the
folder or program was open. Checked to see if other
programs depend upon it or are using it. Negative in all
cases.

Can anyone help me with this problem?

SS

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Go to http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_abc.htm, select "D" at the top, and
scroll down to Delete - Can't Delete Files or Folders.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

I've seen this reply many times, but started off with W95 & have never had
the need to delve into DOS instructions.
Could you please give an example as to how to proceed "Navigate sequence"?
An example may be an undeletable folder in My Documents on my C-drive
named "OVELAN6J", which contains a 0B file called "search[1]."

--

johnf

Hi, SS.

Maybe the "someone" who is using the folder is Windows Explorer itself.
:^[
Close all Explorer windows. Then open a "DOS" window. Navigate to the
parent of your rogue folder and use the rd (Remove Directory) command
with the /s switch (to Include Subdirectories):
rd <foldername> /s

You might need to reboot into Safe Mode to be sure that no program is
using the folder.

If that doesn't work, post back with exactly what you did and exactly
what result you saw.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP

XP Home, SP2 w/latest update, Cable connection.

I'm having a problem deleting and moving folders. It
doesn't matter if it is an empty folder that I made and
didn't use or if it is a program folder that I have
uninstalled, when I try to delete or move it to storage,
I get a message telling me 'someone is using it or it is
being used by another program.' For my requested action
to take place, I must restart my computer.

Action I've taken: Checked Task Manager to see if the
folder or program was open. Checked to see if other
programs depend upon it or are using it. Negative in all
cases.

Can anyone help me with this problem?

SS

 

[Guest]

Yikes, R.C., Hope you're ready for this. I need
step-by-step directions. You see, I've never used DOS
except to type in something my IPS told me to do. Should
it look like this: rd New Folder /s ('New Folder' is an
empty folder I made and decided I didn't need)?

SS

-----Original Message-----
Hi, SS.

Maybe the "someone" who is using the folder is Windows Explorer itself. :^[

Close all Explorer windows. Then open a "DOS" window. Navigate to the
parent of your rogue folder and use the rd (Remove Directory) command with
the /s switch (to Include Subdirectories):
rd <foldername> /s

You might need to reboot into Safe Mode to be sure that no program is using
the folder.

If that doesn't work, post back with exactly what you did and exactly what
result you saw.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP

XP Home, SP2 w/latest update, Cable connection.

I'm having a problem deleting and moving folders. It
doesn't matter if it is an empty folder that I made and
didn't use or if it is a program folder that I have
uninstalled, when I try to delete or move it to storage,
I get a message telling me 'someone is using it or it is
being used by another program.' For my requested action
to take place, I must restart my computer.

Action I've taken: Checked Task Manager to see if the
folder or program was open. Checked to see if other
programs depend upon it or are using it. Negative in all
cases.

Can anyone help me with this problem?

SS

.

 

[sawalkers]

-----Original Message-----
Yikes, R.C., Hope you're ready for this. I need
step-by-step directions. You see, I've never used DOS
except to type in something my IPS told me to do. Should
it look like this: rd New Folder /s ('New Folder' is an
empty folder I made and decided I didn't need)?

SS

Had to put quotation marks around "New Folder," however, it
worked! Thanks loads! I appreciate your help.

SS

-----Original Message-----
Hi, SS.

Maybe the "someone" who is using the folder is Windows Explorer itself. :^[

Close all Explorer windows. Then open a "DOS" window. Navigate to the
parent of your rogue folder and use the rd (Remove Directory) command with
the /s switch (to Include Subdirectories):
rd <foldername> /s

You might need to reboot into Safe Mode to be sure that no program is using
the folder.

If that doesn't work, post back with exactly what you did and exactly what
result you saw.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP

XP Home, SP2 w/latest update, Cable connection.

I'm having a problem deleting and moving folders. It
doesn't matter if it is an empty folder that I made and
didn't use or if it is a program folder that I have
uninstalled, when I try to delete or move it to storage,
I get a message telling me 'someone is using it or it is
being used by another program.' For my requested action
to take place, I must restart my computer.

Action I've taken: Checked Task Manager to see if the
folder or program was open. Checked to see if other
programs depend upon it or are using it. Negative in all
cases.

Can anyone help me with this problem?

SS

.

.

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, SS.

Thanks for the report back. I'm glad it worked. It usually does, but...

Any time we are working in the "DOS" window, we have to observe some rules.
(I enclose "DOS" in quotes to emphasize that this is only an emulation of
MS-DOS that runs in WinXP, and not true MS-DOS.) One of those rules is
that, if we are dealing with a filename (including a folder name) that is
not a legal 8.3 filename, we must include the entire pathname in quotes.
One such illegal character that is frequently encountered is the space, such
as in "New Folder".

I'm glad you figured it out. ;<)

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP

Yikes, R.C., Hope you're ready for this. I need
step-by-step directions. You see, I've never used DOS
except to type in something my IPS told me to do. Should
it look like this: rd New Folder /s ('New Folder' is an
empty folder I made and decided I didn't need)?

SS

Had to put quotation marks around "New Folder," however, it
worked! Thanks loads! I appreciate your help.

SS

Hi, SS.

Maybe the "someone" who is using the folder is Windows Explorer itself. :^[

Close all Explorer windows. Then open a "DOS" window. Navigate to the
parent of your rogue folder and use the rd (Remove Directory) command with
the /s switch (to Include Subdirectories):
rd <foldername> /s

You might need to reboot into Safe Mode to be sure that no program is using
the folder.

If that doesn't work, post back with exactly what you did and exactly what
result you saw.

RC

XP Home, SP2 w/latest update, Cable connection.

I'm having a problem deleting and moving folders. It
doesn't matter if it is an empty folder that I made and
didn't use or if it is a program folder that I have
uninstalled, when I try to delete or move it to storage,
I get a message telling me 'someone is using it or it is
being used by another program.' For my requested action
to take place, I must restart my computer.

Action I've taken: Checked Task Manager to see if the
folder or program was open. Checked to see if other
programs depend upon it or are using it. Negative in all
cases.

Can anyone help me with this problem?

SS