Deleting files

  • Thread starter Thread starter muffkitten
  • Start date Start date
M

muffkitten

When I am working with a lot of files, e.g. images etc.... often when I
come to deleting them I get a message "Cannot delete, being used by
another person or program. Close any programs that might be using the
file and try again." I am quite sure that no other person is using the
file and I do not have it open in any other application. Is there a way
to avoid this incredibly irritating problem so that when I decide to
delete something I can acutally do this without Windows XP treating me
like an idiot and making unwanted decisions for me?!
 
Is there a way
to avoid this incredibly irritating problem so that when I decide to
delete something I can acutally do this without Windows XP treating me
like an idiot and making unwanted decisions for me?!
Click to expand...

Normally you can free up all files by restarting Windows.

You may also be able to delete files by going to Start/Run, then
entering "cmd", and then using the DOS command "del".

Bill Starbuck (MVP)
 
Thanks for the help. It all seems a bit tedious though. I was hoping for
some clever setting I could tweak that says "Delete when I say
delete....even if the *&#%$ Queen is using the file right now!!", but
alas that would give us far too much control over Windows.
 
I have exactly the same problem!!!
exempt i can't delete the thumbs.db files that windows automaticly generates
when dealing with image previews. So i cannot delet them, they remain stuck
in foldes wich i cannot move or change name.
oh, and the dos thing...dosent work.

please please please help
love
 
in that instance, where you have thumbs.db that you absolutely dont want
around, simply stop using thumbnails or set your computer up to not show the
hidden files. the thumbs.db is an empty file if there are no files to
thumbnail/reference, and is also individual to each separate folder you have
images in.

(e-mail address removed)
 
The thumbs.db file is generated by Windows. It is a
database file containing the small images displayed when you view a folder
in thumbnail view (as opposed to tile, icon, list, or detail view).

Thumbs.db file contains the thumbnails for a particular folder.

Windows XP uses a compressed database file (Thumbs.db) to increase
performance.

To get rid of Thumbs.db files...

Start | Run | Type: control folders | Click OK |
View tab | Check: Do not cache thumbnails |
Click Apply | Click OK

[[Disables automatic storage of folder thumbnails in a cache file. When you
store thumbnail images in a cache file, Windows can reuse them instead of
creating new ones every time you open a folder. If you disable this
automatic storage function, folders that contain thumbnails
might take longer to open.]]

If you use Thumbnail views a lot, you may want to UNCheck Do not cache
thumbnails.

To re-create the Thumbs.db file, click the folder whose contents you are
trying to view in Microsoft Windows Explorer, and then click Thumbnails on
the View menu.

Note: To see the Thumbs.db file, you must be able to view hidden files. To
view hidden files, click Folder Options on the View menu in Windows
Explorer, click the View tab, click Show All Files, and then click OK.


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
I can't find where to start a new msg i click on new then question but
nothing happens.My question is .When I delete thumbnails, instead of deleting
I get copies
Can anyone please help. I have loads of copies which happened before I
realised it

Wesley Vogel said:
The thumbs.db file is generated by Windows. It is a
database file containing the small images displayed when you view a folder
in thumbnail view (as opposed to tile, icon, list, or detail view).

Thumbs.db file contains the thumbnails for a particular folder.

Windows XP uses a compressed database file (Thumbs.db) to increase
performance.

To get rid of Thumbs.db files...

Start | Run | Type: control folders | Click OK |
View tab | Check: Â Do not cache thumbnails |
Click Apply | Click OK

[[Disables automatic storage of folder thumbnails in a cache file. When you
store thumbnail images in a cache file, Windows can reuse them instead of
creating new ones every time you open a folder. If you disable this
automatic storage function, folders that contain thumbnails
might take longer to open.]]

If you use Thumbnail views a lot, you may want to UNCheck Do not cache
thumbnails.

To re-create the Thumbs.db file, click the folder whose contents you are
trying to view in Microsoft Windows Explorer, and then click Thumbnails on
the View menu.

Note: To see the Thumbs.db file, you must be able to view hidden files. To
view hidden files, click Folder Options on the View menu in Windows
Explorer, click the View tab, click Show All Files, and then click OK.


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
flay said:
I have exactly the same problem!!!
exempt i can't delete the thumbs.db files that windows automaticly
generates when dealing with image previews. So i cannot delet them, they
remain stuck in foldes wich i cannot move or change name.
oh, and the dos thing...dosent work.

please please please help
love
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Hi,

It happens because you are dragging the images once they have been selected.
To avoid this duplication, avoid dragging the selected image files.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

0isky said:
I can't find where to start a new msg i click on new then question but
nothing happens.My question is .When I delete thumbnails, instead of
deleting
I get copies
Can anyone please help. I have loads of copies which happened before I
realised it

Wesley Vogel said:
The thumbs.db file is generated by Windows. It is a
database file containing the small images displayed when you view a
folder
in thumbnail view (as opposed to tile, icon, list, or detail view).

Thumbs.db file contains the thumbnails for a particular folder.

Windows XP uses a compressed database file (Thumbs.db) to increase
performance.

To get rid of Thumbs.db files...

Start | Run | Type: control folders | Click OK |
View tab | Check: Â Do not cache thumbnails |
Click Apply | Click OK

[[Disables automatic storage of folder thumbnails in a cache file. When
you
store thumbnail images in a cache file, Windows can reuse them instead of
creating new ones every time you open a folder. If you disable this
automatic storage function, folders that contain thumbnails
might take longer to open.]]

If you use Thumbnail views a lot, you may want to UNCheck Do not cache
thumbnails.

To re-create the Thumbs.db file, click the folder whose contents you are
trying to view in Microsoft Windows Explorer, and then click Thumbnails
on
the View menu.

Note: To see the Thumbs.db file, you must be able to view hidden files.
To
view hidden files, click Folder Options on the View menu in Windows
Explorer, click the View tab, click Show All Files, and then click OK.


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
flay said:
I have exactly the same problem!!!
exempt i can't delete the thumbs.db files that windows automaticly
generates when dealing with image previews. So i cannot delet them,
they
remain stuck in foldes wich i cannot move or change name.
oh, and the dos thing...dosent work.

please please please help
love
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
0isky said:
I can't find where to start a new msg i click on new then question but
nothing happens.
Click to expand...

The reason you're having such problems is that you are using the web
interface to read this newsgroup--it's the slowest, clunkiest, most
error-prone method there is. Do yourself a favor and switch to a newsreader,
such as Outlook Express, which comes with Windows.

See http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm


My question is .When I delete thumbnails, instead of
deleting I get copies
Can anyone please help. I have loads of copies which happened before I
realised it
Click to expand...


Be careful not to accidentally move the mouse and drag when you click on the
thumbnail.
 
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