how to delete a shared exe file while its in use ?

[sea_lover]

hi every one.

i have a shared exe on a windows 2003 domain server. this exe is the
program that is used by our corporate users. we have more than 200
user.

periodically we update this file from the server by removing it and
pasting the new exe.

The problem is that the delete process sometimes succeeds and sometime
fails with the known msg "Access denied, the file is in use ...".
though the file is in use by other users all the time.

any one knows why this happens ... i need to be able to replace the
file all the time.

P.S: I noticed that the replacement succeeds when the number of users
who has opened the file are less than 50. using NET FILE command.

Thanks in advance

 

[John Wunderlich]

hi every one.

i have a shared exe on a windows 2003 domain server. this exe is
the program that is used by our corporate users. we have more than
200 user.

periodically we update this file from the server by removing it
and pasting the new exe.

The problem is that the delete process sometimes succeeds and
sometime fails with the known msg "Access denied, the file is in
use ...". though the file is in use by other users all the time.

any one knows why this happens ... i need to be able to replace
the file all the time.

P.S: I noticed that the replacement succeeds when the number of
users who has opened the file are less than 50. using NET FILE
command.

Thanks in advance

"How to replace currently locked files with Inuse.exe"
<http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;228930>

HTH,
John

 

[Guest]

What you are trying to accomplish isn't possible since the file is in use and
it would be a sharing violation if you could overwrite the file. As you can
see from the resolution John sent below the overwrite doesn't take affect
until you reboot. Well if you have to reboot anyway you would have time to
drag and drop the file before a user logged back on anyway.
I have a similar situation with needing to occassionally overwrite an inuse
executable. Since mine is on a terminal server and not a shared directory, I
simply send a message to all users and ask them to log off for a minute to
update the program. They are usually compliant and I can overwrite the
program as soon as they are out of the application. Another alternative is to
load the new application into a different directory and point them to that
directory via a config file which the program from the client knows to look
at each time they log on. Not sure what points your users to the program to
begin with but you could probably come up with a way to guide them to a new
directory and ask the remainder to logout for a minute while you update. I
used to copy the new exe to my desktop to speed up dragging it into it's new
home. I always retained a copy of the older version just in case there was a
problem. Hope this helps
Bob