Utility to delete files Windows Explorer won't recognize.

[ceed]

Hi,

I sometimes have problems with files that have long names and/or contains
certain characters (often files from large rar archives when unpacked).
These files can't be deleted from Windows Explorer and can't be opened or
renamed. I have only found one program that can delete them: "Delete FXP
Files" (http://www.jrtwine.com/Products/DelFXPFiles/) which isn't
freeware. Does anyone know if there are freeware utilitys around that will
delete these (and other kinds of locked files)? Please note that it
doesn't help to reboot to delete these files.

 

[Paul Woodsford]

Have you tried deleting them via the command prompt?
If your HD file system is Fat32, booting up with a dos disk could be another
route to take.

 

[REM]

ceed <ceed@abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijk.com> wrote:

I sometimes have problems with files that have long names and/or contains
certain characters (often files from large rar archives when unpacked).
These files can't be deleted from Windows Explorer and can't be opened or
renamed. I have only found one program that can delete them: "Delete FXP
Files" (http://www.jrtwine.com/Products/DelFXPFiles/) which isn't
freeware. Does anyone know if there are freeware utilitys around that will
delete these (and other kinds of locked files)? Please note that it
doesn't help to reboot to delete these files.

I've had similar problems before. If the filename is illegal it cannot
be selected for deletion and command prompt wildcards don't work
either.

One time this happened while I was trying out a disk wipe utility
before putting it up for download on my BBS. The power flickered, I
had no UPS at the time, and I was left with a huge illegally named
directory full of illegally named subdirs. That was a long time ago
and I ended up formatting and reinstalling to reclaim my drive space


A freeware utility that can delete illegally named files and
directories will be very useful.

Short of that, I wonder if using a hex editor to change the first byte
of the file or directory to a null character (or whatever del changes
it to) would work?

 

[ceed]

I've had similar problems before. If the filename is illegal it cannot
be selected for deletion and command prompt wildcards don't work
either.

Nope, trying to delete them from a command prompt doesn't work either for
these kind of files.

One time this happened while I was trying out a disk wipe utility
before putting it up for download on my BBS. The power flickered, I
had no UPS at the time, and I was left with a huge illegally named
directory full of illegally named subdirs. That was a long time ago
and I ended up formatting and reinstalling to reclaim my drive space

The shareware program mentioned in my initial posting works great for
these files. They get deleted without problems.

A freeware utility that can delete illegally named files and
directories will be very useful.

Sure would, but I guess this is one of those situations where it's worth
paying....

 

[namtog]

Greetings,

Delete FXP has a free version. From the website;
The Free Edition has the basic deletion capability, but is limited to 5
deletion operations per invocation/launch of the application. You can
shutdown and re-launch the application to get another 5 deletions.

Namtog

 

[ceed]

Greetings,

Delete FXP has a free version. From the website;
The Free Edition has the basic deletion capability, but is limited to 5
deletion operations per invocation/launch of the application. You can
shutdown and re-launch the application to get another 5 deletions.

Yes, that's how I used it. But with a lot of files to get rid of these
limitations are quite annoying. I would rather call it crippleware. So I
will probably putchase the full version unless someone here points me to a
uncrippled freeware alternative.

 

[REM]

Nope, trying to delete them from a command prompt doesn't work either for
these kind of files.

The shareware program mentioned in my initial posting works great for
these files. They get deleted without problems.

Sure would, but I guess this is one of those situations where it's worth
paying....

Well, it shouldn't be too difficult to create such a program that
would strike the first byte of a file. A simple navigator type control
that would allow the user to select the file or dir. I'm not sure how
to use recursion to get all files and subdirs though. Interesting
thought!

 

[REM]

ceed <ceed@abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijk.com> wrote:

Yes, that's how I used it. But with a lot of files to get rid of these
limitations are quite annoying. I would rather call it crippleware. So I
will probably putchase the full version unless someone here points me to a
uncrippled freeware alternative.

http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-1479290.php

"From the "DOS" prompt, type: dir /x

The /x parameter will produce an extra column - before the Long File
Names - of Short File Names (also known as SFN or 8.3 filenames) for
any filenames that don't already qualify as valid 8.3 filenames.

Unless you've gone to the trouble to turn it off, Windows keeps a
valid 8.3 filename for every file, in addition to the LFN.

Then just del <SFN>."

It seems like I've tried this...



This looks like a pretty old app. It might work though, even if you
have to d/l an old DOS boot disk.

http://home.att.net/~short.stop/freesoft/filutil2.htm

"ELIM — Delete files that DEL can't (with illegal filename
characters).

(If you have a recent version of MS-DOS, DELTREE should also remove
files with illegal names).
From the docs:

The main purpose of ELIM is to enable the user to delete files which
normal DOS DEL or ERASE cannot handle. For example, the user may run a
poorly programmed utility which can create files which have a blank or
other illegal character in the filename. DOS DEL will not be able to
delete such a file. ELIM will solve the problem. ELIM does not prompt
the user for confirmation, where a wildcard is used. Avoid using ELIM
in preference to DOS DEL, unless you really know what you are doing.

download elim10.zip"

Same here:

"RME — Delete files/directories that DEL can't (with illegal filename
characters).

(If you have a recent version of MS-DOS, DELTREE should also remove
files with illegal names).

Similar to ELIM, this 1995 program is interactive and can delete
directories.
From the docs:

The program will load and prompt the user for a filename. The name you
enter can contain the usual DOS wildcards '*' and '?' for use when
filtering certain file names. RME will then attempt to locate any
matching file or directory names. It will then ask you whether you are
sure you want to delete the file or directory. You can exit RME.EXE
back to DOS at any time by pressing <Ctrl> + <Break>. RME will not
remove directories which contain other files or subdirectories.

I can't locate this on other ftp sites - uploaded to my web space.

download rme.zip (7.5K)"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you have any non-sensitive files with illegal names will you zip
them and email them to me? I'd like to play around with creating a
simple app, if Steven hasn't already solved it

Remove the caps to reply via email..

 

[Bill W]

A favorite of mine is MoveOnBoot which will delete stubborn file upon
rebooting as well as changing long file names which refuse to change.
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/moveonboot.html

Regards,
Bill


"ceed"

 

[jmatt]

Excuse the size of this , here is my complete info file .

Delete "Unremovable" File
http://www.xs4all.nl/~laar2002/tweak/delete-unremovable-file.html
http://www.theeldergeek.com/delete_undeletable_file.htm
http://www.softwarepatch.com/tips/howto-delete-xp.html

1) Open a Command Prompt window and leave it open.
2) Close all open programs.
3) Click Start > Run and enter TASKMGR.EXE
4) Go to the Processes tab and End Process on Explorer.exe.
5) Leave Task Manager open.
6) Go back to the Command Prompt window and change to the directory
the undeletable file is located in.
7) At the command prompt type DEL where is the file you wish to
delete.
8) Go back to Task Manager, click File, New Task and enter
EXPLORER.EXE to restart the GUI shell.
9) Close Task Manager.

Or,

Delete undeletable files
http://rogier.xszone.nl/windows/wintricks.html

1) Close all open programs.
2) Open a Command Prompt window.
3) Close Explorer.exe from the task manager (ctrl-shift-esc), leave
Task Manager open.
4) Navigate to the folder with the undeletable file(s) in the command
prompt window with the cd command.
5) Delete the file with del filename.ext
6) Reopen explorer.exe from the taskmanager.

=====================================

You cannot delete a file or a folder on an NTFS file system volume
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320081
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Microsoft Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition
Microsoft Windows Datacenter Server, Limited Edition
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 64-Bit Datacenter Edition
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 64-Bit Enterprise Edition
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Web Edition
Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Premium Edition
Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Standard Edition

======================================

Can't delete a file in Windows XP? Here's the simple way to delete
the file and remove the access denied error
http://www.softwarepatch.com/tips/howto-delete-xp.html

==============================

Remove Empty Folders (RmEmpty)
http://www.nonags.com/nonags/cl.html
http://riverbbs.net/pub3/windows/RMEMP12.ZIP
Script Ready Logo .
This symbol means the program is designed to run in a completely
automated fashion using command line parameters and/or configuration
files. Recommended for use in batch files and scripts.

Unless otherwise noted, all programs below were designed to run on
Windows 9x, Me, NT40, 2000, and XP. Because they're all 32 bit
applications, none of the programs below will run under MS-DOS.

Remove Empty Folders (RmEmpty) 1.2 Free rmemp12.zip
(36 Kb)

A console mode utility that recursively deletes only empty folders.
Great for clearing out all those junk directories you have laying
around. Will NOT delete files, or folders that have files in them.
Only empty folders (or folders containing nothing but other empty
folders) are removed.

==================================

WhoLockMe
http://www.dr-hoiby.com/WhoLockMe/index.php

=================================

Delete/Modify "Locked Files"
http://www.windowsxpatoz.com/cgi-bin/performance/index.cgi?answer=1050716977&id=1036282433
The XP bug that sometimes locks files (mostly AVI's) can be overcome
quite easily. When XP refuses to delete/modify a file; simply jump
into the command prompt (Start>Run>"cmd") and modify the file
from there. Windows-DOS seems to work around this bug. No need to
wade through complex procedures for this one.

Or ,

http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v31/vic31.htm

Or,

InstallFile
http://www.webgrid.co.uk/fileman_4.html
http://www.kraftig.com/InstallFile/index.htm
http://www.jkh.no/jkh/installfile/
The new version of InstallFile quickly solves the common problem of
replacing or deleting locked files. You cannot run your favorite
application. One of the dlls suddenly has the wrong version number,
probably as a result of the installation of another program. After
searching the disk and CD-ROMs you find the right version, only to
discover the wrong version cannot be replaced. At this point,
typically you would reinstall your favorite application, perhaps
loosing a lot of customized options. Sounds familiar?
The solution:
Use InstallFile to replace the wrong version file with the right
version file. And it works!

Or ,

Swiper
http://www.webgrid.co.uk/fileman_5.html
http://www.broccolisoftware.com/Products/ProductCategories/FreewareTools/FreeUtilities.asp
When a file is open by another user it is locked and impossible to
delete, move or replace. This is a problem when trying to update
executables and database files which could be locked for long
periods while other users work on them.
The Swiper application can be set to monitor a file, local or on a
network. Swiper minimizes to the system tray while it waits for the
file to become available. As soon as the file is unlocked, Swiper
can delete, replace or move the file to another location.

=====================================

Delete - Can't Delete Files or Folders
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_d.htm
http://theeldergeek.com/delete_undeletable_file.htm
Permission Denied - When Trying to Delete Folders/Files
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_d.htm

Windows Explorer/Tools/Folder Options/View/Unmark "Use Simple File
Sharing". Right click the folder/file in
question/Properties/Security/Advanced/Owner/Set Permissions.

HOW TO: Set, View, Change, or Remove File and Folder Permissions
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_abc.htm
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q308/4/18.asp

===============================

CopyLock
http://www.noeld.com/dlmisc.htm#copylock
Windows 9x/Me/NT/2000/XP

CopyLock is a small program that allows the replacement or the
deletion of one or many files that are currently in use (e.g. the
system files like comctl32.dll.)
Add the files to update, click Replace, restart and that's it!

You can also list and edit the pending operations from the system
after you ran an installer.

Disclaimer: you can crash your system or make it unbootable if you
are not careful, use at your own risk.

========================================

MoveOnBoot
http://www.webattack.com/get/moveonboot.shtml
http://www.softnews.ro/public/cat/13/4/13-4-17.shtml
MoveOnBoot - move or delete files on next reboot
MoveOnBoot allows you to copiy, moves or delete files on the next
system boot. This comes in very handy, if you need to replace or
delete files which are locked by other applications, loaded into
memory or cannot be changed until next system boot. You could
manually enter a line to the wininit files, but using MoveOnBoot is
much simpler, since the program can be integrated into shell - it
creates the "Copy/Move/Delete on boot" context menu item.
License: Freeware
Price: Free
Windows: 98/ME/NT/2000/XP

=================================

DELETE DOCTOR Freeware
http://www.diskcleaners.com/
Delete files that are difficult to delete, such as some files left by
viruses and trojans, or files with corrupted file names. This program
can also delete files like the "index.dat" files, which store
Internet history, by scheduling them for deletion upon system
restart. Select a file to delete from the built-in file browser or
drag a file to the application's icon or window from Window's
Explorer.

================================

BusyDelete
http://www.sover.net/~whoi/WinUtils1.html
http://www.csc.calpoly.edu/~bfriesen/software/files/bdel32.zip
BusyDelete will delete files even if they are busy. The file(s) you
specify will be marked for deletion. Then the next time you reboot
your system the Operating System will delete the file(s). For
example BDEL ATL.DLL will delete the file during the next reboot.

================================

KillBox
http://www.downloads.subratam.org/KillBox.zip
http://download.broadbandmedic.com/

===================================

DiamondCS DelLater
http://www.all4you.dk/FreewareWorld/links.php?page=4&cat=014
http://www.diamondcs.com.au/index.php?page=dellater
It's free, it's tiny, it's open source, it's easy to use, and it can
delete files for you when all else fails. So what is it?

DiamondCS DelLater is a simple program that uses the only method that
Microsoft recommend to delete files that are in use. This method is
based on documentation from Microsoft that describes a function
called MoveFileEx, and DelLater has been carefully designed to be
technically accurate to the guidelines set forth in the article.
Interestingly, this is the technique used by anti-virus scanners
when they're unable to delete a file (such as a trojan) because it's
in use. Although the MoveFileEx function isn't supported under
Windows 95/98/ME, the article does describe how to implement the
same functionality, which DelLater does. Don't worry if you don't
understand the Microsoft article as DelLater simplifies everything.

DelLater is the ideal program to use when you can't delete a file, no
matter how hard you try. This is usually because an active process
has an open handle to the file which prevents it from being deleted.
Normally if you close down all running programs you'll find that most
files will then be free to delete, but that's not always the case,
and in some cases it may even be a trojan that's preventing itself
from being deleted.

To DelLater A File...

1. Run dellater.exe <filename>
2. Reboot (whenever you like).
That's all that's required. After rebooting and logging in you'll be
able to see that the file you specified is no longer there.

=================================

WhoLockMe Explorer Extension (NT-Win2K-XP)
http://www.dr-hoiby.com/WhoLockMe/
Have you ever bored by this Windows message : "Error Deleting File or
Folder, ... There has been a sharing violation. The source or
destination file may be in use.", when you try to delete, move or
rename a file ?
WhoLockMe is a little extension for your Microsoft Explorer. It
permits you to list all the processes locking your selected file.

===============================

Two other ways to try.

Try moving the folder to C: & from Explorer delete the file .

Try booting to Safe Mode & removing .

========================================

DELETING FILES . If you're having trouble deleting a file , first
make sure the application isn't active ( open ).

Then, right-click on the file & select Properties to determine if
the file has a System attribute box checked .

If that's the case, and you're sure the file is no longer needed by
Windows or some other program, you may find it easier to delete it
in DOS .

Open the DOS Command prompt by going to Start|Run and type "command"
( without quotes ) in the Open field and click OK .

At the prompt , type (without quotes)
"attrib -r -h -s c:\somefile" substituting the actual file name for
"somefile" .

This removes the hidden, read-only, and system attibutes from the
file .
Then , to delete , type "del c:\somefile", again without quotes &
with the correct file name replacing "somefile" & press Enter .

If that doesn't delete the file , type "deltree c:\somefile" or
"remdir c:\somefile" , without quotes and using the correct file
name & press Enter .

========================================

Try running scandisk
http://users.iafrica.com/c/cq/cquirke/scandisk.htm

or

chkdsk
http://www.activewin.com/winxp/tips/basic/3.shtml
http://www.ultratech-llc.com/KB/ASP/FileView.asp?File=/KB/ScanDisk.TXT

----------------------------------

In dos , locate the directory using dir/x to display the 'short' dos
directory names .
http://gracie.santarosa.edu/~eric/cmdline/T02Topics.html
Using Advanced Command Line Switches
This section builds on the previous section, presenting sort order
parameters for the /O switch, using the /X switch to display short
filenames, and displaying files and directories according to their
attributes with the /A switch.

If the directory is empty , simpy use:
rd directoryname and this will 'remove directory'

Example: Directory name: Painintheass may translate in dos as:
'painin~1'
So command is: rd painin~1
If the directory is not empty: cd painin~1 del . cd.. rd painin~1

=====================================

W9x or dos
http://www.simtel.iif.hu/pub/pd/43807.html
Delete a directory, its files & subdirectories
http://www.simtel.iif.hu/pub/pd/43914.html
RM.EXE v1.0: A better delete prog. for DOS
http://www.simtel.iif.hu/pub/pd/43687.html
Directory/file manager copy,move,del,etc. VGA
http://www.simtel.iif.hu/pub/pd/43806.html
Recursive directory removal with many options
http://www.simtel.iif.hu/pub/pd/43576.html
File/dir removal utility, with many options

====================================

FreeFile will free a file by finding the process that holds the lock,
and allow you to terminate it.
http://www.skrubbeltrang.com
Requires the .Net Framework! Download it at:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/downloads/list/netdevframework.asp

FreeFile will run on 98, ME, NT4, W2K, XP and W2K3

Cannot delete file: Access is denied -
* "Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the
file is not currently in use."
* "There has been a sharing violation."
* "The source or destination file may be in use."
* "The file is in use by another program or user."

- These are typical error messages you get when you try to delete a
file that is locked by a process.
But which process has locked the file? Use FreeFile to automatically
find out which process is locking your file, and free the file by
ending the process.

* Posted via http://www.sixfiles.com/forum
* Please report abuse to http://xinbox.com/sixfiles

 

[Jim Byrd]

Hi Ceed - From my Blog, link in Sig. Delete Invalid File is probably the
one you need:


"Sometimes the tools below will find files which they are unable to delete
because they are in use.

A program called Copylock, here, http://noeld.com/programs.asp?cat=misc can
aid in the process of "replacing, moving, renaming or deleting one or many
files which are currently in use (e.g. system files like comctl32.dll, or
virus/trojan files.)"

Another is Killbox, here: http://www.downloads.subratam.org/KillBox.zip

A third which is a bit different but often very useful is Delete Invalid
File, here: http://www.purgeie.com/delinv.htm which handles invalid/UNC
file/folder name deleting, rather than the in use problem. "


--
Regards, Jim Byrd, MS-MVP
My, Blog Defending Your Machine, here:
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/

"ceed"

 

[ceed]

"Sometimes the tools below will find files which they are unable to
delete
because they are in use.

A program called Copylock, here, http://noeld.com/programs.asp?cat=misc
can
aid in the process of "replacing, moving, renaming or deleting one or
many
files which are currently in use (e.g. system files like comctl32.dll, or
virus/trojan files.)"

Another is Killbox, here: http://www.downloads.subratam.org/KillBox.zip
A third which is a bit different but often very useful is Delete Invalid
File, here: http://www.purgeie.com/delinv.htm which handles invalid/UNC
file/folder name deleting, rather than the in use problem. "

Thanks! The third one here took care of my problem. I got rid of all those
nasty files! Thanks to everyone else also who have offered help in this
thread.

 

[Larry Sabo]

ceed

Hi,

I sometimes have problems with files that have long names and/or contains
certain characters (often files from large rar archives when unpacked).
These files can't be deleted from Windows Explorer and can't be opened or
renamed. I have only found one program that can delete them: "Delete FXP
Files" (http://www.jrtwine.com/Products/DelFXPFiles/) which isn't
freeware. Does anyone know if there are freeware utilitys around that will
delete these (and other kinds of locked files)? Please note that it
doesn't help to reboot to delete these files.

I use a freeware DOS file manager from time to time that facilitates
deleting files with corrupted names (amongst many other things). It's
called File Wizard, originally from www.nexus.hu/gad/fw but that link
no longer works. I used to have another such DOS-based file manger
whose name escapes me, which I discarded in deference to FW. It would
have also been useful for this task. If I remember its nae, I'll post
a follow-up.

In the meantime, if anyone knows a source for FW, that would be
helpful. I have it but don't want to se a source for general
distribution.

Larry

 

[Larry Sabo]

[snip]

I use a freeware DOS file manager from time to time that facilitates
deleting files with corrupted names (amongst many other things). It's
called File Wizard, originally from www.nexus.hu/gad/fw but that link
no longer works. I used to have another such DOS-based file manger
whose name escapes me, which I discarded in deference to FW. It would
have also been useful for this task. If I remember its nae, I'll post
a follow-up.

In the meantime, if anyone knows a source for FW, that would be
helpful. I have it but don't want to se a source for general
distribution.

Larry

Quick follow-up: see the excellent list DOS File Managers at...

http://short.stop.home.att.net/freesoft/fileman1.htm

Some really interesting progies there.

Larry

 

[Jim Byrd]

YW, Ceed - Glad you got things straightened out!

--
Regards, Jim Byrd, MS-MVP
My, Blog Defending Your Machine, here:
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/

"ceed"

 

[ArjanDotOrg]

ceed schreef:

Hi,

I sometimes have problems with files that have long names and/or contains
certain characters (often files from large rar archives when unpacked).
These files can't be deleted from Windows Explorer and can't be opened or
renamed. I have only found one program that can delete them: "Delete FXP
Files" (http://www.jrtwine.com/Products/DelFXPFiles/) which isn't
freeware. Does anyone know if there are freeware utilitys around that will
delete these (and other kinds of locked files)? Please note that it
doesn't help to reboot to delete these files.

Unlocker claims to be the best of the best in deleting those hard to
remove files:

Unlocker


Overview:

"Cannot delete Folder: It is being used by another person or program.
Close any programs that might be using the file and try again." Ever
had such an annoying message given by Windows? It has many other
flavors: "Cannot delete file: Access is denied", "There has been a
sharing violation.", "The source or destination file may be in use.",
"The file is in use by another program or user. Make sure the disk is
not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use."
Unlocker is the solution! Simply right click the folder or file and
select Unlocker. If the folder or file is locked, a window listing of
lockers will appear. Simply select the lockers and click Unlock and you
are done!

Homepage: http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/

For related software, check out:
http://www.arjan.org/?System:Cleaning/Removal


Kind regards,

_____
Arjan

E-mail: (e-mail address removed) (remove NOSPAM)
Homepage: Arjan.org's Absolute Freeware Links (http://www.arjan.org)

 

[Tomguy]

ceed


I use a freeware DOS file manager from time to time that facilitates
deleting files with corrupted names (amongst many other things). It's
called File Wizard, originally from www.nexus.hu/gad/fw but that link
no longer works. I used to have another such DOS-based file manger
whose name escapes me, which I discarded in deference to FW. It would
have also been useful for this task. If I remember its nae, I'll post
a follow-up.

In the meantime, if anyone knows a source for FW, that would be
helpful. I have it but don't want to se a source for general
distribution.

Larry

I checked some of my old archive disks and I found FW135.zip.

I had previously tried to use it, but got insufficient memory errors.
Tried it a few minutes ago -- same. Then, when all else fails..... read
the instructions. I did read the help-htm for installing --- and, after
some tweaking, it worked.

lol

I have put the file at
http://rapidshare.de/files/2356173/filewizardDOS135.zip.html

It it approximately 284K.

 

[Jim Byrd]

Hi Arjan - Thanks for this link. Unlocker appears to be a very useful
addition to the group of such programs, and I'm adding it to my list of
these in my Blolg.

 

[Franklin]

On Mon 13 Jun 2005 01:02:28, jmatt wrote:

Excuse the size of this , here is my complete info file .

Delete "Unremovable" File
http://www.xs4all.nl/~laar2002/tweak/delete-unremovable-file.html
http://www.theeldergeek.com/delete_undeletable_file.htm
http://www.softwarepatch.com/tips/howto-delete-xp.html

--- snip ---

jmatt, that's a useful info file you posted and one which I will cut
out and keep.

Suggest you add "DelInvFile" from http://www.purgeie.com/delinv.htm
as it helped me greatly and did the job perfectly after I had tried
all sorts of other ways to delete a particular file.

 

[ceed]

Excuse the size of this , here is my complete info file .

Thanks! Even though I now have been able to delete the files I had
problems with this is great information for my troubleshooting records...