I have a couple of incomplete music files in a folder that I want to
get rid of. But everytime I try to delete them, either by right
clicking on them, or even chosing the file and trying to click the
"delete" icon in the tool bar, I get a Windows error message saying
"Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and nees to close." I
can't get rid of the files. Both files show as 0 Kb. I'm running
Windows XP Pro. Any ideas on what the problem is or how to get rid of
these files? Thanks.
Right-click both files then select Properties and then select the Security
tab. Make sure that your login account has full permissions on both of those
files. If not, then add your account for each of them and give it full
permissions. The account should have Administrator priviliges.
If you can then create a text file and then delete it ok using the same
method that does not work for those two files you mention then it might be
that the disk structure itself has become damaged. If that is so, then there
are 3 things you can try.
[1] Do a disk repair from Windows
(a) Open My Computer
(b) Right-click the drive and choose Properties
(c) Select the Tools tab
(d) Click the Check Now button
(e) Put a check mark in each of the option boxes
(f) Click the Start button. If necessary, restart the computer so the test
will perform.
(g) See if you can delete those 2 files now.
[2] If you have problems with the above step [1] then boot any XP CD and
very carefully navigate your way to using the Recovery Console. Once in the
Recovery Console:
(a) Type: chkdsk /R and press the Enter key
(b) When done, type: exit and press the Enter key. Do not boot to the CD
again during the reboot process.
(c) See if you can delete those 2 files now.
[3] If neither of the 2 methods above work, only then try this:
(a) Create 2 text files, one for each of those 2 bad files, in some other
place than where the 2 bad ones exist
(b) Rename each of the two files to exactly match the names of the bad ones.
(c) Right-click a renamed text file, select Copy.
(d) Navigate to where the bad file of the same name is at
(e) Right-click in a clear area where the bad file is at
(f) Select paste. When asked if you want to replace the existing file, allow
it.
(g) Do the same methods for the other bad file.
(h) See if you can now delete them.
If you still can not delete them after trying those 3 things then Explorer
or other protected system files might be corrupt. While in Windows, click
Start and then Run and then type in: sfc /scannow and make sure you have
any XP cd of the same type available (in your case, XP Pro) just in case you
get asked for it. If you get asked for the CD then it must be in the same CD
Drive as was used to install Windows from in the first place. When you are
done with that sfc command, type: sfc /purgecache from the Start|Run box.
Reboot and try to delete them again.
If you still can not delete them then boot as Administrator into safe mode
(keep tapping the F8 key during boot) and try step #1 again. If still no joy
then type: Run|Start msconfig and select the diagnostic mode option,
apply, ok, and let it reboot but again come into safe mode during the
reboot. Then try step #1 again. If it then STILL will not let you delete
those files then a non protected but core operating system file is probably
bad. Come out of diagnostic mode, reboot into safe mode again, put your XP
Pro CD in the CD Drive (I'll assume that's Drive D), and type: D:\setup so
that Windows will begin to reinstall itself over itself. Be sure that you do
*not* do a full new install, you want to "upgrade" so that you don't loose
all your configuration settings. When done, you will need to go to the
Microsoft update website and do all the updates again. Only then try
deleting those 2 files again.
If all that still doesn't do it then post back and maybe someone else will
have some more things for you to try before you are forced to reinstall
Windows and allow it to reformat during the install (which would cause you
to loose your current configuration, and you'd need to then do the updates
too).
Good luck. Let the forum know which method worked or if none of them worked.
