# Help!! This file just won't delete! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 4, 2007, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-file-just-wont-delete/386735 "2007-01-04T21:33:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-file-just-wont-delete/386735/1 "2007-01-04T21:33:12Z")
I have a .avi file which I just can’t get rid of. I get that “It is being used by another person or program.” message. I have tried rebooting. Tried rebooting in Safe Mode. I just cannot get rid of this darn file!!! How can I fix this please? Help!!! ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-file-just-wont-delete/386735/2 "2007-01-04T21:38:09Z")
Try and disable it from Sysconfig or Spybot S&D’s ‘Startup Programs’ If you can prevent it from being loaded on startup you have a fighting chance of killing it. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-file-just-wont-delete/386735/3 "2007-01-04T21:51:18Z")
Well running in safe mode should have disabled all startup apps and services. File would still not go away. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-file-just-wont-delete/386735/4 "2007-01-04T22:05:22Z")
Panic over! It deleted just fine using good old DOS ‘del’ command in Command Prompt window. It was Explorer which couldn’t handle it. No idea why. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-file-just-wont-delete/386735/5 "2007-01-04T22:18:21Z")
Yeah that works most of the time. Also, it sometimes works to open and close the AVI file, and then delete it. Why all the panic? Porn, right? ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-file-just-wont-delete/386735/6 "2007-01-04T23:11:08Z")
[QUOTE=ticker] Panic over! It deleted just fine using good old DOS ‘del’ command in Command Prompt window. It was Explorer which couldn’t handle it. No idea why. [/QUOTE] Just FYI, some files still won’t delete in DOS. In that case, try the command “deltree filename” ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-file-just-wont-delete/386735/7 "2007-01-04T23:15:15Z")
[QUOTE=KlondikeGeoff] Just FYI, some files still won’t delete in DOS. In that case, try the command “deltree filename” [/QUOTE] I haven’t found a file permission yet that couldn’t be cured with the ATTRIB command. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-file-just-wont-delete/386735/8 "2007-01-04T23:15:48Z")
A procedure that nearly always works for me: (1) CTRL + ALT +DEL brings up the Task Manager. Start a new task called “cmd” (the command window). Now select “explorer.exe” in the Task Manager and end the task. (2) Using DOS commands under the command window, smite the file with either DEL or DELTREE. (3) Go back to the Task Manager and start a new task called “explorer.exe”. File gone! ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-file-just-wont-delete/386735/9 "2007-01-05T06:36:15Z")
Here’s a nifty tool I use to delete files that are locked or in use by an unidentified process: [http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/](http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/) ---
**Author:** ![scottkris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@scottkris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scottkris)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-file-just-wont-delete/386735/10 "2007-01-05T07:04:25Z")
[QUOTE=mr. jp] Why all the panic? Porn, right? [/QUOTE] As far as the “panic” goes, not all the time is it porn. I converted a .flv file to .avi and copied it to CD-R. When I tried to delete it via explorer, I could not and had to use DOS. Since the hard drive it was on was only 14G and the file was 300M, if I had several .avi files that would not delete I may “panic” as well. ---
**Author:** ![Aunt\_Flow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Aunt\_Flow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aunt_Flow)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-file-just-wont-delete/386735/11 "2007-01-05T07:26:41Z")
Go to My Computer–\>Tools–\>Folder Options Click the View Tab Scroll down to find “Do not cache thumbnails” Check it if it’s not already. Push ok. May or may not need to restart. File should delete just fine 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![scottkris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@scottkris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scottkris)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-file-just-wont-delete/386735/12 "2007-01-05T08:12:04Z")
[QUOTE=Aunt Flow] Go to My Computer–\>Tools–\>Folder Options Click the View Tab Scroll down to find “Do not cache thumbnails” Check it if it’s not already. Push ok. May or may not need to restart. File should delete just fine 🙂 [/QUOTE] Just did that. If my current set of files still won’t delete, I’ll just use good ol’ DOS. NBD. Thanks for the tip, anyway, even if you did not mean it for me. ---
**Author:** ![Aunt\_Flow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Aunt\_Flow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aunt_Flow)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-file-just-wont-delete/386735/13 "2007-01-05T08:36:11Z")
[QUOTE=scottkris] Just did that. If my current set of files still won’t delete, I’ll just use good ol’ DOS. NBD. Thanks for the tip, anyway, even if you did not mean it for me. [/QUOTE] Didn’t work? I did intend it for you because I was having the exact same problem with a video file. Same error and everything. After a bit of research on the net, it seems what’s going on is that Windows is keeping all the thumbnails in memory so it doesn’t have to recreate them everytime you browse your harddrive. Once you tell it to stop doing that, it won’t keep them in memory and thus they won’t be seen as being in use. Worked great for me. ---
**Author:** ![scottkris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@scottkris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scottkris)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-file-just-wont-delete/386735/14 "2007-01-05T08:41:12Z")
[QUOTE=Aunt Flow] Didn’t work? I did intend it for you because I was having the exact same problem with a video file. Same error and everything. After a bit of research on the net, it seems what’s going on is that Windows is keeping all the thumbnails in memory so it doesn’t have to recreate them everytime you browse your harddrive. Once you tell it to stop doing that, it won’t keep them in memory and thus they won’t be seen as being in use. Worked great for me. [/QUOTE] Sorry, I thought I was clear on this—I did do as you suggested, but I have not yet converted the files (I am d/l some right now as I type this, so of course they are not yet converted). **IF** it does not work, I will use DOS. Sorry for the mis-communication. ---
**Author:** ![Aunt\_Flow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Aunt\_Flow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aunt_Flow)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-this-file-just-wont-delete/386735/15 "2007-01-05T08:43:41Z")
[QUOTE=scottkris] Sorry, I thought I was clear on this—I did do as you suggested, but I have not yet converted the files (I am d/l some right now as I type this, so of course they are not yet converted). **IF** it does not work, I will use DOS. Sorry for the mis-communication. [/QUOTE] No worries. As part of my late night delirium, I also thought you were the OP XD Wow I need sleep. So yes, for you AND the OP. Sorry!