# The AVI file that would not die

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-avi-file-that-would-not-die/210899>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 1, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-avi-file-that-would-not-die/210899 "2003-11-01T22:36:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aka\_10003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@aka\_10003](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aka_10003)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-avi-file-that-would-not-die/210899/1 "2003-11-01T22:36:41Z")

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I have an AVI file that I cannot delete. It is supposedly being used by another program, but that program is not specified.

- None of the programs I might use for playing AVI types lists it under Recent Files
- I know that re-installing these players will do the trick, but is there a better way?

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**Author:** ![collinsc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f6c823/32.png) [@collinsc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/collinsc)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-avi-file-that-would-not-die/210899/2 "2003-11-01T22:44:39Z")

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**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-avi-file-that-would-not-die/210899/3 "2003-11-01T22:47:21Z")

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Go into your registry and search for the following key, and delete it:

HKEY\_LOCAL\_MACHINESOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID{87D62D94-71B3-4b9a-9489-5FE6850DC73E}\InProcServer32

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**Author:** ![aka\_10003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@aka\_10003](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aka_10003)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-avi-file-that-would-not-die/210899/4 "2003-11-01T23:36:44Z")

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Thanks, Algorithm. That worked.