[pdxireland]

Hello.....
A quick question....
I have a few folders on my desktop that when I try to delete them I get the following messgae....

"Cannot delete file: Cannot read from the source file or disc"

The source file for these was deleted on purpose earlier tonight.
How can I get rid of these pesky folders?
Thanks,

fmg

 

[Tina777]

Have you tried deleting them from the command line?

 

[pdxireland]

yikes, I should probably know how to do this

but I don't!
Please give me the skinny!
thanks,

fmg

 

[Glaswegian]

Perhaps you might find it easier to boot to safe mode and delete them from there. To get to safe mode

• Restart the computer. The computer begins processing a set of instructions known as BIOS.
• After hearing your computer beep once during startup, but before the Windows icon appears, press F8 (dependent on your system this may be F5 or another key)
• Instead of Windows loading as normal, a menu should appear
• Use the arrow key to highlight Safe Mode and press Enter.

 

[pdxireland]

Rats !

still no luck?
fmg

 

[petercj]

It might be worth trying one of these:-

http://www.snapfiles.com/Freeware/system/fwdiskclean.html

 

[pdxireland]

still no Joy....

Can this be done via regedit?

fmg

 

[Girderman]

NO.

Don't try to use RegEdit for this.

Try this.

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

If it won't delete immediately, select it to delete on reboot.

Files that refuse deletion are of special interest to me, and I would be very interested if this doesn't work.

 

[Kalim]

Restart your system before you do anything suggested. A simple restart can usually fix this as the file is not taken up in memory anymore.

 

[Girderman]

Restart your system before you do anything suggested. A simple restart can usually fix this as the file is not taken up in memory anymore.

Kalim please explain this. How would data on the HD that won't be deleted "take up in memory", and how would a reboot cause that data to be deleted ?

Are you saying PeterCJ's recommended program needed a reboot to delete it ?

 

[Kalim]

Any file can be located on a bad sector of a harddisk. Its handlers can also be taken up by memory and not released, files can be locked by a system utility or a certain software is using it and didn't release it when it was instructed to. A restart (and/or chkdsk) can fix this and thats why you have software such as MoveonBoot etc. The files are no longer in RAM either upon restart.

Its worth a try each time to reboot your system for latest changes to take effect.

 

[pdxireland]

still no joy

Hello,

I have tried all of this...
http://winhlp.com/WxCannotDelete.htm except the regedit option & pulling the hard drive out.
and all of this http://www.sophy.ca/project_2/
I have also tried...unlocker did not work and did not offer the re-boot option for this file.
Also tried several other programs including delinvfile, moveonboot.....
NO LUCK
Then I went to bed.
Any other ideas as now I'm up w/ coffee?
thanks,

fmg

 

[Kalim]

Run Start>Run> chkdsk /x > hit enter and see how that goes.

After that try deleting again.

 

[pdxireland]

quick dumb question

do I use "X" like you have or the the drive "C" wher the file is?

fmg

 

[Geekgirl]

The source file for these was deleted on purpose earlier tonight.

What was deleted? Placing this "source" back on the system then uninstalling the proper way may allow you to remove those folders

 

[petercj]

and if that doesn't work...

try creating a new folder and drag the 'sticky' folders into it, then see if you can delete the lot...

and then... try right clicking on the darn things and renaming them, then try to delete them...

and then... have another cup of coffee while we try and think up something else to try!

are these files virus related in any way?

 

[pdxireland]

chkdsk /x also did not work

This situation came about after I moved & del. a bunch of video files & related DVD authoring around my C drive.
At the end I realized I left a folder on the desktop with two empty folders inside.
I could make any of the three go away by any method until I used Unlocker and managed to delete one of the folders inside the desktop folder.
At this point I have a desktop folder that I can cony rename but can not delete by any method thus far.
I also have the one empty folder inside the desktop folder that cannot even re-name, delete or anything.
Thoughts?
fmg

 

[pdxireland]

Sticky idea

Hey, thanks for the input but.....
I can move the desktop folder with the empty folder inside it to a new folder I just created on the desktop but when I try to delete the lot.....no joy.
I have now moved them back out and deleted the new empty folder.
fmg

 

[pdxireland]

yes another coffee

Up w/ a new baby here since 5:00am in Portland Oregon......
fmg

 

[Kalim]

Describe to me what you saw when running chkdsk /x please?