Cannot delete files

[thatrenowned]

I've got two files in my temp directory (c:\temp) which I cannot delete. One is a dat file and the other is a tmp file.
I've tried rebooting so that the program which was using wouldn't be any longer, but that didn't work. Next I tried ending everything I could in task manager, but that didn't work (in fact, one of them shut down my computer because Windows needed it to run or something).

I've only recently started using XP Home so I'm not sure on how to get into its safe mode, if it has one that is.

Is there a way to find out what program is using what files? That would be useful...

Any help appreciated

 

[Tezzie]

There are a few system files that can't or shouldn't be deleted. These are some of them.

Since you can see them tells me that you have changed the view properties of the folder and are showing protected system files.

As your new to XP I suggest you restore the default view of the folders until you know a little more otherwise you will delete files and stop XP running.

Tez

 

[wolluf]

I keep losing posts on these forums last couple of days!

Tez - no system files involved, what do you mean?!

Thatrenowned: F8 when XP starts loading gets menyu with safe mode (including safe mode with command prompt). Have you tried the usual - try from command prompt, remove the whole folder. If fat32, you can of course use win98 boot floppy. Otherwise, if no joy with safe mode, recovery console. Use set command to give you access to more than system folder

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;235364.

 

[thatrenowned]

Thanks for the help.

Tezzie - I realise deleting system files will likely screw up the OS, but these two were held in my temp directory. Not exactly the best place to put important files!
My computer shut down because I ended a process in task manager (which obviosly I shouldn't have...)

Wolluf - I'll try deleting from the command prompt first. I'm running NTFS so that rules out a boot disk.

Thanks again.

 

[Tezzie]

Had you moved the tempory internet files / cookies folder to temp?

I have a dat file in cookies that let XP track cookies there are in there

 

[thatrenowned]

Nah, the only thing I set was a variable for my account so that temp points to c:\temp instead of all them hundreds of folders.

I'm going to try in safe mode now because the command prompt didn't work...

Thanks

 

[thatrenowned]

I tried in safe mode, but the files didn't appear in the temp directory.
Once I went back into normal mode, they were there again...

Any more ideas?

Thanks

 

[CynCom]

How do I delete files from the Windows\Prefetch folder? I don't know how these files got there in the first place, but the files refer to sites that are not appropriate for kids. I want to delete any reference to these inappropriate sites.

 

[wolluf]

thatrenowned - did you see my recovery console idea (bit extreme) - but it should work - recovery console. Use set command to give you access to more than system folder

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;235364.

 

[linney]

CynCom,

Files in the Prefetch folder can be deleted in the normal way. However as you use your computer they will be returned by windows to this folder.

http://groups.google.com/groups?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Prefetch+folder+windows+xp

By way of an experiment (after creating a Restore Point) delete the actual folder "Prefetch" and see how XP runs. If the actual folder is deleted, probably XP wont create any .pf files on your system.


thatrenowned,

Do these files have a consistant name? It seems that XP is deleting them at logoff or shutdown and recreating them at logon or startup.

Perhaps they are similar to ~DF67AA.tmp and Perfib_Perfdata_61c.dat? If so delete then when XP has finished using them, usually after a reboot. That said, there will be new similar named files created from your last restart that again XP will be using, and so on and so on. You can only delete the older ones, not in use, this is especially true of the Perfib_perf.... file.

 

[thatrenowned]

Linney - I've got one of those perfib_perfdata files. The other tmp file has now disappeared.

Wolluf - How would I use the set command to delete it? After reading through the link, I can't see anything I could use. I must be missing something...

 

[linney]

Perfib_perfdata file is part of McAfee (Guardian) virus scan and firewall setup. It is self deleting at logoff or shutdown and recreated at startup. The other temp file is probably a similar occurence from a third party program, (Tds-3 perhaps?).

 

[wolluf]

Recovery console. It only allows access to the system folder by default - so you wouldn't be able to access C:\temp normally. But by enabling the set command for recovery console & then using it in recovery console, c:\temp should become accessible in recovery console (as per that link). Which means you can then use the Del or Delete command there. But as I said - bit of a faff to remove a temp file!

 

[thatrenowned]

I have McAfee firewall so I guess that explains everything. I guess this also means I don't need to delete the file.

Thanks for all your help though...

regards

 

[kbnohelp]

The "cannot delete" issue I am having, is when an XP user on the network tries to delete files on their network drive. It says "Cannot delete: file is in use by another person or program" This is the second person I have had this problem with after XP upgrade. All rights on network and local xp machine are correct. User can move to a different machine and delete fine. Any ideas? The knowledge base was no help...

 

[TekKnowGeek]

One important consideration here is that the files DO exist when XP is run in "normal mode" but DO NOT exist when XP is run in "Safe Mode".

It appears you may have services running on start up. Navigate to registry keys:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
AND
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Rename these "RUN" keys as RUN_
Create new RUN keys with nothing in them.

Restart the computer. If the temp files are not there when XP is in "Normal Mode" then the offending program is started with one of the entries in the RUN_ keys.

Also, check the Start --> Programs --> Start-up folder for other entries.

If you are not comfortable using the registry editor, there is an XP version of msconfig available to disable the start-up programs.

 

[thatrenowned]

TekKnowGeek - As it turned out, its my firewall software which creates the files. They probably don't appear in safe mode because the 'Firewall Service' won't be started (and I'm guessing its that service which creates the files...or something along those lines). The help is appreciated though...

Thanks