Cannot delete temp files from ' CD Burning'

[Rows]

When I burn a CD (using the built-in utility) the temp files which are stored in -

Documents and Settings\<username>
\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\CD Burning

do not go away. They stay there, in case I want to burn another set I guess. However when I try to delete them I am always told that they are in use by another program or person, and that I may not delete them. This is patently untrue. If I log on again as Admin and go to the 'CD Burning' folder then I am allowed to delete them. This is not a solution of course. Has anyone solved this? Thanks for any advice.

 

[linney]

Check that the security permissions for the CD Burning folder are correct for that particular user.

In any of the Menu's that afford you the opportunity to "Write these files to CD" do you have immediately below this a menu item to "Delete Temporary Files"?

Are you selecting to save these files in the CD Writing Wizard, so that you can write them to another CD?

If not then the files should automatically be deleted at the completion of CD writing.

Run the System File Checker program from the Run Box by typing.....Sfc /Scannow in it and have your XP CD handy.

 

[Rows]

Thanks very much for your reply. I have to admit that the XP version I have is Home not Pro. When I ran 'Sfc /Scannow' confusingly Home asked me for 'my XP Pro CD' which obviously I haven't got. Anyway, I put in the Home CD and it seemed to check all the files and reported no errors. In fact it reported nothing. I'm assuming the System Files are all OK. I notice the folder is marked as 'Read Only'.I could log on as Admin and check 'the security permissions' for the folder but I'm not sure what they should be. What would I be looking for? Thanks again.

 

[bcastner]

I am not convinced that this is not "normal" behavior. You are not the only user even on a stand alone machine, the SYSTEM user has its say, often a superior one to even the local administrator.

Change the CD in the Drive. That will convince XP you no longer want at least for the existing session to write to the drive any further.

Or, ignore the issue. Let XP handle the CD Burning folder.

 

[linney]

The user for who the files have been written should have the Full Control security permission for the CD Burning folder checked, this will automatically check the modify, write and read permission boxes too. Don't confuse that with the Read check box on the Properties. You can ignore that read check box.

Cannot Change the Read-Only Attribute of System Folders

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q326549

In Home you can access the Security tabs for folders via Safe Mode.

Later on you can look at this tip.
Cool Tip #2: Security Tab in Windows XP Home
thread779-685055

Any report from running SFC /Scannow is located in the Event Viewer under the "Windows File Protection" Event Source heading.

Do you have any information about the other questions I mentioned concerning Deleting or Saving files?

 

[bcastner]

Linney,

Roughly on-topic. John Candy made the point recently in the newsgroups that the Read-only attribute on a Folder in XP says essentially: see if there is a desktop.ini file, and nothing more. While a rough way of stating the issue, that is in fact essentially all the read-only attribute for Folders does under XP.

 

[linney]

Unless you use changing the folder read attribute to pass the read only attribute to files below that folder. Then we are talking about file read only attributes which is even more off topic but similar to older operating systems.

 

[bcastner]

Unless you use ATTRIB, the GUI tools under XP are not going to let you change a jumbuck worth of attributes if the one is Read-only.

 

[bcastner]

I see your point. No, the files are not inheriting the CD Burn folder attributes. But, they are being used by SYSTEM, and the local user, even as Administrator, cannot delete them without a reboot, or other fancy means.

Until Autoplay is happy that a disk change has occured, it reserves the known files to write as a reserved Folder.

I still think this is is normal and acceptable behavior by the OS.

 

[linney]

My understanding of normal behavior (if there is such a thing in XP CD Burning) is while logged on as a limited user and copying files to CD RW, the files are always automatically deleted at the end of the write, unless there is the intention by that limited user to write them to another CD (as per check box), or the burn fails for any number of reasons. In that case the limited user is offered the choice to either delete or save for a second attempt to burn.

And the limited user who has full rights to the CD Burning folder (which is the default as it is in his own user folder) can delete the files in that folder as he chooses.

 

[bcastner]

linney,

That is a fair statement and my understanding as well.

Now, under the NTFS filestore, does the original questioner Rows have the necessary permissions for it to work as you described? The CD Burning "staging area" must be set to provide ’Full Control’ for Administrators, Creator Owner, and SYSTEM.

 

[Rows]

In Permissions I have 'Full Control' over the CD Burning folder, dark grey tick on light grey background, (as does Admin and System, Creator/Owner is not mentioned). I'm not ticking the box that tells the system to retain the files so that they can be written to another CD. If I remove the CD I have just written to and replace it with another CD then the 'shortcut' to the files in 'CD Burning' is simply added to the icons on the new disk. If I attempt to delete them access is denied. There is no way at all that I can delete the temp files without rebooting. If I reboot and log on (not necessarily as Admin) then I am allowed to delete the files. I cannot see this as 'normal behaviour'. The files are not being automatically deleted.

 

[bcastner]

Use Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services, and set the IMAPI service to Automatic. Reboot and test.

Possible other avenues to explore:

https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;324129&Product=winxp

https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;325218&Product=winxp

 

[linney]

These links might be better (unless your a MVP like Bill).

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;324129&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;325218&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

In any of the Menu's that afford you the opportunity to "Write these files to CD" do you have immediately below this a menu item to "Delete Temporary Files"?

Have you been experimenting with any third party CD writing software like Incd or similar.

It is beginning to sound like registry corruption is the possible cause.

You might try using System Restore to return to a point in time before this problem.

If you have no backups you could try this procedure to fix the registry.

An easy to follow recovery console description when unable to start computer due to corrupt registry.

http://www.digitalwebcast.com/2002/03_mar/tutorials/cw_boot_toot.htm

You may be able to use these free tools (Handle and/or Process Explorer) to see what is using these files to prevent you from deleting them.

http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/utilities.shtml

HOW TO: Verify Unsigned Device Drivers in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q308/5/14.asp

 

[bcastner]

Sorry, (shamefaced), I had just changed my KB search link to the MVP privileged access site and never thought that these public KBs would be prefaced in that fashion. (I did check that they were public KBs and could be quoted.)

Thank you linney. My apologies.

But please try setting the IMAPI service to automatic.

My apologies,
Bill

 

[bcastner]

I also would be curious if the CD Burn Folder of the profile inadvertantly acquired a "System" attribute. I would try Start, Run, cmd

attrib -s c:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Microsoft\CD Burning

 

[Rows]

Thanks for all your help with this bcastner and linney. It is much appreciated. I set the IMAP service to 'Automatic', didn't resolve the problem. The 2 KB links don't seem to have any specific references to the particular problem I am having. It's not that the CD Burning folder and the CD-RW Drive folder are becoming mixed up, the files are genuinely being left in CD Burning. Even after I reboot they are still there - except that I am then allowed to delete them. I have InCD and Ahead Nero both loaded. I have removed InCD but it didn't help. I don't want to remove Ahead Nero as I use it a lot. When using the built-in utility immediately below "Write these files to CD" I do have the menu item to "Delete Temporary Files" but I am told that another person or program is using the files when I try to delete them with this link. When I used "attrib -s c:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\CD Burning" from the command line I got an error message which said that the parameter format was incorrect.

 

[linney]

On the Nero Webb site there is a tool for removing all the Registry entries caused by InCD. The file is called InCD-Clean Tool.

To check the attributes of Cd Burning folder, use the Details View for the folder. In the Details view then use the "Choose Details" menu option from the drop down View menu and select to show attributes.

Did you try Handle.exe to see what is using the CD Burning folder?

 

[Rows]

Amazing. Thanks to you guys I got it. The CD Burning folder had no attrib.s set. It turned out to be InCD from Ahead which was interfering in some way. I removed any traces of InCD with the Tool you pointed out and next time I wrote files to my RW drive they were automatically deleted afterwards! The problem had gone. I noticed that Ahead offer an update for InCD (to Ver. 4.1.5.10) so I downloaded it and installed it in the vain hope that Ahead might have eliminated that particular bug, and indeed they have. The new version doesn't appear to produce any problems. Thanks again for fantastic support. I was particularly impressed with handle.exe although I don't really understand it. Great stuff.