"access denied" error - no file handles found

[jimtyler]

I have a process (basically a 4GL) that runs hourly. One of the final steps in the process is moving a pdf file and an xls file. Roughly every 10 days, the process fails with an "access denied" error when attempting to move the pdf file. The result is a pdf file that is locked and cannot be deleted - a server reboot is the only thing that releases the "lock". None of the xls files are ever locked in this manner (but this may be because the process fails before the xls file is created).

The server is W2K3. Adobe acrobat is not installed on the server; ghostscript is used to convert the file to pdf format.

I've used both Unlocker and Process Explorer to search for handles to the pdf file, but none are found.

I don't think a user has the file open for two reasons:

1. When I open the pdf file and try to rename it, the error I get tells me that the file is being accesses by another process, not the "access denied" that I'm seeing from this process.

2. Checking Open Files on the Shared Folders list in Computer Management does not show this file open. I tested by opening another pdf file remotely and it immediately showed up.

I need to know how to diagnose why the OS thinks the file is locked. I don't know if this is a timing issue, or a problem with memory, bad disk sectors, etc, but it definitely seems to be a problem with the server.

Thanks!