How to delete an undeletable file in Windows?

As you might have already faced this issue many times, somehow Windows (XP or Vista) always has a problem to delete files or folders occasionally. What is wrong with Windows? I have no idea… It shouldn’t happen if we have close all the programs but somehow it doesn’t work.

Here are the few versions of our friend:

• Cannot delete file: Access is denied
• Cannot delete folder: There has been a sharing violation
• Cannot delete file: It is being used by another person or program
• Cannot delete folder: Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use.

So what we normally do is to “restart” our PC and delete the file or folder after restart but it is not efficient. So you may want to try the following method to delete the locked files or folders by Windows:

(1) Close all open programs

(2) Open a Command Prompt window and leave it open.

• Start->Programs->Accessories->Command Prompt

(3) Kill the Windows Explorer (i.e. explorer.exe)

• Select “Shut Down..” from the Start menu.
• Hold CLTR+SHIFT+ALT and press the CANCEL button.
• Go back to the Command Prompt Window and CD to the directory where you want to delete your files or folders (i.e. del /f, rd /s)

(4) Run again the Windows Explorer (i.e. Explorer.exe)

• Press CTRL+SHIFT+ESC to run the Task Manager
• Click File->New Task(Run…)
• Type Explorer Open text box and click OK.
• Close the Task Manager

Does it work? I hope so…