Problem Deleting Empty Folder In Win XP - why you can not delete an empty folder?

It happened to me several times. When a folder is already empty, but still can't delete it. Which says something about other user is using it. Yet I am the only user on my PC. Anyone knows why is it? And how to deal with it?

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1. Sometimes after you delete stuff from a folder, and you were using a program or file from the folder before deleting the file/program, during use, the program would have paged the memory and put a process in queue.. now although you have seen the file and/or run the program you just feleted from the folder, the memory still has a process in que and if the process refers to the folder where you've deleted the fole/program from, then the OS will not allow you to delete the folder.

Solution, wait for a while (if you're running on a low amount or RAM reboot) and then delete the foder.

2. You have a hidden file in the folder that is being paged and is queued in a process. Unhide all folder contents. Delete any hidden folders (as long as they are not system critical), refresh the folder and then delete it.

3. You have some sort of malacious ware/file that is running from the folder location and is hidden; or the folder is being used as a location by some program to briefly store temp files. Since the folder is locked for use, you need to kill any process that may be using the folder before you can delete the folder.

Solution, reboot your comp in safe mode (press F8 to start in safe mode) and delete the folder. (Safe mode allows only essential processess to run).

Hope this helps..!!

 

 

 

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google on "deletedr". It does a good job for files. I have never had to use it on folders, so I can't say for certain that it would work, but worth a try. Freeware.

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thanks for help!

Well, I am not a totally windows dummy. I know basic tips or tricks about XP.

1. sometime windows preview would make some video files or graphic files cannot be deleted
but what about an empty folder which all files removes or deleted. What process would still
there for an empty folder. Maybe winXp just stupid about that?

2. I always show all hidden and system files, so there are no hidden files left.

3. No suspicious process found.

Ofcause I can delete it in safe mode. I just wonder is this a flaw of WinXP?



Do you mean the DELETE DOCTOR?
Is this program delete files by scheduling them for deletion upon system restart?
There is no much infomation about it on their website.
Hmm, if there are better ways, I prefer not use unknown or immature programs.

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Try Unlocker..
It will unlock the files or folders which locked by windows.

Windows may locks the file or folder when there has been
a sharing violation, or file may be in use by user or other
program.

By using Unlocker, you just simply right click the folder
or file and select Unlocker. It will give you a list of process
which is using the file/folder. Then you can unlock it.

the lastest version Unlocker is 1.8.0 and it can be downloaded
here:
http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker

screenshot:

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quite funny, as I am a Linux user and a former Windows user. Actually, I do own a copy of Windoze XP, and I use it for gaming, but I never experienced such drawback.

Have you tried to delete the folder as the Administrator?

xboxrulz

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this is the best way to fix this situation... get a program like ztree gold... then go into that directory.. there may be still files in there... if there is delete them... some files u may not be able to delete.. .and you'll need a special program to delete them... cause some files have weird names and don't use proper letters and it says the file isn't there when it is. if there is no files in the directory... then that means there is only one reason left and that is your memory.

your memory holds onto files when they load up and usually release them afterwards.. sometimes things do stuff up.. the best bet is turn your computer off for 2 minutes (so the memory does clear properly) and then reboot your computer... you should definately then be able to remove your directory.

I hope this information helps you with your worries.

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QUOTE(kaputnik @ Feb 27 2006, 03:18 PM)

Solution, reboot your comp in safe mode (press F8 to start in safe mode) and delete the folder. (Safe mode allows only essential processess to run).

Hope this helps..!!

that's not a wise solution as everytime i need to delete a folder and it doesn't want to be deleted to restart my pc to force it to death

when i was using windows XP so much i was facing this kind of problems so much, there is always a good solution for things such like these, is to use the terminal, which in this case is cmd, cmd stands for Command Prompt, you can open it by:

1- click start button "this boring one that has microsoft logo on it "
2- click run
3- in the run window type cmd and press enter
4- in the new black window "command prompt window" get into the folder location
example: consider this folder on ' D ' partition on your pc in 'games' folder on that partition and called 'cs'
type---->>d: then enter then type---->>cd games then enter now you are in
5- type---->>del cs
now it has been done, without restarting or using any program or anything else than using windows itself.

this is a solution for your problem, but the best final solution is to uninstall windows xp and setup any distro you may like of linux

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Unlocker as stated above has been effective for me 95% of the time. It's one of those annoying bugs that I didn't experience in Windows 2000.

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It could be due to it being locked, but I feel the real reason is because it's corrupted, which happens quite often. It's probably sitting on unreadable sectors at the moment making it impossible for you to do those commands.

I'll list the easy things you can perform first.

Rename the folder, then delete.

Set all folder attributes to off, then delete.

Cutting it and pasting it in another location, then removing it.

Open up command prompt, browse to the parent folder that it is in e.g. cd "c:\program files\", and then del foldername.

Those would be the easy things to perform before suggesting booting into safe mode and trying to do the same, but first just attempting a normal delete.

It could also be because you are not allowed permission to perform that because you are not part of the folders permission, if you're an administrator you will just add yourself to the ownership group and then delete it.


Cheers,


MC

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