Access denied; Why?

I just tried to delete a bmp image from the My Documents folder and got a message saying that access was denied, adding "Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use." I don't know what most of this means, although I certainly did not think I was using the file when I was trying to delete it. I have seen this type of message in the past and never knew what to do about it, so I just gave up trying to delete the thing. The bmp image is from a photo that I scanned into my computer. Any help is appreciated.

 

right click on the file and click on properties and make sure its not only selected as read only maybee?

 

It's marked archive

Wow! It took almost 30 seconds for someone to reply (smile). Thanks. I mean to include that I checked and it marked archive.

 

have u tried a reboot? if it isnt marked read only it probabley means some program is using the file so its locked, or the program that was using it didnt bother to unlock the file, so your computer thinks the files in use still. rebooting should help, or you could try booting into safemode and deleting it from there

 

Probably some preview thing which prevents you from deleting the file. Avoid being in the folder with explorer when deleting the file.
The two simplest options:
1. Use a command prompt to delete the file
2. Move the file to an empty folder and then delete the folder containing the file.

 

One worked, one didn't; question

Thanks for the help. Creating a new folder didn't work--got same "access denied" message. Going into Safe Mode and deleting did work. Question: How do I use a command prompt to delete the file? I don't know what this means. If this would work, it would of course be easier than the rebooting in Safe Mode process.

 

go to start..run.. type CMD hit enter..

in this familiar dos emulation mode, at the C:\ prompt type

Del C:\path\to\file\filename.ext

hit enter.. done

 

Thanks Kodo

Thanks, Kodo. You have in me a dolt at times concerning computers. I've done the Run/msconfig thing before, but only to go to Startup and change things there. I don't know how to find out the path of the file I want to do something with. Can you give me a hypotheical example of what you said to do?

 

sure..
easiest way to grab the file path is open the CMD like i explained and then find the file in Windows Explorer like you would any other file. then single click and hold the button down.. now drag the file into the CMD window and it will put the path there for you then close the explorer window and proceed.

 

Still trying

Sorry you have to lead me by the hand, Kodo. After reading your last message, I made a Word document called "Test." I then found it in Explorer, clicked and held down and moved it to the white bar in Run, giving me the file path of "C:\My Documents\Test.doc". What do I type (or do) after this?

 

Hi, Kodo told you how to do it in his first post. If you go back to it and follow his directions it should work. The delete part comes at the front of the CMD not after you have put it in.

I am not stealing Kodo's thunder because as I said he has already told you. I also thank him for the drag and drop to CMD as I did not know that and have an awful time remembering pathways. Peace Mal

 

Re: Still trying

that wasn't exactly the way I explained it though if you go to start.. run type DEL and then drag the file into the run box and hit OK, that will work too.

 

thanks to all

Thanks to everyone who responded. To Kodo and Mall930: In Kodo's reply that I should go to Start/Run and type: Del C:\path\to\file\filename.ext, I didn't even know how to do the various parts separated by the backslashes. I guess that when I did what I explained concerning my "test" document, I accomplished what Kodo said to do, even though I still don't know what the words between the backslashes really mean.

 

Ok. I'm glad to see you got the problem solved.. Here's a quick and hopefully clean explaination for his C:\Path\to\file\filename.ext line.

C:\ is the hard drive that the file is located on.. Could be another letter, depending on your setup.

\path\to\file\filename.ext is the folder the file is located in..
For example, you said the .bmp file is in your My Documents folder, so the path would be C:\My Documents\filename.bmp

Another example is say a file in Microsoft Word's template folder (I'm doing this hypothetically, so if the path doesn't exist, don't hunt me down for it..lol).
The path would be
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Word\templates\filename.ext .

Hope this helps you out..
Patrick.