Cannot delete file

i have a problem with a video file wich i cannot delete every time i try to delete it it says that it's been used from another program but im pretty sure i closed any program that could possibly use it
can anybody help me
thanks

 

Tried restarting then deleting, so you know you haven;t told anything to use it?

 

Try rebooting into safe mode and see if you can delete it from there

 

It's happening to me too.
Except i have like 12 files that wont delete.
Pretty sure it's not a virus (scanned the files and comp).
How would i go into "safe mode", im new to XP.

 

To start XP in safe-mode, restart your computer and then start holding F8 (if that doesn't work then try other function keys like F12) when you see your computer coming back on. A menu should pop up that has several options. You want the one about starting Windows XP in safe mode. Just restart your computer and then do nothing to get out of safe mode.

 

Try the General's advice and reboot in safe mode, then run your delete from there. The F8 key to get to safe mode should work but if it doesn't try holding down the CTRL key until the menu appears.

 

I will wait for Danny to tell me if this "safe mode" works on deleting the files.
Thanks Dark.

 

thanks for the advice but it didnt work
i try to delete it while i was in safe mode but the same window comes up
i really dont know how to do it
the only thing that may matter while i was in safe mode i right clik on the file and i checked the properties which showed that the file is used by me (my name) administrator and system so that may help maybe

 

I've had this problem before and here is how I fixed it:

1. Download http://seeyouatthecross.tripod.com/procexp.zip
2. Open Process Explorer
3. On the top menu bar click "Find", then "Find Handle".
4. Now in the box that pops up type the full name of the file in question.
5. One or more things should be found and appear right below the area where you typed.
6. Click the first one and at the bottom area of the screen something should be highlighted.
7. Right click this and click Close Handle.
8. Repeat this step for each thing that was found.
9. When you have closed all of these handles go to the Task Manager(Ctrl+Alt+Del)
10. Go to the Processes tab and find explorer.exe
11. Right click this and click End Process Tree(At this point most or all windows and the taskbar will disappear).
12. If the Task Manager is closed reopen it now.(Do this by either the Ctrl+Alt+Del method or, if this won't work now, try Ctrl+Shift+Esc.)
13. On the top menu bar go to "File", then "New Task (Run...)".
14. Now type command and hit enter.
15. Now you should have a Dos window. Navigate to your file and when you are in the directory with it, type "del file.exe"(Without the quotes and replacing the filename and type with whatever your file is called.)
16. Your file should be deleted. To get the taskbar and stuff back just go to the Task Manager and File, New Task again. Type explorer and hit enter.

 

Just a thought, but have you tried something like CrapCleaner to remove the files?

 

Otherwise I would put from the command prompt and delete the file by going to the directory and removing that way.

 

If the file is in use by something like explorer.exe, going in throught the command prompt still doesn't work at times.

 

I know there may be many good answers to this question, but one i have found to work for other programs such as tricky spyware that run two seperate programs from two seperate locations and each program has a string telling it to automaticly start the other program if it is shut down, this makes it very diffacult to get rid of such programs... this is how i handle it.
(windows XP home/pro)
open the task manager, process tab, sort by user name.
find the process that is using the file, highlight it,
Open windows explorer find the file, highlight it.
right click on the process in the task manager that is using the file, click "end process tree" then IMEDIATLY switch to windows explorer and hit the "delete" key and then enter/return, thereby deleting the file before it has a chance to "auto-run' again.