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KnifeMissile · 04-05-2004, 01:50 PM

Now, I'm trying to delete a file and I can't because something has a lock on it but, of course, WindowsXP&trade won't tell me what that something is. So, I am using Process Explorer, by Mark Rusinovich, to detemine what process has a lock on the file and it turns out to be (drum roll, please...)--explorer, itself! Yes, the very program used to delete files has a lock on the file I want to delete!

What crap is this?

For all of you not In the Know&copy, explorer is the name of the process that is your windowing environment. So, when you place things on your desktop, or use your taskbar, or launch the default file browser (also commonly called Explorer), that is all done with a single process called explorer, probably found in your C:\WINDOWS directory. The program is formally called Windows Explorer.

I have terminated explorer and started it again (to ensure that no one has a lock on said file). Indeed, no one has a lock on the file. So, I go to delete it using explorer and it takes it's sweet time before telling me that it can't because it has a lock on the file! Just in case that wasn't annoying enough, it also decides to spin on the CPU, for no good reason (other than to annoy me, of course!).

The only remedy to all this was to kill explorer (again!), delete the file using the del program from the command shell, and then to restart explorer. Now, things are finally okay with my system (for now...).

My question is, What the Fuck!?&copy If WindowsXP&trade isn't the buggiest piece of crap I have ever used since Windows95/98&trade, I don't know what is!

04-05-2004, 01:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
KnifeMissile Location: Waterloo, Ontario	WindowsXP won't let me delete a file! Now, I'm trying to delete a file and I can't because something has a lock on it but, of course, WindowsXP&trade won't tell me what that something is. So, I am using Process Explorer, by Mark Rusinovich, to detemine what process has a lock on the file and it turns out to be (drum roll, please...)--explorer, itself! Yes, the very program used to delete files has a lock on the file I want to delete! What crap is this? For all of you not In the Know&copy, explorer is the name of the process that is your windowing environment. So, when you place things on your desktop, or use your taskbar, or launch the default file browser (also commonly called Explorer), that is all done with a single process called explorer, probably found in your C:\WINDOWS directory. The program is formally called Windows Explorer. I have terminated explorer and started it again (to ensure that no one has a lock on said file). Indeed, no one has a lock on the file. So, I go to delete it using explorer and it takes it's sweet time before telling me that it can't because it has a lock on the file! Just in case that wasn't annoying enough, it also decides to spin on the CPU, for no good reason (other than to annoy me, of course!). The only remedy to all this was to kill explorer (again!), delete the file using the del program from the command shell, and then to restart explorer. Now, things are finally okay with my system (for now...). My question is, What the Fuck!?&copy If WindowsXP&trade isn't the buggiest piece of crap I have ever used since Windows95/98&trade, I don't know what is!