TheTechGuide Forum

General Category => Tech Clinic => Topic started by: undercover hippy on January 11, 2006, 07:14:15 AM

Title: Dodgy file crashing Explorer but can´t delete it!
Post by: undercover hippy on January 11, 2006, 07:14:15 AM

Hey guys,

I downloaded a movie file from p2p (yeah, stupid me) called "star_wars_III (3)_Revenge_Of_The_Sith_2005_DivX_AC3(1).avi" (yeah yeah, I know...). Anyway, when i tried to open the file it just hung the media player. But now when I try to delete the file, it always says the file is in use by another program, even after a fresh restart. Also, if I even go NEAR the file, Explorer starts to hang... I tried cut and pasting with the same effect. I even tried cut and pasting all the other files to a different folder, just to "quarantine" it, but even that caused explorer to crash. I´ve tried doing a diagnostic of the Disk (it´s an external USB HD), and doing a norton virus check, but all clear. Is there a way I can force a delete? And do you rekon that file is the cause of all my problems? Because to be honest if I even open the folder where all my movies, Mp3´s etc are stored, and scroll past the file, afterwards the HD never stops making that cyclic noise like the one that you get from corrupt cd´s (whirrr.. click), and when you try to disconnect it in windows it says it´s in use. Cheers!! /smile.gif\' class=\'bbc_emoticon\' alt=\':)\' />

Title: Dodgy file crashing Explorer but can´t delete it!
Post by: guestolo on January 11, 2006, 03:08:01 PM

Can you open the P2P program you downloaded it from and delete it from there?
It may be corrupt or incomplete

Title: Dodgy file crashing Explorer but can´t delete it!
Post by: undercover hippy on January 12, 2006, 06:08:48 AM

I´m actually using a new computer now (HP Pavillion AMD 3.4) with no P2P software. The external HD where the file is stored is just a storage drive I used to bring all my data from my old PC. But now I´m afraid to copy anything to the new PC in case I transfer the problem across... and anyway, if I go near that file the HD will hang anyway... incidentally, if I switch off the HD, explorer recovers without crashing, so I guess it´s the HD that´s hanging rather than explorer...

Is there no way to force a delete without going through explorer?

cheers!

Title: Dodgy file crashing Explorer but can´t delete it!
Post by: undercover hippy on January 12, 2006, 06:57:35 AM

I´ve just been into Command Prompt and tried to delete it in there, but when I listed the DIR, the file wasn´t there... in fact there was about 7 files less listed than are listed in explorer! What does this mean??

cheers!

Title: Dodgy file crashing Explorer but can´t delete it!
Post by: 117805sp on January 12, 2006, 09:07:30 AM

Try this utility that works for stubborn files
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/moveonboot.html (http://\"http://www.snapfiles.com/get/moveonboot.html\")

Title: Dodgy file crashing Explorer but can´t delete it!
Post by: undercover hippy on January 12, 2006, 09:44:24 AM

Cheers Guys!

I should have just listened to Guestolo in the first place! Just downloaded and installed the P2P I used to get the file originally. When I tried to delete the stubborn file using that it went like magic! Hooray! My new machine is finally working like a new machine! Until the next time... /wink.gif\' class=\'bbc_emoticon\' alt=\';)\' />