Unable to delete files in XP

[steve]

I've Googled on this topic forever and haven't turned up an exact match, but can anyone think of a reason why some EPS files in Windows XP cannot be deleted, saying they're locked?

In general, XP has some weirdness with EPS files. In Quark Xpress, it won't read an EPS file over about 65MB when it's on our Windows 2000 network, passing it over like it's not there. I always assumed this was a Quark problem, but lately I'm not so sure.

The other day, I couldn't delete an EPS file; our art director was trying to burn it, and it refused to be deleted either from the local drive or from the temp area where CD burning is stored. This comes up a lot, both on the server and locally.

It seems like a security issue, as you can select that EPS file with a bunch of others, choose "Properties", then the security tab, and it says, "This file is different." But that still doesn't let me delete the damn thing; I usually have to go into safe mode to get rid of it.

It's always EPS files, created from Illustrator or Photoshop. I thought that maybe it had to do with file indexing, since they appear like text files (maybe it's locked?). But I was able to delete a 300+MB EPS, while a 24MB one was the culprit above. So it appears the size issue is a red herring.

Any OS gurus have any good ideas?

[Bull]

Can you never delete files that exhibit this problem once? If you can delete them at some point, what do you think changed?

I wonder if you've looked at the files prior to wanting to delete them? Doesn't an EPS file use the printer driver to display the file? Have you ever been able to log off and log back on (but not dropping down to safe mode) again to delete the file?

It seems like a security issue, as you can select that EPS file with a bunch of others, choose "Properties", then the security tab, and it says, "This file is different."

I don't understand this part. How do you know the file is different? I just see all the access control entries and their specific permissions on it. I'm not sure how you can use this with multiple files to get this type of information.

[steve]

Can you never delete files that exhibit this problem once? If you can delete them at some point, what do you think changed?

No, we tried rebooting and it stayed. But that usually works; something locks the file, and god knows we can't figure out what it us.

I wonder if you've looked at the files prior to wanting to delete them? Doesn't an EPS file use the printer driver to display the file?

In this case, no, we hadn't loaded the file at all.

I'm not sure if a printer driver has anything to do with an EPS, but it's an interesting idea. Photoshop or Illustrator can rasterize the file.

I don't understand this part. How do you know the file is different? I just see all the access control entries and their specific permissions on it. I'm not sure how you can use this with multiple files to get this type of information.

If you select multiple files with different security, it will tell you. When you get to the security tab, it'll change the file with "different" security to, well, generally "all access" (assuming you're an administrator).

We have to do this a lot because Photoshop stores metadata and security info in PSD files. If we get one from someone else, which we do with some regularity, it retains its user for that system, be it a Windows XP user or from another Windows 2000 or 2003 server.

That file can't be deleted, or even written over, because its owner is some string of characters, which is the user from another domain/system/computer.

This appears to be the issue with EPS files, but there are no user problems with these files. They were created on this local machine, by that user, and she still couldn't delete them.

[XPav]

Are you looking at the file in an XP folder-with-preview window? If its trying to read the EPS file to make a thumbnail, but can't because you its such a huge file, it could be locking the file, preventing you from deleting it.

To see if that's the issue, go under View->Customize folder and change the folder type to "Documents". Then it won't try and make thumbnails.

[steve]

Are you looking at the file in an XP folder-with-preview window? If its trying to read the EPS file to make a thumbnail, but can't because you its such a huge file, it could be locking the file, preventing you from deleting it.

It was in details mode, though that doesn't mean it wasn't trying to generate a preview for the left shortcut thingy in XP. Hmm, I'll have to pay attention to that sometimes; the 300MB EPS file deleted fine, but the 24MB didn't. I suppose it's possible the smaller file is actually more complex, in terms of vectors and such, but I find it hard to believe that XP actually renders the EPS. It'd probably use the preview as a thumbnail, I'd think.

[Bull]

Ah, I see what you mean about different security settings now. Here is another trick you can try. On the security settings tab click on the advanced button, go to the owner tab, and take ownership of the file. You proably need to be an administrator to do this.

However, this isn't going to help with the EPS files that were created by a specific user and can't be deleted by that same user. I think this is an issue like what Xpav is saying, where XP is trying to render a preview. or possibly my thing about the printer driver trying to render the picture. Aren't EPS pictures vector based? It's been a while since I did production, but my point is that the lame "permission denied" message doesn't always mean the ACLs are messed up.

For example, I have a 10g partition mounted on an empty NTFS folder. In this configuration, I can't use explorer to delete files without getting an access denied message. I have no idea why this is. However, if I drag and drop the offending file to the recycle bin while holding down the left shift key (keyboard shotrcut to permenantly delete a file without putting it in the recycle bin), it works just fine. Go figure.

[Midnight Son]

Wait til Longhorn comes out. You won't be able to delete .txt files without permission from Redmond! :lol:

[asspennies]

I have the same problems sometimes with files that windows thinks are "in use."

The way to fix it, I've found, is to actually go into the command line (Run > cmd) and delete it through the dos emulator. Sounds odd, but it works. Sometimes you actually have to do it a few times but I haven't had it totally fail me yet.

[Pjerrot]

I have the same problems sometimes with files that windows thinks are "in use."

The way to fix it, I've found, is to actually go into the command line (Run > cmd) and delete it through the dos emulator. Sounds odd, but it works. Sometimes you actually have to do it a few times but I haven't had it totally fail me yet.

I'll join the club of people with the problem and only having a -work-around.
It take to much time to use the dos-emulator. Instead I move it to the trashcan.
In fact I believe you can move it, cut it or rename it - any of this seems to brake the deadlock, and you can delete it.

[Chris Nahr]

The way to fix it, I've found, is to actually go into the command line (Run > cmd) and delete it through the dos emulator. Sounds odd, but it works. Sometimes you actually have to do it a few times but I haven't had it totally fail me yet.

THE COMMAND LINE IN WINDOWS 2000/XP IS NOT A DOS EMULATOR!!! IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DOS!!! EVEN THOUGH MICROSOFT KEEPS CALLING IT "DOS WINDOW"!!! I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE CALL THE NT COMMAND LINE "DOS"!!! I CAN'T STOP TYPING ALL-CAPS AND EXCLAMATION MARKS!!! ARRRGH!!! :evil: :evil: :evil:

[Timemaster Tim]

THE COMMAND LINE IN WINDOWS 2000/XP IS NOT A DOS EMULATOR!!! IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DOS!!! EVEN THOUGH MICROSOFT KEEPS CALLING IT "DOS WINDOW"!!! I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE CALL THE NT COMMAND LINE "DOS"!!!

When I "dial" a number on my telephone, it's punching a keypad. Can you reply to my post in all-caps please. Thank you.