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cannot delete file cannot read from source or disk

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ihrsetrdr

Señor Senior Member
Joined
May 17, 2005
Location
High Desert, Calif.
Well hey, I hadn't seen this kind of problem since Windows 98, but here's how I got to this point:

I have a WinXP+SP3 install up on a rig, and was copying music files over from a Linux box into the XP Shared Music folder. I decided to move them to a storage partition on the hdd, but several folders would through the "cannot delete file cannot read from source or disk". I did a workaround by moving just the audio files, and not the folders that they were in. But, I could not delete the folders, not even with the "rmdir" command in the Command Prompt console. I could "cd" to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\My Music and view the contents( "dir") but was unable to remove those folders, would get the following: "The system cannot find the file specified".

Alright, no big deal... I'd just like to know why this operation fails? Should I be logged into an Admin account, or?


Edit: I found a little freeware utility called Unlocker 1.9.0

http://www.filehippo.com/download_unlocker/7917/

worked very nicely, still wondering about the "why" of this problem.
 
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Unlocker is a good application. I use it at work fairly often to fix complex issues.

Did you try running a check disk? If multiple folders were giving this issue, this is the first thing I would try.
 
I had thought of doing a check disk, but I didn't want to have to reboot the machine, as it had a folding WU due to upload.


I will run chkdsk anyway after the WU is clear, I also have some weird I/O process that doesn't want to shutdown cleanly, when I tell the machine to reboot or shutdown.
 
Be sure to keep an eye on your SMART data. HDTune can read this easily for you.
 
The MY junk will be recreated on boot, until the registry pointer to it is changed, or the "my" location is changed with the system or some tool
they are concidered "system" folders. but they basically are just the type that is created by the system on install, and clingy so users dont have to think.

some of the mydocs folders can be fully and properly "relocated" with drag and drop, and the registry location changes with it . i forget how that works exactally.
the progam TWEAKUI from MS has function in it for changing these minor system folder paths, with proper warnings. and documents the other method. the use of this is also well documented on the web, so you dont have to screw it up.
in Tweakui look in MyComputer - Special Folders.
tweakui is installed but the progam is basically portable. and can be used with just the exe.
.
 
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