Access is denied? What?

Okay, I feel like a total lamer for posting a question about how to delete something, but I don't know what to do. So I'll suffer my humiliation and hopefully find an answer for my problem.

Anyway, disclaimers aside, I was trying to clear the spyware off a friend's computer using AdAware, and it told me some files could not be deleted. So I hunt them down and try to delete them manually, and I get the following error: "can not delete ~file~: access is denied
Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use." I checked the thing's properties to make sure it wasn't write protected, and rebooted and closed all programs and as many active processes as I could to make sure that it wasn't in use by anything, or as sure as I could be, at least. And it stll wouldn't let me delete it or even rename it.

So then I decided I'd be crafty and try and delete it from the DOS window, that didn't work. So then I went back to my dorm room got my Knoppix CD, and was gonna try and delete it from a Linux window, but for some reason her computer wouldn't run the Knoppix CD.

Bottom line: how the hell do I delete this thing?

You forgot to mention the OS you are working on.

Pop in a real DOS boot disk. Then you'll have no problem deleting the files.... I have this happen every now and then where Windows just decides a file can't be deleted... usually for me it's avi's... If you need the files for a boot disk head over to http://www.bootdisk.com/.... I recommend the Win 98 bootdisk... since it's the most recent and it's still DOS.

gimme the addy and i'll fix it from here...

She's using Windows XP. I'll try the bootdisk thing tomorrow (poor girl sleeps. When will the world learn that insomnia is much more efficient?).

Three replies so soon after posting. At 4 AM no less. You guys rock. I love these boards.

Quote:

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Originally posted here by RunningDuck
She's using Windows XP. I'll try the bootdisk thing tomorrow (poor girl sleeps. When will the world learn that insomnia is much more efficient?).

Three replies so soon after posting. At 4 AM no less. You guys rock. I love these boards.

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Hehehe. It's 12:40 PM here :)

If it's XP and she is using NTFS forget about using the win9x bootdisks. You will not be able to delete it as win9x cannot read/write NTFS.

Try this one:

Login as an administrator (or some other account with administrator rights).

start-> run.. cmd.exe

at the prompt type:

at <some time in the near future> /interactive cmd.exe

ie: c:\> at 12:41 /interactive cmd.exe

Then wait until the cmd box pops up. This command box will be running as LOCALSYSTEM. You should be able to delete *any* file now.

NB. This also works for taskmgr.exe. This will allow you to kill any process running.

Yeah, but if the file is a malicious one and has a code to make the prog seems like system prog, then you won't be able to delete it. The last chance is to run DOS and delete it from there.

Check your startup folder under programs, make sure it's empty. If your familliar, go into regedit, check your Run folder, make sure there isn't anything that shouldn't be there (IE: Bargains.exe). If you find something in either of those that looks suspicous, delete it, then reboot. This should stop any 3rd party software from running on startup, therefore you should be able to delete it. Also, a win98 boot disk will NOT help if you are using XP with NTFS file system. Just FYI.

I've had similar issues with some programs, that would not uninstall completely. The files were still in use, and what I did was log out and boot into safe mode. From there I was able to delete all the files without a file in use error. I would suggest trying this. Make sure to hit F8 before Windows starts loading and then select Boot into safe mode. Don't select the one with networking options. Hopefully this will help you.

Look at the properties of the file being deleted it may be marked as system. The other possability is thatthe file is in use...spyboat S&D deals with these.

In case startup folder is empty from Start Menu then go to: Start->Run->msconfig
and then on the startup, ucheck the one that you think that are "bad" programmes.

Hey Guy's !!

You forgot about "SAFE MODE" .. have you tried restarting in safemode and deleting the file?

BUT Wait What were the files that you were trying to remove and were you attempting a manual removal or using one of the Parasite-ware remove progs ie Ad-Aware or Spybot S&D.

If You were using one of these progs you may find that using one (normaly only one) other removal prog will get rid of it.. just have had times where Spybot couldn't only to find Ad-aware did (normaly the other way around..


Cheers

If und3ertak3r's suggestion doesnt work try a file shredder instead of just hitting delete. i know the one i use (eraser) doesnt care if the program is in use..... I have had the exact same problem

Adaware 6.0 Pro rulez!!!!