# Problem deleting/renaming/moving folders & files



## ossie_66 (Aug 13, 2006)

Hello,

I've had my PC since Windows 8 came out and then upgraded it to 8.1. Just in the last few days I've had a constant problem when trying to delete, rename or move files and folders (not every time but often enough to be very annoying) where I keep getting the folder in use/try again box and a message saying "The action can't be completed because the folder or a file in it is open in another program".

I've done some reading and have found solutions varying from the unlocker program (which hasn't worked) to restarting the computer to closing the folder/file via the control panel so I know there are options but what I'm wondering is if anyone can tell me why this has started to happen please?

I'm not aware of any changes on my PC in the last few days that might explain it but considering I do a lot of file editing, deleting, copying etc, I really don't want to have to constantly use the "solutions" I've found online if there's a fix for it.

Any help would be very much appreciated please.


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## steve32mids (Jun 27, 2012)

Is there certain files or folders you are trying to move or delete ? are you trying to copy system files or folders? as these would have the issues.


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## ossie_66 (Aug 13, 2006)

Hi Steve, no, it's been a mix of files/folders. I had trouble deleting some winzip files and deleting and renaming some folders in my games and photo folders... stuff I do daily normally without an issue until the last couple of days.


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## steve32mids (Jun 27, 2012)

https://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download.html

try revo after installing it click on tools then unrecoverable delete you can then add folders and files and try and delete this way.


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## ossie_66 (Aug 13, 2006)

Many thanks Steve! I'll give it a go... fingers crossed.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Are these files and folders on an external USB HDD or on your Main internal C: Drive?
The files may reside on a sector of the HDD that has Bad Sectors. So the files will be corrupted and not able to be deleted. 
Try running Check Disk on the drive.


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## ossie_66 (Aug 13, 2006)

Steve, I tried the demo version of revo and as far as I can tell, it's purpose is to permanently delete files/folders? A large part of the issue for me is the sudden inability to rename folders. 

I followed your advice spunk.funk and ran a scan which didn't report any errors (I had the machine in for an upgrade etc a few weeks back and it got a clean bill of health then too). The major area of frustration for me is a series of folders I constantly use and rename. I do modelling for Open Rails (the modern equivalent of the old MS Train Sim) and have a bunch of folders I do various projects in, but you can only have one main working folder for the program at any one time, so I'm constantly renaming them back and forth.

After rebooting and running the scan, I did some test renaming and deleting which all went fine, but after an hour or so of work in one of the folders, when it came time to do a rename, once again I got the "try again" message. Really frustrating!

Edit... & yes, it's my main HDD (D drive) I'm having the problem with.


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## tristar (Aug 12, 2008)

It's never good practice to use Unlockers, because the file is locked for a reason, so unless you're able to pin point the source it doesn't help, you might corrupt the file, the application associated with it or worse yet the OS itself. Start with a installing malwarebytes, update it and do a complete scan from safe mode to ensure there are no infections in your computer.

Once this is complete, Open Task Manager, click Show Processes of all users, and give us a screenshot of all the processes that are currently running..

It's possible that some application is keeping the handle open, something as simple as a CMD prompt keeping an open handle or something as complex as a cryptlocker which is running encryption of the files..


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## ossie_66 (Aug 13, 2006)

Thanks tristar. I guess firstly, it's the fact that after using these folders and files (essentially a combination of 3d model shape files, ace files and text files) for years I've suddenly got this happening that is causing me a bit of confusion, but I do have Malwarebytes running and it reports no problems.

I've just tried renaming a folder without luck so as you've suggested, I've run a scan and here is the screenshot of the processes.


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## tristar (Aug 12, 2008)

Hmm.. I do see some applications but a little hard to pin point...

First, try to find a file that you're unable to copy..

Download an application called Processexplorer.. live.sysinterals.com

It's an exe and safe to run, so download it and run it, then use the Find option and search the filename that you're unable to copy and post the DLL files it's referencing so we can find out which app is locking it..


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## ossie_66 (Aug 13, 2006)

If I've done that correctly, I don't think it's been helpful. I'm sure I've had some issues deleting etc from other folders, but the one I use most and where I'm therefore noticing it most is D:\games\MSTS\trains. Within that trains folder I have 6 folders I use at different times but one of them must always be named trainset in order for the program to read it. 

I've typed in d:\games\msts\trains into the handle or DLL substring search and it's returned all the folders in the current trainset folder (plus the other 5 main folders) but under process the only return is explorer.exe. If I've done that correctly, I'm assuming you were hoping that something other than explorer would have come up in the search also?


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## tristar (Aug 12, 2008)

Only the name of the file or folder is sufficient, that should point it towards the file.

Close any open Explorer windows that you have Windows Explorer & Internet Explorer.. Then try this again..

Yes, I was hoping for another application to pop up..


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## ossie_66 (Aug 13, 2006)

Thanks tristar, but the same result again. Normally I just rename those folders - current/vr/old etc to trainset depending on which one I want to work on, but suddenly I've got this "try again" thing happening.


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## tristar (Aug 12, 2008)

Expand explorer and see if there is any other process hooked on to it..

Else, reboot to Safe Mode and try again..

If a Scan is running or if the AV is protecting the files, it'll use explorer to lock it. So disable the AV/Internet Security/Malware app and try again but in Safe mode.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Also, make sure the file isn't open when you try to move it. Make sure the App the program is associated with is closed. 
Right click the Taskbar, open the *Task Manager*, make sure the process for the App that opens the file is Ended if it is open in the background.

Just on a wild hunch, Go to Start/Search and type* diskmgmt.msc*, right click the *diskmgmt *results and *Run As Administrator.* 
In the Lower Pane, is the D:\ drive a *Dynamic Disk* with a faded gold banner?


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## ossie_66 (Aug 13, 2006)

Sorry tristar... I'm not sure what you mean by "expand explorer". As far as a reboot goes, that will allow me to delete and rename them, but basically I'm hoping to find a cause/cure so I don't need to restart the PC every time I want to do a rename or delete.

I don't see "dynamic" or a faded gold banner, but here's a screenshot in case I'm missing something spunk.funk.

This is probably totally irrelevant, but just in case it might have some bearing on the issue, those folders total about 120GB in size. That size hasn't altered drastically in the few days that the problem has been occurring though... so as I say, probably irrelevant.


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## ossie_66 (Aug 13, 2006)

Not sure if you meant expand explorer in ProcessExplorer tristar? But just in case, I've got another "try again" message and here is the PE screenshot from the same time.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

I didn't think your drive was Dynamic, but I gave it a wild hunch shot. It's setup correctly as a Dark Blue Primary partition on both drives. 

The error is showing that *the Folder is in use* (ie) it is open in another process. In _Process Explorer_, for Windows Explorer, there is a *+* sign, that means there is more the one Windows Explorer window open, possibly this file, close _all_ Windows Explorer windows, except the one with the file is in that you are trying to move.


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## ossie_66 (Aug 13, 2006)

Thanks spunk.funk but that was one of the first things I tried. Even with just the one explorer window open, it won't let me rename unless I reboot.


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## ossie_66 (Aug 13, 2006)

FWIW... it's definitely not just confined to these MSTS folders. I just downloaded a file and when I tried to do a cut and paste from my downloads directory, I got the "try again" error, but strangely it let me copy the files... just not delete the folder or rename it.


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## ossie_66 (Aug 13, 2006)

Ok... so just out of sheer curiosity, I downloaded the demo version of XYplorer to see if the problem might have been specifically related to explorer but I'm getting more of the same. Some files/folders I can delete, move, rename, some I can't. Any further ideas or suggestions will be gratefully received please.


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## tristar (Aug 12, 2008)

What spunk said, you need to click the + next to Explorer in procexp to get further info.

Also, try disabling AV/Firewall/AntiMalware and try again.

There is an application that might be hooking onto explorer.

Here's what you can try..

Start by killing a few processes in the list, such as Jusch,Nero,bonjour,ipodservice, google crashhandler and any other applications which you know, kill them one after another, this can cause a application or even an OS crash, so be cautious and make a note of the ones you're killing.

If you're system becomes unusable, reboot and it should be back to normal.

This might help you narrow down the offending application.


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## ossie_66 (Aug 13, 2006)

Hi guys. Firstly sorry for the delay responding. I had a very busy end to my week. This morning I've been doing some experimenting and trying the suggestions you've made and think I have a "solution". 

Firstly, there's no rhyme or reason to when this issue occurs. First thing this morning I went into the train folder and renamed my active trainset folder to trainset temp then realised I still needed to do some work in it so tried to rename it back to trainset but got the folder in use error. That happened in the space of about 2 seconds.

I restarted the computer with the intention of taking some screenshots with Process Explorer running but was able to rename those folders over and over without any issues. After about 3 minutes of trying to get the error to occur, I gave up and did the piece of work I wanted to. Once completed I tried to rename the folder to trainset temp and got the folder in use error. 

Looking at Process Explorer I noticed another instance of windows explorer had appeared. Deleting it allowed me to do the rename. I've spent the last half hour just moving files and folders around, trying to rename etc and again, without any rhyme or reason, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. On each occasion where I had an in use error though, killing that extra explorer process allows me to proceed (although there are times the extra explorer process is appearing in Process Explorer but I'm still able to continue renaming/moving/deleting for a period of time before the in use error occurs).

While the inconsistency of it is annoying, not to mention not understanding why it has started happening in the first place, it does appear as though killing the extra instances of explorer is the way to continue.

Any thoughts on the how or why of this would be appreciated, but if the last half hour proves anything, it does appear as though I have a workaround now (fingers crossed). Many thanks for all your assistance with this.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

The _Folder in Use_ error happens when you close the Explorer window, but for some reason Windows holds onto it. If you see more then one Explorer Windows open when you are trying to rename etc, then you know you have to kill that other explorer window. We'll need to do more research why it keeps happening.


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## ossie_66 (Aug 13, 2006)

Thanks spunk.funk. Having used those folders for years without an issue and not having been aware of any change in my system in the past week or two, I'm just really curious as to why it's started happening. At least (fingers still crossed) I can work around it now though.


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## tristar (Aug 12, 2008)

Ok, if you're launching any applications that use this folder, there is a high probability there is a launch parameter of launching it in separate space, when this happens, explorer launches another instance and the second instance hooks on to it.

Another possibility, you might have explorer to launch the folder in another window, in which case 2 separate instances of explorer run, now if you do not close all of them, the open instance would continue to remain...

This is all speculation, just trying to outline the possibilities..


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## ossie_66 (Aug 13, 2006)

Hi again guys and unfortunately my "fix" didn't last long. I've been busy (and incredibly frustrated by this problem) so it's taken me a while to get back to it. 

I have 3 screenshots, 2 taken as soon as I encountered the folder in use error, and one straight after a reboot when I was able to rename it. There are some slight differences in the process explorer screens but I simply don't know enough about background processes etc to see anything useful either there or with the task manager results. If anything jumps out, I'd be pleased to hear it.

The other thing that is probably worth mentioning is that I spent about half an hour in safe mode, constantly moving and renaming folders without an issue (much longer and more than I'd have been able to do normally since this problem started). Again, I don't know enough to understand the difference, but hopefully that is helpful info.

Aside from it being incredibly annoying as is, the lack of consistency is just crazy. The problem can occur and I reboot and can change it straight away, but next time it happens it might take 3 or 4 reboots before I can do the rename. Last night I was trying to consolidate 2 of my work folders into one and some folders it let me move them ok, most of them however would give me the "folder in use" error meaning I had to copy the folder rather than move it, but it would then let me delete the folder. Surely if they are "in use" for moving or renaming, they should also be in use for deleting? Inconsistent, incredibly frustrating problem.

Edit: Hopefully the screenshots are clear enough. If not, I can try uploading them to photobucket or something similar if they give a larger, clearer picture.


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## ossie_66 (Aug 13, 2006)

Ok, I just noticed something else. When I was working in safe mode, the folders I was renaming and deleting were in the "Beck" folder. I've just gone back into them to continue my clean up (in "normal" mode) and have been able to rename and delete them with no issues.

I then tried to rename my trainset folder and got the "folder in use" error but was able to go back into the Beck folder and continue to rename and delete. To my limited knowledge, that would suggest the system thinks there is something in the trainset folder that is open, just not the particular folder I was working on.

I tried the same thing in safe mode and was able to continue my clean up of the "Beck" folder as well as do a number of renames of my various trainset folders without any issues, so I'm reasonably confident whatever is causing the in use error isn't happening in safe mode.


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