Article KB 0003
Written by: Jack in the UK
http://www.excel-it.com for OzGrid
22/04/2005
Ever had a message -
Cannot open or delete a file?
Reason: in use by another user - when it is not?
Normally in around major cashes and if linked to a backbone (server / network) this I will except I guess but tests I have done show that this might not be on full crashes, I use Windows Xp Pro and the work server is Windows 2000 (top shop guys forget bullet proof – the British RAF Tornados full squadron would find it tricky to hit it – You get the picture)
Now I still say since the BSD (Blue Screen of Death) was fix in Windows that mini or trip crashes still happen before BSD would appear not so and Windows explorer will recover either by a drag and loads of Hard Drive activity or a refresh and mini re-boot – i.e. all application disappear and only the Windows background can be seen for few moments – sure You all have seen this. So that’s a crash I am convinced Windows catches it and repairs things as priority.
Now back to ‘locking files’ Windows may stop access to file(s) but in general will only be the one(s) You were using at the time of the crash, even the recovery program does it best to work around this that is OK, but opens as copies sometimes or bugs out with this error. Why?
I am not sure! Here is a tryable fix see if it works.
Close every application that’s was / is running in Windows
• Use Windows search for file extensions *.tmp & ~$*.do? – delete all these These are holding files from open(ed) files are the reason the flags are set to true (i.e. open) deleted removes that flag (i.e. sets flag = false
• Now You should be able to open Your file
jiuk