File in use

Is there any way to copy a file that windows says is in use by another program?

Try the DOS prompt (copy c:\yourdir\yourfile.ext c:\elsewhere\yourfile.ext)

alternatively, if it's a file that you know contains ascii chars (i.e. a config file) then open it in notepad, it doesn't care whether the file is in use or not.

With the dos prompt I can't remember how convert exactly long directory names instead 8+3 old skool format

eg Docume~1

If I use notepad it comes up with an error saying "Please make sure a disk is in the drive you specified" :) Good old Windows.

you could boot up in safe mode and do it there

Windows should be able to copy a file that another program is using. Moving it is another matter.

In batch files you put "" round long paths with spaces in etc.

here is an example:

xcopy "C:\documents and settings\jake birkett\my documents\*.*" "F:\BackupDynamic\documents and settings\jake birkett\my documents\*.*" /e /h /r /y

Cheers for the help guys, still couldn't master it.
Ah well, can't be helped. I don't seem to recall ever having this much problem in 98, must just be a feature of XP.

be carefull E... check to make sure no processes are running that have a tag on the file...


from the dos prompt copy it to another location and try to open the new one...

i've had this happen to me once in xp... i shut down windows, restarted, and all was fine...

good luck...

--Mike

You can use Unlocker

http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/

You can use an older tool like SYSTEM COMMANDER that was written for DOS. I have found a few "suspicious" files and could not delete / zip / or move them because of a FILE IN USE error... SYSTEM COMMANDER allowed me to delete it. I think you can find a copy on the web somewhere. It has been abandoned since 1986.

It's a XP bug. Have fun, ENAY :) Locking files happens a lot, but sometimes XP forgets to unlock them. Happens (eg.) with aborted CD burning sessions etc.

BTW I don't see why a file cannot be copied when used by an other app. Of course, you cannot move, delete, rename it or write to it. Seems to be a "smart" XP feature to lock a file for any access (how about to provide an old version of it when an other app is currently overwriting it). The way it is now apps are doomed to fail and crash.

Ahhhhhh thanks Eikon!

Are you copying from NTFS to FAT32?

I've downloaded that unlocker, gonna give that a whirl in a sec.

> It's a XP bug. Have fun, ENAY :)

Heheh, yeah, normally I boot in dos mode to do all these tasks but of course XP doesn't let you, and the command prompt in XP has all the features of the 98 command prompt but with all the power taken away. Which sucks more than a world record breaking sucker.

PS FAT32 I'm using. Is NTFS better?

NTFS has INDEX for FAST SEARCH turned on as a default which increases pagefile size and disk bloat and makes your HDD do strange things when it senses you aren't doing anything... INDEXed is slower... I have turned it off on my HDD three times this year. Seems EVERY times I let windows do an update it gets turned back on!