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Main => Everything Else => Topic started by: shmokes on August 13, 2010, 02:21:21 pm

Title: Windows file management
Post by: shmokes on August 13, 2010, 02:21:21 pm
 :timebomb: :timebomb: :timebomb: :timebomb: :timebomb:

Why when you try to rename or move a file does Windows say: The action can't be completed because the folder or a file in it is open in another program

This is so infuriating and it happens all the bloody time!  Dear Microsoft, here's an idea.  Tell me WHAT PROGRAM IT'S OPEN IN!!!  Cos nothing's running.  And I'm happy to kill a processes for you but I don't know which one is causing you confusion.  But you do.  So why don't you just tell me?

So annoying.
Title: Re: Windows file management
Post by: smalltownguy on August 13, 2010, 02:30:57 pm
www.linux.org (http://www.linux.org)


 ;D sorry, couldn't resist *hee hee
Title: Re: Windows file management
Post by: gryhnd on August 13, 2010, 02:32:19 pm
I use this on the occasions that happens:

http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/ (http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/)
Title: Re: Windows file management
Post by: ahofle on August 13, 2010, 03:47:03 pm
Process Monitor (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896645.aspx) (formerly FileMon)
Title: Re: Windows file management
Post by: Blanka on August 13, 2010, 04:11:30 pm
Put all documents on an external FW hard drive. Just unplug/replug if Windows starts bitching. :D

As for linux, UNIX files systems can lock files too  :angry:
Title: Re: Windows file management
Post by: Frigo on August 13, 2010, 04:22:20 pm
I'm not at home, so I can't be 100% certain on this, but I'm pretty sure Windows 7 tells you what other program your file is in/
Title: Re: Windows file management
Post by: MonMotha on August 13, 2010, 04:27:36 pm
One of the nice things about Linux, though, is that you can move or even remove something with an open file handle on it (but not a mandatory lock, though these are rarely used) without invalidating the file handle.  In the case of moving a file, the file handle continues to point to the moved file.  The old path isn't valid, but once the file is open, the path doesn't matter.  In the case of removing a file, the file handle remains valid, but no new handles can be opened and it wont show up in listings.  Once the last handle is closed, the file is finally removed.

Windows is quite a bit more anal.  Both options have their advantages and disadvantages.  In the face of poorly written software which sometimes closes and re-opens a file for writing upon "save" using the original pathname, the Linux (used by most UNIXes) can result in files showing back up with new content (and the moved file having the old content), and I think there are a lot of Windows apps that do this, so I can guess that's why MS has stuck with their current approach since forever.  That may also be the way VMS handles it, and NT is based upon VMS.

Incidentally, simply performing an action on a file in Linux won't tell you what processes have a handle on it.  You need something like lsof to tell you that, but said command is pretty common.  Some GUI file managers may implement this function for you.
Title: Re: Windows file management
Post by: RayB on August 13, 2010, 05:43:43 pm
It only does that when THE FILE IS OPEN IN A PROGRAM! Hello! Close the program or file.  :dunno


 
Title: Re: Windows file management
Post by: saint on August 13, 2010, 06:21:20 pm
It only does that when THE FILE IS OPEN IN A PROGRAM! Hello! Close the program or file.  :dunno

Not true at all on Windows. Windows is notorious for having a program shut down but the file lock not being released. Annoys the crud out of me.
Title: Re: Windows file management
Post by: shmokes on August 14, 2010, 09:57:27 am
It only does that when THE FILE IS OPEN IN A PROGRAM! Hello! Close the program or file.  :dunno


 

 ::)  I think when you were reading my post you missed the part about pretty much the whole thing.  Reread.