Undeletable Avi file

This happened last night...
I have a partial avi file (~100mb) that I downloaded from dc++ and I cannot delete it. Whenever I try, I get the error that it is in use by some other program and my cpu usage spikes to 100 percent (but no programs are running) and stays there until I reboot.
I did the virus and spyware thing came up clean and went to bed disgusted. puke:

Ideas?

You need to boot into safe mode. Then delete it.
Somehow it still thinks that the download is not yet complete.
Do you use a Downloader other than the IE built-in one?

I was using DC++ and I've deleted hundreds of partial files with no problem before.

Delete it via command prompt. Windows is quirky about avi files sometimes.

the file in question is stored on an external drive (300gb maxtor one touch via firewire) that is unavailable in safe mode.

Will it work from the command line if I enter j:\dir/x
I have no dos experience- obviously.

Click Start/Run and enter "CMD" without quotes, then press OK.
After each of the following lines (substitute names as needed) press Enter:
J: (if that is your external HD)
CD \directoryname or CD \directoryname\subdir (space after CD)
DEL filename.AVI
EXIT brings you out of CMD-mode

no dice- can see it in the directory, but when I try to delete it, it says it 'cannot find the file'. I copied and pasted the file name so Im fairly certain its correct.

Search feature is your friend.
http://www.techspot.com/vb/showthread.php?threadid=3927

Another satisfied customer

Nodsu- You da Man! :giddy: I've never loved a man before

GoDataCow??

Man, godataloss, that was an unpleasant thought.

Mind your own business Goalie- You cannot question love and besides, I hear Estonia is the new Seattle.

You mean I have to put up with Two sets of Seahawks fans now??

Jeesh.

Undeletable AVI files

after reading the matter for a bit - most folks say to boot into safe mode. But I have found a better way is to bring up taskmanager and end explorer as a process on XP. Then rum CMD from Taskmanager bringing up a DOS-like box. Type in the path to the offending file and delete. Works fine!

I havent had a problem since the regedit

I've had a similar problem with lots of files. I have 3 routes to dealing with it.
1) - Taskmanager - shutdown all running copies of explorer.exe, then File/new task (run) and type "explorer.exe" and enter. Often then allows deletion of offending file. If that doesn't work then
2) Copy the file to another location, then both copies will usually delete ok, don't know why.
3)Copy everything else to a different folder and then delete the original folder complete with offending file.
One of these usually works for me. I do them in this order as they are the quickest to the slowest.....I've never had any command line experience that doesn't give me a migraine!

I tried your second and third suggestion, but because the file is in use, you cannot copy, move or rename it.. I dont believe restarting explorer would make a difference either- the registry edit did the trick and was very simple.