XP: Problems with Processes

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XP: Problems with Processes

"The process cannot access the file ... used by another process"

AlexK

11:22 am on Sep 13, 2006 (gmt 0)

My server is Linux, and I work on XP at home. After early hardware problems with memory, Linux has been rock-solid and (touch wood) continues to be so. Wish I could say the same about Windows...

Recently, whilst running a batch-file on XP (works it's way through many gig of files, producing MD5's for each file) I have started to get the following error message for one or more files:

The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.

The only thing that could have provoked such messages is prior file-management using Windows Explorer: copying files, creating new folders, re-naming files and folders. Standard stuff.

I am very concerned that either Windows and/or HDD is showing early signs of breakdown. The computer is less than a year old.

The question is the obvious one: does anyone have the diagnosis of these faults?

kaled

3:57 pm on Sep 13, 2006 (gmt 0)

This is a software problem - it certainly does not indicate an imminent disk failure.

When a process closes, all handles are released including open files. Some processes hold on to (file) handles longer than they should and that can cause problems.

You need to identify which process is at fault. Try the following...
[sysinternals.com...]

I haven't used this for a while, but I think it will tell you what files a process has open.

Kaled.

AlexK

11:24 am on Sep 14, 2006 (gmt 0)

Thanks for responding, kaled.

This is a software problem

The "file being used by another process" message survives a shutdown then restart.

bill

12:18 pm on Sep 14, 2006 (gmt 0)

Have you tried starting in Safe Mode and accessing the file that way?

Another way is to run msconfig and select a Diagnostic Startup and reboot.

Either way should reduce the number of process that start up with the OS and allow you to get at that pesky file.

Captaffy

12:28 am on Sep 15, 2006 (gmt 0)

Search on Google for WhoLockMe. That program adds an item to the right-click menu when you click on a file, which can tell you the process that is currently holding the file. I believe it can even kill the process.

[edited by: Captaffy at 12:31 am (utc) on Sep. 15, 2006]

AlexK

8:59 pm on Sep 18, 2006 (gmt 0)

Many thanks, Captaffy, for the reference to "WhoLockMe". That may help in the future to easily answer what process is causing the surface issue.

I am, however, still left with the original issue:

"file is being used by another process"

Is this just yet another symptom of endemic Windows corruption, or could these software errors mask hardware problems?

Captaffy

3:34 am on Sep 19, 2006 (gmt 0)

Which process is locking the files?

AlexK

7:53 am on Sep 19, 2006 (gmt 0)

Captaffy:

Which process is locking the files?

Do not have a clue!

Last night, I set Explorer off to look for files of 1kB or less within the relevant folders, to try to answer your question. This morning there are 11,503 such files, but not one is 0kB, so I cannot answer you question.

The next time I do some more file management + find this problem, I shall post back to you.