How Do You Delete A File Which Isn't There?

arc@css · 2 Jan 2016 at 19:25

Hi,

To cut a long story short, when rendering a video with Premiere Pro, I accidentally set the bit rate to something way too high. It wan't until the process was almost 100% finished that I noticed that the amount of disk space had shrunk dramatically. When I attempted to delete the file, I got this message :

Verifying the location simply points to the same address. :confused:

Is there a way to get around this?

Grimley · 2 Jan 2016 at 20:21

Have you tried installing eraser then erasing the file? If it isn't there then try erasing the free space on your hard drive.

arc@css · 2 Jan 2016 at 20:23

Grimley said:
Have you tried installing eraser then erasing the file? If it isn't there then try erasing the free space on your hard drive.

No, but I'll look into that. Thanks.

arc@css · 2 Jan 2016 at 20:52

Just tried Eraser, but when I browse to the file it says it isn't there. I don't even fully recognize the file, though I guess it could have been a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. one (indeed it was). It appears to have been named (sfoc.). No idea why, unless it's simply a mistype, which I doubt.

Akagi · 2 Jan 2016 at 20:53

can you re-name the file? To something like test.file?

Will it delete then?

arc@css · 2 Jan 2016 at 20:55

Tried that, but unfortunately it didn't work.

Quartz · 2 Jan 2016 at 21:25

Do you still have Premier or another Adobe app running?

arc@css · 2 Jan 2016 at 21:27

Quartz said:
Do you still have Premier or another Adobe app running?

Premiere Pro isn't running at the moment, though Creative Cloud is.

Quartz · 2 Jan 2016 at 21:37

arc@css said:
Premiere Pro isn't running at the moment, though Creative Cloud is.

The file may be being held open by a process.

Akagi · 2 Jan 2016 at 21:43

Have you tried deleting it from safe mode?

arc@css · 2 Jan 2016 at 22:00

Quartz said:
The file may be being held open by a process.

Good point. I hadn't thought of that. I'll take a look.

arc@css · 2 Jan 2016 at 22:00

Acme said:
Have you tried deleting it from safe mode?

Not yet, no. Will have a look if need be, though.

arc@css · 2 Jan 2016 at 22:11

Well, I went into task manager and for some reason couldn't stop all adobe related processes, so I then elected to turn the last of them off in msconfig. After restarting the machine, I checked to see if any were running, and none were, but the original issue still persists.

Akagi · 2 Jan 2016 at 22:13

I'd still give it a go in safe mode, just to be sure, as that should only have the core windows processes running.

If the file is still sitting there being stubborn, we shall have to think of something else! :eek:

arc@css · 2 Jan 2016 at 22:14

Acme said:
If the file is still sitting there being stubborn, we shall have to think of something else!

Maybe a reinstall will be the only way, mate.

It's only 30gigs, though I would like it back.

hyperseven · 2 Jan 2016 at 22:19

use this, used it for donkeys on pesky files. When installed right click, chose unlocker from context menu then delete from dropdown, probably have to reboot afterwards.

If that fails boot from any Linux live USB and try and delete from that.

arc@css · 2 Jan 2016 at 22:26

hyperseven said:
use this, used it for donkeys on pesky files. When installed right click, chose unlocker from context menu then delete from dropdown, probably have to reboot afterwards.

I'll have a go, thanks for the info.

hyperseven said:
If that fails boot from any Linux live USB and try and delete from that.

Sorry, but this bit went right over my head.

arc@css · 2 Jan 2016 at 22:43

Okay, so this program appears to be able to help in some way. I've been presented with choosing 'delete' or 'rename' (the other options are move or no action, the former of which I doubt is applicable)?

Edit : will choose delete as advised. As per usual, my eyes aren't open.

arc@css · 2 Jan 2016 at 22:47

Thanks, hyperseven. It worked!! :cool:

Thanks to everyone else, too. Phew, that saves me a reinstall.

h4rm0ny · 2 Jan 2016 at 22:51

arc@css said:
Sorry, but this bit went right over my head.

You can temporarily "install" Linux on your computer and then just mount the drive as if it were any old ordinary external drive. Delete the file that's bugging you and then go back to Windows.

Of course you're not actually installing Linux. What you're doing is booting from a DVD or USB drive with Linux on. Your computer will then be running Linux without having messed around with Windows at all. And it will be gone next time you boot.

Try Mint - it's pretty easy.

http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

These are disc images. You'll need a blank DVD. If you don't have those (or don't have a drive), you can use a USB stick instead. Boot from whichever you use and you'll be in a whole new world. Click on the hard drive and find the file in question, delete it, and then reboot the computer without the DVD / USB stick. You should be good to go.

EDIT: Well, looks like you don't need to go to such lengths after all. That's good. But at least now you understand what was suggested.