Can not remove some exe files; Windows 7 or normal?

[XP_NO]

Sometimes it is not possible to remove some old directories and exe files which are left after removal of a program.

For example Adobe Acrobat; I removed the program and tried to delete the still existing directory in C:\Program Files.

But, after removing about two seconds later, the exe is there again...

I know there is a function in XP to prevent users to delete system files.

This seems the same, but as far as I know I have disabled all that kind of stuff in system settings, processes etc...

It seems like although I am administrator on my system, sometimes I do not have the rights to do some actions, or my system is preventing doing it.

Someone with the answer?

[Win2k3EE]

It hapened to me a few times. You have to reboot in order to delete the files again, for good.

Edited February 14, 2009 by Win2k3EE

[XP_NO]

Another example:

I do have two partitions; my Windows 7 partition and a data partition.

On the data partition I do have a directory with the original installation files for programs I am using.

For example the installs of opera, flash, etc...

In this directory I do have an exe for installing silverlight. I try to delete it and it is coming back every time.

When starting explorer as administrator (right-click: run as administrator) the same is happening.

After a reboot and doing the same, the result is the same.

I tried to delete the file by opening a dos screen (run: cmd <enter>, then go to the directory, close explorer in task manager and try to delete the file in the dos screen); result: Acces Denied.

Starting up in safe mode did the trick, but ofcourse this should not be the normal way to delete those files....

How to delete those files which are from my own and which I have saved under my username, so no other rights or whatever???

Edited February 14, 2009 by XP_NO

[Nihility]

An .exe file that returns after you delete it?

Sounds like you got a virus.

[XP_NO]

Silverlight downloaded from the microsoft website does not sound like a virus to me

But to be sure I have done a system scan and lucky me, no virus found.

Btw., I do have exactly the same amount of processes as after my fresh installation, I do a system scan, system cleanup etc... reguarly, and because I am not using IE as my default browser and I am not installing all kind of unknown software on my computer, the chance I get a virus is small.

Although switched off, could this be an UAC issue?

Edited February 15, 2009 by XP_NO

[Smiley89]

I have the same problem sometimes too. It's not a virus though, it happens with a large variety of .exe files.

But I don't know what is causing this problem.

I don't thinks it's an UAC problem though.

Edited February 15, 2009 by Smiley89

[Access Denied]

I can't delete some files, nor move/edit/rename/delete some items on the start menu unless I turn UAC off (or down, just turned off, then back on). Its completely ridiculous when I am an admin and have the pw and give it permission.

[Nihility]

Silverlight downloaded from the microsoft website does not sound like a virus to me

But to be sure I have done a system scan and lucky me, no virus found.

Btw., I do have exactly the same amount of processes as after my fresh installation, I do a system scan, system cleanup etc... reguarly, and because I am not using IE as my default browser and I am not installing all kind of unknown software on my computer, the chance I get a virus is small.

Although switched off, could this be an UAC issue?

I suggest you run msconfig and see if the installaion created a process that returns the .exe to aid the installation, as some programs do.

Did you turn UAC off all the way? That's known to be buggy with some software. It causes a lot of permission problems in my experience.

[XP_NO]

Yes, UAC turned off all the way; set to no notification; got the message to reboot so UAC could be turned off.

After reboot, no notifications was set, and UAC indeed is off.

It seems like programs which are showed in explorer are sometimes blocked because the explorer process is using them, so deleting, moving etc... is not possible.

When I know more about this issue I will post it here; in the mean time I am curious if other people do have the same experience and do know a solution.

[Smiley89]

My only solution to delete files is, up to now, restarting the PC.

Sometimes just killing the explorer.exe process works, but not always.

[ricktendo]

Yep its very common, happening to me too...just restart your pc and try again

[Nihility]

Why has this not happened to me?

Can you try to recreate the exact steps you were doing/ specific files so I can see if I have the same bug?

[cybpsych]

thank god i wasn't alone facing this!

for the uninitiated, it only happens to EXE file (moving/deleting) ... it's definitely W7's culprit .... i'm using the super-Admin user, and it still happens ...

i noiced that when u encountered this problem when deleting/moving files, leave it alone for a while ... it'll disappear after some time .... there IS something that's locking these files ...

[cybpsych]

hi guys, just wondering ... it this bug/issue still occurs on build 7048??

[djxspeedy]

i have the bug on 7048 too on 7000 i had it too...hope ms fix it in RC