hello everyone. i was hoping someone could help me with a small problem i have.
i was saving images from the internet a few nights back and came across one which didn't save so easily. in the end, i saved it twice in different folders. the next day i checked my files and tried to delete one of them but i get the error:

normally what i do to delete the file is
a) try deleting it directly. if that fails:
b) open up windows media player and try deleting through there which 99% works.
sadly, that didn't work either. so what i did then is maybe because i have the same file in another folder with the exact name, that's why it said being used by another file. i deleted that one. i did a search for it and found out that i had two files with the same but one was in .jpg format. while doing the search, the engine got stuck and i couldn't close it or do anything else until i closed it with my task manager.
when i try deleting the file directly, my comp slows down and when i try shutting down my comp, i get an error with explorer and that i need to end program. so i was thinking what if it was a virus. i have windows live one care on my comp and everytime i go into my folder with the corrupt file, it turns on and tells me i need to clean files so i do. nothing changes afterwards.
i also tried openinig it in paint and modifying it so maybe it can become an actual file. i deleted part of the image and so forth and managed to save it but still nothing. i also tried saving it as a jpg with png at the end of the title but there's apparently a sharing violation.
now i've come across this situation a number of time but they haven't been this hard to deal with. i don't want to reinstall my computer since there's a lot of information on my comp that i just haven't had time to back up.
can someone please help?

Hi there and welcome

From softwarepatch....

1. Is the file in use? It sounds obvious but it happens. If it is being used or open, close the file and the application that opened it. For example, if it is a Word document, close Microsoft Word.
2. If the file was opened in an application (and subsequently closed), but the program is still running, try quitting the program. Windows will lock a file because the application hasn't yet released it. This is not always Windows fault and can be the fault of the program.
3. If the file is an AVI, in particular a DivX AVI, try renaming it and then deleting it. DivX files don't get on very well with Windows XP and sometimes renaming the file can trick Windows into releasing it.
4. Reboot your PC and don't start any programs. Go directly to the file and delete it.
5. In Windows Explorer, switch to View-Details and then select View-Choose Details. Uncheck everything except the file name. This stops Windows XP trying to read the file - this problem affects many video, audio and graphics files.
6. Still no luck? OK, here is the best trick of all. Most sites give you cryptic Windows registry and DOS commands to remove a file, but the answer is so much simpler. Get a copy of MoveOnBoot. It's free and this simple tool allows you to Move, Copy or Delete files before Windows can lock or alter the files. The changes are made to your hard drive before Windows starts, hence it requires a restart of your system after you give MoveOnBoot its instructions. There are no messy boot or DOS commands, just a simple 3-step process.
   
   Step 1: Locate the name of the file that is causing your problems.
   
   Step 2: Decide if you want to copy, move or delete the file.
   
   Step 3. Choose a destination for moving the file, or a new file name for the rename option (this option won't appear if you are deleting a file).
   
   Click OK to confirm you want to process. The nice thing is that the program doesn't make you reboot straight away. It's a good idea to reboot ASAP, but if you are in the middle of something and want to wait, the program will simply run next time you start Windows.
7. If the file reappears again (check its creation date to ensure it is being recreated) and you can't make it budge, you may have trouble with spyware or a virus on your system (don't overlook the possibility it may also be an important system file). In this case you should get a good spyware removal program to scan your system.

Hi there, the file may be in use, you can try three things:

Close any applications/processes that may be using it and then try to delete it.

If that fails try deleting in safe mode.

If you want an easier way consider using something like Unlocker

Hope this helps

Edit: Nevermind, beaten to it :P

there is a free program that is called unlocker hare is the link

UNLOCKER 1.8.5 BY CEDRICK 'NITCH' COLLOMB
I use this and it is a wonderful program!

You could also try and see if it is classed as open in Computer Management

Right click My Comp and select Manage - Expand Shared Folders and click on Open Files

This (as the name suggests) will give you any and all files open, have a look there and see if it is listed there - If it is right click and select close

This will only be possible if you are the Administratir by the way - worked for me in the past; hope it helps