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msi files - can't move / delete / rename

Posted: 2019 Aug 12, 04:15
by jimspoon
I can't move, delete, or rename .msi files in my downloads folder in xplorer2. I get a message that the files are open in xplorer2, but I can't see how they this is so. Any help?

Re: msi files - can't move / delete / rename

Posted: 2019 Aug 12, 09:06
by RightPaddock
jimspoon wrote: ↑2019 Aug 12, 04:15 I can't move, delete, or rename .msi files in my downloads folder in xplorer2. I get a message that the files are open in xplorer2, but I can't see how they this is so. Any help?
I've had this with on occasion when deleting, but not with move or rename - but that was on Win7. Don't think I've seen it on Win 10 or not for a long time. I used to 'fix' it by signing off and on again. Note sure it was an X2 problem - because I couldn't delete the files in WinExplorer - not sure if I ever tried stop and start WinExplorer.

Ah yes - and after sign-off/on the files were gone. Felt like the files were deleted but the directory entries were still there - sort of.

RP

Re: msi files - can't move / delete / rename

Posted: 2019 Aug 12, 17:05
by jimspoon
Later on I was able to rename an MSI file in xplorer2, so it doesn't always happen. I wonder if perhaps if it has something to do with having the details pane or the viewer pane open when the MSI file is highlighted? But hiding these panes does not enable the file to be deleted / renamed / moved. And you are right, once the problem occurs, it can't be deleted / renamed / moved in in Windows File Explorer either. It does seem to be peculiar to MSI files.

Re: msi files - can't move / delete / rename

Posted: 2019 Aug 12, 20:46
by nikos
I tried an MSI file with the previewer AND details pane enabled and didn't see any locking. Are you using any file details/columns that could be extracting information from the MSI?

Re: msi files - can't move / delete / rename

Posted: 2019 Aug 13, 06:38
by RightPaddock
@jimspoon Which version of Windows ?

Next time something won't delete, try signing out and signing back in to Windows - for me the file would be gone.

And it was always in my Downloads folder, but never with MSI's, with videos, images, mp3s etc, and only with Delete. :idea: I keep a symlink to my downloads folder in the root of C:, and that's how I access it in X2, I wonder if that had something to do with the problem.

I never actually solved the problem, it didn't stop me working and it was very intermittent. Eventually it just went away, pretty sure it went away with Win 10. I still have the symlink to Downloads and I have used it the same way since adam was a boy - under XP it was a junction.

RP

Re: msi files - can't move / delete / rename

Posted: 2019 Aug 13, 15:00
by jimspoon
I'm using the latest Windows 10. I'm going through hundreds of program downloads in J:\Users\Public\Downloads\Uncategorized . The J volume is on an older hard drive that I still have in my desktop system. My C volume from which I boot to Windows is an SSD. The J volume also has an older Windows installation on it, and that's why it has a Users folder with the usual user folders. Maybe that has something to do with the MSIs locking? Since it's the Public user folder that I'm working in, I didn't think I'd have any problems with permissions. I'll keep experimenting to see if I can find the problem. I'll check to see what columns I have displayed. Weird, eh?

Re: msi files - can't move / delete / rename

Posted: 2019 Aug 13, 17:26
by jimspoon
Just happened again. With the Prevew pane and Details panes opened, I tried to drag an .msi file from the right pane (j:\users\public\downloads\uncategorized) to a folder in the left pane ("j:\users\public\downloads\android\carbon desktop - helium"). In the right pane the following columns are shown: Name, Extension, Size, Attributes, Modified, Created. the following "file in use" box pops up:

Image

After I shut down xplorer2 I was able to drag the file to my Desktop (which of course is a folder on my C: volume).

Re: msi files - can't move / delete / rename

Posted: 2019 Aug 13, 18:27
by jimspoon
don't know if this might offer a clue ... from nirsoft openedfilesview:

Image

Re: msi files - can't move / delete / rename

Posted: 2019 Aug 14, 01:37
by pearliner
@ jimspoon

get a message that the files are open in xplorer2

that is simple close the others same downloads tabs in xplorer.

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Just happened again. With the Prevew pane and Details panes opened

check for apps,filters,windows settings that extract msi infos.(exe,com,.dll)

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j:\users\public\downloads ,,,,, do you use a sync tool or remote tool? lol

Re: msi files - can't move / delete / rename

Posted: 2019 Aug 14, 09:31
by nikos
@jimspoon, try closing both preview/details pane, and then one at a time to see which one is causing the locking for you

Re: msi files - can't move / delete / rename

Posted: 2019 Aug 17, 08:25
by RightPaddock
@jimspoon - nikos implemented a couple of registry keys for me that limit what file types are shown in preview - szQVDraftExtList and szQVNativeExtList.

Image <<== click

Those settings mean I can only see jpegs and text files in preview, i.e. they are INclusion lists.

I don't think it had anything to do with not being able to delete, but maybe it was a side effect... The problem they solved was X2 getting the staggers when stepping up and down folders containing audio, video, pdf, docx etc files.

You could try putting a list in them that does not include 'msi'

:idea: Do you have any MSI related shell extensions?

RP