Deleting a folder in the folder tree

namoi · Post by **namoi** » 2003 Dec 13, 12:03

For sure xplorer² is far better than Win Explorer, but there's a point in which Win Explorer is still in front. Maybe it is made for a purpose, but deleting a folder directly in the tree folder is impossible IF this folder is currently active in one of the two pans.
I think it's a pitty. In win Explorer when you delete a folder in the tree folder, the pan view automatically goes to the next folder in the tree, which is, i think, more usefull...
Maybe this should be fixed...

Morning Star · Post by **Morning Star** » 2003 Dec 15, 00:37

namoi,

Which version of x2 are you using? 'cause I can delete folders directly from the tree view, whether or not they are currently active...

If you are not using the latest (0.51), then perhaps you could try that?

fgagnon · Post by **fgagnon** » 2003 Dec 15, 00:53

namoi,
If a folder is open in the active pane I can't delete it (or any of its parents) either on trials from x2 tree pane and from windoze explorer. This with x2 ver.51 on XP-pro.

Morning Star,
What's your secret to success for this operation?

Morning Star · Post by **Morning Star** » 2003 Dec 15, 01:02

I have no idea... It just works...

JRz · Post by **JRz** » 2003 Dec 15, 15:05

Read the following paragraph in the context of Win XP Pro.

When you have focused on a folder in the tree pane, both X2 AND Windoze Explorer have a handle to that folder. That's probably the reason you can't delete the folder at that time.

Maybe Morning Start can check on his system if some process has a handle to the folder when in this situation. You could use 'handle' from Mark Russinovich to check this (command line utility: just run it in a command prompt and give the name of the folder as parameter. It will tell if there is a process which has a handle to the folder)

It can be downloaded from http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/handle.shtml

Let us know what you see as output. Below is mine when focusing on folder C:\Temp\test in the tree of X2

Code: Select all

C:\>handle test

Handle v2.10
Copyright (C) 1997-2003 Mark Russinovich
Sysinternals - www.sysinternals.com

explorer.exe       pid: 3068   C:\Temp\test
xplorer2.exe       pid: 3668   C:\Temp\test

I'm curious what you will find...

Morning Star · Post by **Morning Star** » 2003 Dec 16, 00:04

Same result as you: both x2 and m$ exp have open handles to the dir. I delete. But it doesn't stop the deletion, and I am fairly sure it shouldn't. It doesn't stop m$ exp, and I think Nikos will confirm (when he returns) that it should not stop x2 either....

fgagnon · Post by **fgagnon** » 2003 Dec 16, 00:18

So how have you tweaked your OS to permit this activity?
(and are we all talking XP? -- which prohibits x2, 2x, m$expl & presumably any other app. from deleting folders with open handles)

Morning Star · Post by **Morning Star** » 2003 Dec 16, 00:25

Nope. No tweaking at all...

Let me get this straight: none of you can delete an open folder from the tree view of either x2 or M$ exp?

fgagnon · Post by **fgagnon** » 2003 Dec 16, 03:38

No, cannot delete a folder if any app has an open handle to it under the windoze XP operating system.
What OS are you running?
(Pardon me for doubting, M-Star, but I didn't see where you explicitly identified your OS.)

Morning Star · Post by **Morning Star** » 2003 Dec 16, 03:41

Sorry. I did forget to mention; its Windows eXPletive...

fgagnon · Post by **fgagnon** » 2003 Dec 16, 04:11

So the mystery of our differences remains for now.
And I still agree with the opening observation at the top of the thread ...

namoi wrote:In win Explorer when you delete a folder in the tree folder, the pane view automatically goes to the next folder in the tree, which is, i think, more useful ...

I wonder if there is a registry tweak you made in the past which makes your x2 open handle interruptible (i.e. weakly attached), as appears to be the case for the m$explorer handle. Because I can delete a folder with x2 (and/or with m$exp) when SysInternals' handle reports it being open with m$explorer only;
while conversely, I cannot delete the same folder with x2 or m$exp when it is open in the active pane of x2 (or other apps I tried).

JRz · Post by **JRz** » 2003 Dec 16, 07:34

Hmm, needs some more investigating. On my home WinXP system I can delete the folder from the tree when fovused on it. But on my system @work I can't (both are WinXp SP1). I'll look into the details. Maybe I can dig something up....

To be continued...

fgagnon · Post by **fgagnon** » 2004 Feb 24, 00:55

So, Jan, we are wondering what you found in your 'digging'...
ref: namoi's reminder post
Are the registry keys all the same on home & work machines?
or other differences in configuration external to xplorer² ?

JRz · Post by **JRz** » 2004 Feb 25, 09:46

Kind of forgot about this

I'll try to look into this asap

JRz · Post by **JRz** » 2004 Mar 04, 16:52

Wel, that is solved. Now I can't delete from the tree at my home situation too. So at least it behaves the same on all my Win XP installations.