why can't i move or delete my folders?

Question

i am using windows xp.

this started quite a while ago so i can't provide any information on things i had recently installed, BUT

my computer refuses to allow me to move or delete any folders that i have either renamed or deleted files from.

for example, i have 'Folder A' with 'File X' 'File Y' and 'File Z' inside. i don't want File Z so i delete it. then i decide to move Folder A into Folder B. a new Folder A is created and the files within are moved, BUT a message pops up that Folder A is currently in use and cannot be deleted. so i am stuck with a Folder A in the original location until i either restart the computer, or open task manager and kill explorer.exe and run it anew.

are there any widely known causes for this behavior? it's especially annoying when i am trying to move folders with many subfolders because i have to go in and move each one manually if i have renamed or deleted a file inside any of them since my last restart.

Answer 1

Well i don't know cause of your problem but there is a utility to release the lock of a file or a program so you can delete, move or rename it, it is called unlocker, download it here:



http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/

Answer 2

All of a sudden (everything was good till this morning) I can't move to a folder or delete my emails. I've had this account for years. It doesn't appear that I've been hacked.

Answer 3

If you're running a program utilizing one of the files in the folders it will not allow you to move it. Otherwise your computer must just suck.