Deleting files and folders used by other processes on Windows

[tkondal]

Hi,

I have been looking into making my file cleaning script more
intelligent. The goal of the script is to delete everything on a
drive except for a couple of folders which are skipped by the script.
Recently, I noticed that some files where not being deleted because a
process was using them. Is there a recipe (needs to run on Windows XP/
2003) for doing the following (more specifically, I need a way to
determine which process is holding a lock on my file):
file=GetFilenam e();
bLock = IsThereAFileLoc kOnFile(file)
If (bLock)
{
process = GetLockingProce ss(file);
TerminateProces s(process);
}
DeleteFile(file );

Thanks.

[brad]

tk*****@gmail.c om wrote:

Hi,

I have been looking into making my file cleaning script more
intelligent. The goal of the script is to delete everything on a
drive except for a couple of folders which are skipped by the script.
Recently, I noticed that some files where not being deleted because a
process was using them.

Try this:

try:
# Make the file's attributes normal so file can be
deleted.
win32api.SetFil eAttributes(os. path.join(root, f),
win32con.FILE_A TTRIBUTE_NORMAL )
# HKLM/SYSTEM/CurrentControlS et/Control/Session
Manager/PendingFileRena meOperations
win32api.MoveFi leEx(os.path.jo in(root, f), None,
win32con.MOVEFI LE_DELAY_UNTIL_ REBOOT)
except Exception, e:
print e

Upon reboot the file will be gone... careful though, this canl delete
any Windows system file too.