Windows XP tricks - You Can’t Delete Me, I’m In Use

Ever had this problem when you’re using your PC? You opened a file, read through it, found it not that important, and wanted to delete it. But wait, you can’t! Windows wouldn’t delete it because, guess what, it’s still in use! This is most commonly seen in Windows XP especially in simple files like videos or MP3s. If you’ve encountered this problem, here are some tips that you might find helpful before you go and trash your PC.

If it says it’s in use, check if it’s open. If it is, close it and then delete or try closing the program that you used to open the file because maybe the program hasn’t released it yet. Still there? Try renaming the file then deleting it after. This usually works with an AVI file.

If the above does not work, reboot your PC. Don’t open any other programs instead go to the file first then delete it before you open any programs.

If still not successful, download a free copy of MoveOnBoot. This is software that permits you to Move, Copy or even Delete a file before Windows locks or alters the file. Look for the problem-causing file and then delete it. You must reboot your PC ASAP, but if you’re doing something, it can wait. This will still run when you open your PC.

If it is still there, it might be a virus or spywares in your system. It is advisable that you have a good virus scanner or spyware removal and run those programs.

Windows XP Tricks - Is it l (Lower Case) or I (Upper Case)?

One big problem today in this Computer Age is that spyware and virus makers are more cunning than ever. They have employed the trick of small-case L (l) and big-case I to confuse you from identifying the viruses or spywares from the running processes in your system. For example, Isass.exe and lsass.exe. Which of these two is the virus and which is the important security process? If you look closely at the two, the first is the virus. If you change its font to Times New Roman you would notice that it is actually Isass.exe, the virus. Here is another example. Kernel.dlI versus Kernel.dll. It is not very obvious but the first Kernel.dlI is the virus. Change the font to Times New Roman again, and it would show you Kernel.dlI. Clever isn’t it? These spyware and virus makers are now making their creations look like Windows system files, so you should be very careful when you are inspecting the files on your system. You should not assume that what you see is what it is.

To avoid this kind of mistake, I suggest you change your systems font to Times New Roman or Bookman where I and l are very clearly identifiable. It would be less confusing that the Arial font, which was used above to confuse you.

Another great way to help with this kind spyware and virus identification is for you to get a virus scanner or spyware program that you must run once in a while. They can identify these nasty files and delete it.

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