Changing Volumes via DOS

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kyle
  • Start date Start date
K

Kyle

Hi,

I have a file that the computer says is being used
by another program. It isn't and I want to delete
it (50+ Meg). Windows XP won't let me delete it.
I go into DOS and I can't seem to change to the
drive where the file resides. DOS comes up in C:\.
I try:
chdir H:\
H:\
Nothing happens. How do I get to the "H" volume?
How do I delete the file if I can't get to the H
volume via DOS?

Thanks,
Kyle
 
Just type H:

If you can't get into it, it is because it is formatted as an NTFS
partition/drive and can't be seen from DOS!

--
Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard :-)
 
"Richard Urban" said in news:[email protected]:
Just type H:

If you can't get into it, it is because it is formatted as an NTFS
partition/drive and can't be seen from DOS!
Click to expand...

The OP said they are using Windows XP. The DOS shell uses the NTVDM (NT
Virtual DOS Machine). [MS-]DOS is not included in NT-based versions of
Windows. The DOS shell in Windows NT/2000/XP can read any drive format that
the OS itself supports, so NTFS is supported. Otherwise, think about how
you could even open a DOS shell to look at your C: drive where Windows
NT/2K/XP is installed and using NTFS.

If you want to see which process has an open handle on the file that you are
trying to delete, use the OH (open handle) utility in the Windows 2000
Resource Kit (yes, lots of NT and 2000 programs also work on XP). The
freebie parts of the W2KRK are available for download at
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/ResKit/win2000/. You run it in a DOS shell at the
command prompt; run "oh /?" to see its parameters. Or you could use the
handle utility from SysInternals.

To delete the file (assuming you are sure that it is no longer needed), you
could do the following:

- Close all applications that have a window open.
- Open a DOS shell (aka Command Prompt).
- Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc or via Ctrl+Alt+Del) and leave it open
until done with this procedure.
- Under the Processes panel, kill the explorer.exe process. Your desktop
GUI disappears (because explorer.exe is the shell for the desktop).
- In the DOS shell you left open, navigate to the path with the file and
delete or move it.
- In Task Manager under the Applications panel, click the "New Task ..."
button.
- Run explorer.exe. Your desktop GUI should reappear.

You obviously need to have the permissions to delete the file under your
current login. You might also want to read:

You Cannot Delete a File or a Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=320081
 
He said he goes into DOS. He doesn't specifically mention the DOS shell
within Windows XP.

--
Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard :-)

*Vanguard* said:
"Richard Urban" said in news:[email protected]:
Just type H:

If you can't get into it, it is because it is formatted as an NTFS
partition/drive and can't be seen from DOS!
Click to expand...

The OP said they are using Windows XP. The DOS shell uses the NTVDM (NT
Virtual DOS Machine). [MS-]DOS is not included in NT-based versions of
Windows. The DOS shell in Windows NT/2000/XP can read any drive format that
the OS itself supports, so NTFS is supported. Otherwise, think about how
you could even open a DOS shell to look at your C: drive where Windows
NT/2K/XP is installed and using NTFS.

If you want to see which process has an open handle on the file that you are
trying to delete, use the OH (open handle) utility in the Windows 2000
Resource Kit (yes, lots of NT and 2000 programs also work on XP). The
freebie parts of the W2KRK are available for download at
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/ResKit/win2000/. You run it in a DOS shell at the
command prompt; run "oh /?" to see its parameters. Or you could use the
handle utility from SysInternals.

To delete the file (assuming you are sure that it is no longer needed), you
could do the following:

- Close all applications that have a window open.
- Open a DOS shell (aka Command Prompt).
- Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc or via Ctrl+Alt+Del) and leave it open
until done with this procedure.
- Under the Processes panel, kill the explorer.exe process. Your desktop
GUI disappears (because explorer.exe is the shell for the desktop).
- In the DOS shell you left open, navigate to the path with the file and
delete or move it.
- In Task Manager under the Applications panel, click the "New Task ..."
button.
- Run explorer.exe. Your desktop GUI should reappear.

You obviously need to have the permissions to delete the file under your
current login. You might also want to read:

You Cannot Delete a File or a Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=320081
Click to expand...
 
"Richard Urban" said in news:[email protected]:
He said he goes into DOS. He doesn't specifically mention the DOS
shell within Windows XP.


*Vanguard* said:
"Richard Urban" said in news:[email protected]:
Just type H:

If you can't get into it, it is because it is formatted as an NTFS
partition/drive and can't be seen from DOS!


Hi,

I have a file that the computer says is being used
by another program. It isn't and I want to delete
it (50+ Meg). Windows XP won't let me delete it.
I go into DOS and I can't seem to change to the
drive where the file resides. DOS comes up in C:\.
I try:
chdir H:\
H:\
Nothing happens. How do I get to the "H" volume?
How do I delete the file if I can't get to the H
volume via DOS?

Thanks,
Kyle
Click to expand...

The OP said they are using Windows XP. The DOS shell uses the NTVDM
(NT Virtual DOS Machine). [MS-]DOS is not included in NT-based
versions of Windows. The DOS shell in Windows NT/2000/XP can read
any drive format that the OS itself supports, so NTFS is supported.
Otherwise, think about how you could even open a DOS shell to look
at your C: drive where Windows NT/2K/XP is installed and using NTFS.

If you want to see which process has an open handle on the file that
you are trying to delete, use the OH (open handle) utility in the
Windows 2000 Resource Kit (yes, lots of NT and 2000 programs also
work on XP). The freebie parts of the W2KRK are available for
download at ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/ResKit/win2000/. You run it in
a DOS shell at the command prompt; run "oh /?" to see its
parameters. Or you could use the handle utility from SysInternals.

To delete the file (assuming you are sure that it is no longer
needed), you could do the following:

- Close all applications that have a window open.
- Open a DOS shell (aka Command Prompt).
- Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc or via Ctrl+Alt+Del) and leave
it open until done with this procedure.
- Under the Processes panel, kill the explorer.exe process. Your
desktop GUI disappears (because explorer.exe is the shell for the
desktop). - In the DOS shell you left open, navigate to the path
with the file and delete or move it.
- In Task Manager under the Applications panel, click the "New Task
..." button.
- Run explorer.exe. Your desktop GUI should reappear.

You obviously need to have the permissions to delete the file under
your current login. You might also want to read:

You Cannot Delete a File or a Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=320081
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

You cannot go into DOS like you could with 95-based Windows (either by
stopping before the GUI loads or by exiting the GUI back into real DOS
mode). So a DOS shell is the only way in Windows XP. The OP did not
mention that availability of any other version of MS-DOS or Windows, and
didn't mention anything about using a bootable floppy that had DOS on it
(which wouldn't be able to read NTFS unless a driver was loaded to support
reading that file system; that's how I've managed to get at boot.ini when it
was pointing to the wrong partition).
 
If he was in the Command prompt, he could get to any drive/partition that is
seen in Windows. But he says that when he is in DOS, he can't get to H: I
must ask why? He can see H: when he is in Windows and wants to go there to
delete a file.

It's because he IS NOT in windows, or the command prompt - he is in pure DOS
and he can't see the NTFS partition H:

Now, if the O/P would post back, which most never do, I guess we would know
"what he really means"! Till then, it's just speculation.

--
Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard :-)

*Vanguard* said:
"Richard Urban" said in news:[email protected]:
He said he goes into DOS. He doesn't specifically mention the DOS
shell within Windows XP.


*Vanguard* said:
"Richard Urban" said in Just type H:

If you can't get into it, it is because it is formatted as an NTFS
partition/drive and can't be seen from DOS!


Hi,

I have a file that the computer says is being used
by another program. It isn't and I want to delete
it (50+ Meg). Windows XP won't let me delete it.
I go into DOS and I can't seem to change to the
drive where the file resides. DOS comes up in C:\.
I try:
chdir H:\
H:\
Nothing happens. How do I get to the "H" volume?
How do I delete the file if I can't get to the H
volume via DOS?

Thanks,
Kyle

The OP said they are using Windows XP. The DOS shell uses the NTVDM
(NT Virtual DOS Machine). [MS-]DOS is not included in NT-based
versions of Windows. The DOS shell in Windows NT/2000/XP can read
any drive format that the OS itself supports, so NTFS is supported.
Otherwise, think about how you could even open a DOS shell to look
at your C: drive where Windows NT/2K/XP is installed and using NTFS.

If you want to see which process has an open handle on the file that
you are trying to delete, use the OH (open handle) utility in the
Windows 2000 Resource Kit (yes, lots of NT and 2000 programs also
work on XP). The freebie parts of the W2KRK are available for
download at ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/ResKit/win2000/. You run it in
a DOS shell at the command prompt; run "oh /?" to see its
parameters. Or you could use the handle utility from SysInternals.

To delete the file (assuming you are sure that it is no longer
needed), you could do the following:

- Close all applications that have a window open.
- Open a DOS shell (aka Command Prompt).
- Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc or via Ctrl+Alt+Del) and leave
it open until done with this procedure.
- Under the Processes panel, kill the explorer.exe process. Your
desktop GUI disappears (because explorer.exe is the shell for the
desktop). - In the DOS shell you left open, navigate to the path
with the file and delete or move it.
- In Task Manager under the Applications panel, click the "New Task
..." button.
- Run explorer.exe. Your desktop GUI should reappear.

You obviously need to have the permissions to delete the file under
your current login. You might also want to read:

You Cannot Delete a File or a Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=320081
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

You cannot go into DOS like you could with 95-based Windows (either by
stopping before the GUI loads or by exiting the GUI back into real DOS
mode). So a DOS shell is the only way in Windows XP. The OP did not
mention that availability of any other version of MS-DOS or Windows, and
didn't mention anything about using a bootable floppy that had DOS on it
(which wouldn't be able to read NTFS unless a driver was loaded to support
reading that file system; that's how I've managed to get at boot.ini when it
was pointing to the wrong partition).
Click to expand...
 
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