Posted by bdbafh on 10/17/07 21:05

pearl...@hotmail.com wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have some database files (.MDF, .LDF,...) on the server. When I try
> to delete them, the warning "Cannot delete file: There has been a
> sharing violation. The source or destination file may be in use."
> appears.
>
> Since I am new to the environment I don't know where the files come
> from and where they might be used.
>
> Can anybody tell me what to do to delete those files?
>
> Thank you.

If you were running on Linux, the operating system would dutifully
obey your command.
The files would remain accessible to existing processes which already
had handles.
After the last handle on the file(s) has been released, the file(s)
would no longer exist.

Be glad that the OS that you are using has training wheels.

There are utilities from SysInternals (since acquired by Microsoft)
for locating processes holding handles on files. Handle.exe would be
one, process monitor is another.

try here:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/default.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/Processesandthreadsutilities.mspx?wt.svl=featured

You have backups of the databases of interest on this server, right?

hth.

-bdbafh

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