avi file can't be deleted

mitlovmitlov
Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
I've got an AVI file downloaded from the internet (Top Gear, nothing scandalous, for the record). Something is wrong with it. When I try to open it, Quicktime goes to "not responding." Oh well. What really is concerning to me, though, is that when I try to empty the trash with it in it, I get the message "the operation cannot be completed because [file name] is in use." This happens even after I've quit out of all applications. Even right after a reboot. Does anyone have any ideas? I'm worried it's some sort of trojan horse or other piece of malicious software, because I don't know how else to explain this.



Any ideas on how to get rid of it, and if I should be worried about viruses or other malware?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 6
    rob_06rob_06 Posts: 75member
    Do you see any error messages when trying to delete it other than the one you said?



    Does it go into the trash by any chance?



    Lets know and I can help further as I have had files like that and have a couple of ways that should work to get rid of it.
  • Reply 2 of 6
    mitlovmitlov Posts: 130member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rob_06 View Post


    Do you see any error messages when trying to delete it other than the one you said?



    Does it go into the trash by any chance?



    Lets know and I can help further as I have had files like that and have a couple of ways that should work to get rid of it.



    No other error messages.



    I can move it from my "Top Gear" folder (in "documents") to the trash just fine. Once it's in the trash, and I click "empty trash," it gives me that notice and then gives me the options "stop" and "continue." If I click continue, and there are other files in the trash, the other files are deleted just fine.



    Thank you so much for your help!
  • Reply 3 of 6
    rob_06rob_06 Posts: 75member
    Once in the trash try selecting Secure Empty Trash this will get rid of it but does take a bit more time.



    Once it shows the empty trash restart and the problem will or should be fully gone
  • Reply 4 of 6
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,324moderator
    If it was a codec quicktime didn't like and hung up, it's possible the Finder did the same if you clicked on it for a preview. The Finder sometimes does this and sits in the background using up one of your CPU cores. This would mean the Finder is using the file. You can alt-right-click > relaunch the Finder.



    Secure empty trash is often the easiest way for small files. If Top Gear is 700MB then it's handy to find out what is using it. As I've said before, Apple should have put a basic feature in that tells you what is using the file.
  • Reply 5 of 6
    mitlovmitlov Posts: 130member
    Securely emptying the trash did the trick. Thanks everyone! And I feel better knowing WHY it was still running. I hadn't realized that the finder would run it while trying to make a preview of the file in "get info."
  • Reply 6 of 6
    big_earsbig_ears Posts: 41member
    glad that fixed your problem.



    next time, try using VLC (www.videolan.org/vlc), this would play almost any video that your quicktime doesn't have the codec for.
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