How delete thumbs.db using python?

Question

I'm trying to delete folder using second answer from this question. My folder contains some subfolders, which contain Thumbs.db. So I get error:

PermissionError: [WinError 32] Процесс не может получить доступ к файлу, так как этот файл занят другим процессом: 'C:/foto/my_foto/Thumbs.db'

when I try to delete C:/foto/my_foto/Thumbs.db.

How can I delete this file?

if you run python script in command line, open command prompt "run as administrator", if python is running from any ide, run your ide as administrator and run your script. — Hara
– Hara, Commented Apr 12, 2017 at 11:52

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 11:46:34Z

2

The same as in other languages - c#, c++, java - because it's specific to the OS and not the language.

There are a few options, only the last one is devoid of nasty side effects:

Schedule deletion at the next reboot with MoveFileEx (it's present in pywin32)
Find the process(es) using the file and close the handles inside them - this can make them malfunction (relevant APIs can be invoked with ctypes)
Specifically for Thumbs.db - disable thumbnail caching in Explorer settings for all users who have access to the specific folder and can be logged on interactively while you're running the command.

In brief, the right way is to make the program that's getting in your way stop doing that. Or, if that program has a legitimate reason to keep locked files there, rethink your directory usage patterns.

edited May 23, 2017 at 11:46

CommunityBot

11 silver badge

answered Apr 12, 2017 at 12:05

ivan_pozdeev

36.6k19 gold badges115 silver badges165 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

3 Comments

Eryk Sun Over a year ago

Option 2 has too many pitfalls. Even if it works for the immediate problem, it could lead to data corruption if the program opens another file that reuses the closed handle value. It would be better to just kill the program -- gracefully if possible.

ivan_pozdeev Over a year ago

@eryksun killing a random unrelated process stops it from doing its job entirely while closing a handle only (presumably) kills the one undesired activity. If that's a process like explorer, killing is not an option at all. Closing handles is a widely suggested way (there are programs like Unlocker specifically written for this), so I had to mention it - as well as its drawbacks.

Eryk Sun Over a year ago

I upvoted for options 1 and 3, and I mentioned killing as a better (not good) solution than trying to close handles. Programs can be hardened to deal with being killed. They may even have a graceful shutdown via WM_CLOSE or WM_QUIT. Even a console app can be shutdown gracefully if it has a control handler, but only if it's the only process that's attached to the console. However, sneaking in to close a handle isn't something a program should reasonably expect, and it can lead to data corruption when the handle value is reused, which is completely the fault of whoever closed the handle.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

How delete thumbs.db using python?

1 Answer 1

3 Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

3 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related