.mkv file undeletable

[spikemar]

I have recently downloaded some video files (.mkv) I can't seem to delete them whenever I try to delete move or change their names it says that the file is currently being used by windows explorer. I have asked a few people about what I could do and the most promising suggestions were unlocker and deleting from cmd(after shutting down explorer.exe) unlocker didn't do anything. As for the Cmd I can't seem to write down the correct form to delete the file could someone help me write the code the files are on my desktop and some of them in the downloads folder.

[pip22]

Try starting Windows in safe mode then deleting them.
Before leaving safe mode, empty recycle bin too if they are in there.

[Sfcvaughn]

Are you trying to delete them while your watching the video?(seriously,I'm not being a smartass.)If your not open up task manager(ctrl+shift+esc)and look for the file under the applications tab or the processes tab.If it's listed then right click and choose to end process(or application).If that doesn't work just restart your computer and try again.

[Miz]

Another possiblity is to access one of the files you want to delete through a program that does not support that file type.

For example, open Notepad, click on File>Open, navigate to the file, right click the file and in the menu that opens, left click Delete.

The reason that works is when accessing a file through Windows Explorer, it may be trying to index all the files in that folder. When the files are huge, as is typical with video files, it may take Explorer quite a while to index the contents of the folder. Using Notepad, the indexing is bypassed, allowing you to delete the file.

[spikemar]

Ok guys thanks for the suggestions a friend came over and helped me delete them. But I would still like to know why this happened for future occurrences they weren't open in anything and only .mkv files were giving a problem none of the other vid files. Any ideas?