Member Avatar for alihamilton

I sent a graphic file to the recycle bin but when I tried to empty bin, I got a message that "Dc6 (nothing like the original name of the file!) could not be deleted as another person or program was using it. Close any other program that might be using it" On doing a search, Dc6 is the same file I am trying to delete and I can find no other program using it. How can I get rid of it please? This happened to me recently and a file Dc3 was then the problem...somehow at one point it was able to be removed but I have no idea how. I have run all my spyware, adware, virus programs but nothing helps.

Any ideas please? I am not that smart so any advice would have to be spelt out for me! Not like an answer I got from another forum that just said "Are you on a domain?" which did not help me at all! :o

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Windows doesn't always keep deleted files under their original names. Older Windows versions store deleted items under system names (Dc0, Dc1, Dc6, etc.) and keep the original name in a small index. The "could not be deleted — another person or program is using it" message means some process still has the file open, or the Recycle Bin index is corrupted. Simple fixes often free the file; more invasive steps remove the recycle-bin metadata and let Windows recreate it.

Try these steps in order (least risky first). Restart Windows and try emptying the Recycle Bin again. As suggested, booting into Safe Mode (press F8 while the PC starts on legacy machines) often frees locks so the bin can be emptied. reports a third‑party unlocker solved the issue in their case; such tools can help but use only trusted ones.

To find exactly which program holds the file, use Sysinternals tools. Download and run Process Explorer, run it elevated, press Ctrl+F and search for the Dc6 name (or the original filename). If a process is listed you can close that handle or stop the process. The command-line tool Handle does the same from a prompt. Example:

handle Dc6

If nothing releases the file, remove the recycle-bin folder for the drive so Windows rebuilds it (this clears the recycle bin for all users on that drive). From an elevated command prompt:

rd /s /q C:\RECYCLER

(or on Vista+)

rd /s /q C:\$Recycle.Bin

Warning: deleting the recycle-bin folder permanently removes stored restore info. Before doing that, show hidden and protected OS files and make sure you are deleting the right item. If recurring corruption appears, run chkdsk /f on the drive and check disk health.

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Member Avatar for caperjack

try computer in safe mode
To get to safe mode use the F8 key while booting the machine. Detailed instructions from here :-

Member Avatar for alihamilton

Thanks for that advice....I did not get a chance to try it as I used a great little program Dellater....worked perfectly!

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