OFF2000: Error Message "Cannot delete <file name>"

ID: Q224124

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Office 2000

ERROR MESSAGE

When you try to delete a file in either the Open or Save As dialog box in one of the Office programs the following error message appears:

Cannot delete '<file name>'." Access is denied.

Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use.

NOTE: Microsoft Office 2000 has built-in functionality that allows you to get more information about difficult-to-troubleshoot alerts or error messages. If you want to enable this functionality for this and other error messages in Microsoft Office 2000, please download the Microsoft Office 2000 Customizable Alerts file from the Microsoft Office Update Web site at the following address:

http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/2000/downloadDetails/alerts.htm

NOTE: If you reached this article by clicking the Web Info button in an error message, you already have Customizable Alerts enabled.

CAUSE

The file is open.

You don't have delete permissions.

WHAT TO TRY

The File is Open

If the file is open by another user, or you have the file open in another session of Microsoft Excel on the same computer, close the file before trying to delete it. When Excel opens a file, the file is locked and can only be opened again as read-only. The file cannot be deleted while it is locked.

You Don't Have Delete Permissions

If you are opening a file stored on another computer, verify that you have sufficient permissions to the folder or file. To delete a file, you must have either Full permissions or the following base permissions for the file or folder on the computer hosting the file:


   Operating      Windows NT     Windows NT     
   system         (NTFS)         (FAT)          Windows 95     Windows 98
   --------       ----------     ----------     ----------     ----------
   File:          RWXD           N/A            N/A            N/A

   Folder:        RWXD           Change         DF             DF

      R = Read
      W = Write 
      X = Execute
      D = Delete
      F = List Files
      N/A = Not Available

NOTE: When using other network operating systems such as Novell Netware, similar requirements to Microsoft Windows NT (NTFS) are required.

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Additional query words: OFF2000 6160719


Keywords          : kberrmsg kbui kbdta 
Version           : WINDOWS:2000
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb