python can't remove a file after closing it, "being used by another process"

Question

Hi,

I am trying to remove a file after reading from it, but getting "WindowsError: [Error 32] The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process"

file = open(self.filePath)
for line in file:
        #do things
file.close()

os.remove(self.filePath) #throws error

os.rename(self.filePath, self.filePath + "old") #throws same error

any ideas??

thank you!

UPDATE: i just restarted my (windows 7) box, started eclipse, moved os.remove("c:\file\file.txt") to the first line of my script, ran and got the same error.

UPDATE 2: i used windows explorer to navigate to the file.. first time I couldn't delete it, it was being used by "System". second attempt the delete worked fine. the file is no longer there. now when I run os.remove("c:\file\file.txt") WindowsError: [Error 32] The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process: 'c:\file\file.txt' then i look in windows explorer and the file is back, empty. i can delete in explorer, then when i run the script to remove, it throws the error (and creates the empty file). any idea what could be going on here?

UPDATE 3: i am an idiot. i was opening the file in the initialization of an object when i tested by moving the "remove" to top of script, i should have put it at the top, not after creating my objects

sorry for taking your time, i've been working on something all weekend that's due tomorrow and panicked when it wouldn't run

Answer 1

There are lots of possible reasons for this. However, the most likely one is that you have a directory window open that contains the file, or that such a window was closed recently and Windows has yet to flush the directory from its cache. Try closing any directory window that you were looking in and try again.

Answer 2

Another possibility is that a virus checker still has the file open at the time you try to delete or rename it. This doesn't happen often but when it does, it's really annoying to track down.

Answer 3

Do I understand right that it happens when you run your script from under Eclipse?

Does the problem exist if you close Eclipse and run your script from cmd?

Answer 4

Use Unlocker(easier) or Process Explorer to see what program has the file open.

(as suggested by Anon)