The action can’t be completed: (Win7 Home Premium)

[ChrisGreaves]

I found this strange.

Offline, I have opened one or more web pages in my browser from a folder on my laptop.
The Firefox browser remains open with the pages open.
If I select the contents of the folder (Ctrl-A in the right pane) and tap the delete key, the files are deleted.
If I select the folder (left pane) and tap the delete key, I obtain the complaint box “This action can’t be completed because the folder or a file in it is open in another program”.

I can’t see logically why the delete-file action can be completed but the delete-folder cannot. Doubtless there is a practical reason for it – even if that reason is that the two programmers were not talking to each other – but LOGICALLY I can’t see why it should be not possible in the second instance when it IS possible in the first.

I note that If I delete the files (Ctrl-A, Delete in right pane) the files are gone, but I still can not delete the folder. The hurdle must be a flag that exists between the folder name and the folder contents, rather than between any aspect of the folder and the offending application.

And yes, once I close Firefox, the folder can be deleted.

[Rudi]

I would assume that FF has a lock on (or a reference to) the folder itself in some running process. If there is a reference to (or lock on) the folder, it would prevent the folder from being deleted, but the files would still be available for processing. (I do not confirm, nor deny the validity of this answer)!