Failed to delete a file in Windows using Java

Question

I have been trying to delete a file in windows operating system using the Java IO file.delete() API. However it fails and returns false. The same code works like a charm in Ubuntu.

I have verified that the permissions of the file allows the program to delete it. Also all the input and output stream for the file has been opened as try with resources.

try (InputStream in = new FileInputStream(localFile); OutputStream out = new FileOutputStream(destinationFileName))

Using a debugger I have tested and found out that at the code line that I delete the file it returns true for following API calls.

file.exists()
file.canRead();
file.canWrite();
file.canExecute();

I have even tried adding System.gc() right before calling delete to make sure all the streams are closed.

Not sure whether this is helpful information but I have even tried using the Apache commons FileUtils.forceDelete(file) method and it has also been failed.

So what am I missing here?

Update:

By using Files.delete(Paths.get(file.getAbsolutePath())) I got the following error.

java.nio.file.FileSystemException: C:\Users\thuvvareka\Desktop\temp\in\sd.xml: The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.
    at sun.nio.fs.WindowsException.translateToIOException(WindowsException.java:86)
    at sun.nio.fs.WindowsException.rethrowAsIOException(WindowsException.java:97)
    at sun.nio.fs.WindowsException.rethrowAsIOException(WindowsException.java:102)
    at sun.nio.fs.WindowsFileSystemProvider.implDelete(WindowsFileSystemProvider.java:269)
    at sun.nio.fs.AbstractFileSystemProvider.delete(AbstractFileSystemProvider.java:103)
    at java.nio.file.Files.delete(Files.java:1126)
    at org.adroitlogic.x.transport.file.FileMessageInjector.finalizeProcessing(FileMessageInjector.java:161)
    at org.adroitlogic.x.transport.file.FileMessageInjector.afterProcess(FileMessageInjector.java:123)
    at org.adroitlogic.x.transport.file.FileMessageInjector.afterProcess(FileMessageInjector.java:37)
    at org.adroitlogic.x.base.trp.ScheduledMessageInjector.lambda$2(ScheduledMessageInjector.java:72)
    at org.adroitlogic.x.api.trp.MessageReceiver.lambda$receive$3(MessageReceiver.java:100)
    at java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture.uniWhenComplete(CompletableFuture.java:760)
    at java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture$UniWhenComplete.tryFire(CompletableFuture.java:736)
    at java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture.postComplete(CompletableFuture.java:474)
    at java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture.complete(CompletableFuture.java:1962)
    at org.adroitlogic.x.core.MessageContext.lambda$createNewResponseFuture$2(MessageContext.java:459)
    at java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture.uniWhenComplete(CompletableFuture.java:760)
    at java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture$UniWhenComplete.tryFire(CompletableFuture.java:736)
    at java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture.postComplete(CompletableFuture.java:474)
    at java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture.complete(CompletableFuture.java:1962)
    at org.adroitlogic.x.core.MessageContext.completeMessageFlowSuccessfully(MessageContext.java:332)
    at org.adroitlogic.x.base.connector.EgressConnectorElement.sendMessage(EgressConnectorElement.java:185)
    at org.adroitlogic.x.base.connector.EgressConnectorElement.process(EgressConnectorElement.java:146)
    at org.adroitlogic.x.base.processor.AbstractProcessingElement.processMessage(AbstractProcessingElement.java:103)
    at org.adroitlogic.x.base.processor.TraceableProcessingElement.processMessage(TraceableProcessingElement.java:53)
    at org.adroitlogic.x.base.connector.IngressConnectorElement.receiveMessage(IngressConnectorElement.java:119)
    at org.adroitlogic.x.core.IntegrationPlatform.lambda$receive$0(IntegrationPlatform.java:81)
    at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:266)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1142)
    at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:617)
    at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745)

Answer 1

Welcome to Windows.

java.nio.file.FileSystemException: C:\Users\thuvvareka\Desktop\temp\in\sd.xml: 
The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.

Typically, when a process has a file open in Windows, the operating system locks the file in a way that the file cannot be deleted. If it's your program that has the file open while you are trying to delete it, then close the file first and then delete it. If it's another program that has the file open, then you'll need to figure out who has it open and go from there.

When a process has a file open in Linux, there is typically nothing preventing you from deleting it, which is why you see different behavior.