topic Re: Cannot Delete a file located in a CIFS share in Network and Storage Protocols

Cannot Delete a file located in a CIFS share

curtissw531 — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 07:17:33 GMT

We have a file on our NetApp that we cannot delete it says that the file is in use. When we check using computer management it does not list that files as being in use. The file is located on A CIFIS share. How can we get the file unlocked, deleted, or what process has it open?

Re: Cannot Delete a file located in a CIFS share

adamfox — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:57:42 GMT

Try the command:

netapp> cifs sessions *

(note the '*'). See if it shows a cifs session with your file open. You could then use cifs terminate <session> to kill off that particular session if necessary.

Hope this helps.

Re: Cannot Delete a file located in a CIFS share

curtissw531 — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:32:04 GMT

I tried that as well but the files still does not show up as in use.

Re: Cannot Delete a file located in a CIFS share

adamfox — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:39:32 GMT

It's not a folder is it?

Re: Cannot Delete a file located in a CIFS share

curtissw531 — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:43:42 GMT

No it’s just a file. In fact even trying to bring up the properties of the file take a very long time.

Re: Cannot Delete a file located in a CIFS share

pascalduk — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:14:01 GMT

Perhaps it is visible with the lock status command. E.g.:

> lock status -f -p cifs

If found you can break the lock with the lock break command.

Re: Cannot Delete a file located in a CIFS share

curtissw531 — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:58:05 GMT

I tired to issue this command lock break -f phase4.vsd and it says no locks to break. Even though when I issues the lock ststus command the file shows up in the list.

Re: Cannot Delete a file located in a CIFS share

arram715 — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:23:41 GMT

use a 3rd party tool to force kill the lock? ofl.exe is what I use in scenarios like that.

Re: Cannot Delete a file located in a CIFS share

pascalduk — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:43:31 GMT

You also need to specify the full path name of the file, including volume and qtree. The full path is also listed in the lock status output.

Re: Cannot Delete a file located in a CIFS share

curtissw531 — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:00:13 GMT

This is the path that it came back with
/vol/ese_admin_share/ES Admin/Projects/PSTools Upgrade/PSTools - Phase4.vsd
So I tried this command
lock break lock break -f /vol/ese_admin_share/ES Admin/Projects/PSTools Upgrade/PSTools - Phase4.vsd
It came back with this error Error:
Invalid option Admin/Projects/PSTools

It seems to be having an issue with the space in the path I tred to inclose it with ' but that did not work.

Re: Cannot Delete a file located in a CIFS share

curtissw531 — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:26:07 GMT

Thanks for the help we finaly fix this buy using the using the command below.

We were able to fix this by issuing this command.

Lock break -o userid -p cifs

Re: Cannot Delete a file located in a CIFS share

seftekhari — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:55:24 GMT

This is a sample on how to initiate the commands

Filer Name> lock break -h 10.50.x.x -p cifs
Filer Name> lock break -h 10.50.x.x -p cifs
Filer Name> lock break -h 10.60.x.x -p cifs
Filer Name> lock break -h 10.50.x.x -p cifs
Filer Name> lock break -h 1060.x.x -p cifs
Filer Name> lock break -h 10.60.x.x -p cifs

Filer Name> lock break -o username -p cifs

Filer Name> lock status -f -p cifs

Re: Cannot Delete a file located in a CIFS share

garciam99 — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 04:25:27 GMT

We ran into the same issue and the lock break command worked like a charm..

We first found the lock by running:

filer02> lock status -p cifs

Drilled down on it and ran this on the host IP:

filer02> lock status -h <ip address>

Broke the lock

filer02>lock break -h <ip address> -p cifs

Verified lock was gone:

filer02> lock status -h <ip address>

Re: Cannot Delete a file located in a CIFS share

stuart_tormey — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 12:54:39 GMT

Thanks Filer Name> lock break -h X.X.X.X -p cifs worked brilliantly for me.

As a note Even though the locked file had an ip address associated with it, that was the one the client had during the time of the lock being created, since then DHCP had regiven out the IP to another client device. I managed to close the lock on the correct file as well as someone elses connection. May be worth doing these at night to avoid disruption for other users.