Releasing Windows file share locks

Question

This problem crops up every now and then at work. Our build machine can have it\'s files accessed via a normal windows file share. If someone browses a folder remotely on the ma

Answer 1

I've had similar problems, and none of these suggestions I've seen above look suitable for automated overnight builds (as the original poster implied) because they all require manual effort to hunt down and kill the locks.

The only method I've tried that seems to work reliably is to remove the share itself, make the build, then add the share back. Here's one way of removing the share automatically:

D:\Projects>net share Projects /DELETE /Y

Users have open files on Projects. Continuing the operation will force the files closed.

Projects was deleted successfully.

(NOTE: Creating the share again automatically can be a pain if the privilege groups you need to give it are messy.)