Sunday, October 9, 2011

Can't delete EML files

This came up on the get satisfaction support site, and I thought it worth noting here for my own future reference.

Apparently windows search uses some sort of modified file properties to 'enhance the search experience'.  The references I have read all implicate Live mail in the installation of this enhancement, but it could just as well be a windows update or an Internet explorer update.

The side effect of the enhanced search experience is that any EML files you have saved into the file system from your mail client can't be dealt with as files and nothing you do to move or delete them works.  The solution is to change the registry key as shown below.   Once that key is set to Zero and you have rebooted you will be able to modify the EML files as normal.

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{5FA29220-36A1-40f9-89C6-F4B384B7642E}\OverrideFileSystemProperties]
"System.SFGAOFlags"=dword:00000000

5 comments:

  1. My computer will not let me do this. Can you help?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rather than messing with the Registry - which concerns many people. I found that if you right click the file name -> select properties -> down at the bottom select Advanced -> then Uncheck "Allow this file to have contents ........" -> select OK -> select OK. I could then delete the file.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks, the solution of going in to advanced file settings and unchecking the box worked for me (see above).

    You can do this for several files at a time and there's no need to change registry entries. I recommend this unless you are moving and deleting eml files all the time.

    ReplyDelete
  4. the thing is that the system said changing the "SGAOFlags is forbiddn

    ReplyDelete