Cannot Delete Zip file Created by SharpZipLib (FastZip)

Question

I'm creating a zip file using the class FastZip from SharpZipLib and once I after I close the program, I cannot delete the file because:

"Cannot delete zip.zip: It is being used by another person or program. Close any programs that might be using the file and try again."

The code that is generating the file is simply this:

fZip.CreateEmptyDirectories = true;
fZip.CreateZip(filesPath + "\\" + this.zipName, filesPath, false, this.zipFilter);

I tried using:

            using (FastZip fZip = new FastZip())
            {
                try
                {
                    fZip.CreateEmptyDirectories = true;
                    fZip.CreateZip(filesPath + "\\" + this.zipName, filesPath, false, this.zipFilter);
                }
                catch (Exception)
                {
                }
            }

But it doesn't convert to iDisposable

Answer 1

Perhaps antivirus is busy checking the file? If not, then get a program that can tell you which programs have files open.

You can look at:

• Unlocker
• IARSN TaskInfo

Answer 2

It looks like it may be a bug with SharpZipLib. The FastZip.CreateZip method has three overloads and two of them create use File.Create such as:

CreateZip(File.Create(zipFileName), // ...

It seems it does not close the stream, so you may be better off using:

string zipFileName = System.IO.Path.Combine(filesPath, this.zipName);
using (Stream stream = File.Create(zipFileName))
{
    fZip.CreateZip(stream, filesPath, false, this.zipFilter, null);
    stream.Close();
}

Technically you shouldn't need to call Close in the using block, but I like to be explicit about it.

Answer 3

I actually just solved this problem myself. Turns out that it wasn't SharpZipLib/FastZip. I was sending an email via System.Net.Mail and had attached the FastZipped file as an attachment to that email. When I tried to delete the attached file, I ran into the error which you received. Turns out that all I had to do was call MailMessage.Dispose() after sending the email.

Take a look at any other items within your code which might be holding a lock on the file; try to dispose() or close() those items if possible.

Answer 4

I'm not familier with the FastZip API (so this is just a punt) but do you need to close the archive with something like fZip.Close();

I would have thought that closing the program would have done the same thing but just a guess.

Answer 5

Make sure you CLOSE the SharpZipLib stream after you're finished with it, you can do this by wrapping the construction of it inside a "using" statement...

using(Stream s = new SharpZipLibStream())
{
   /*...do stuff, zip stuff.../
}