Will you please create a removal scan tool for those dam .FFS lock files... it is destroying my hard drives.
and stop making them files hidden too. what the point?
it take me forever to find out why i can't delete a that dam folder because it is lock out by your .FFS file i find out days later that is hidden from everything.
i have spent hours trying to find a way too delete those lock folders. my hard drive get lock out from doing anything with it later. I wish i have not used this FFS because of that. i even have the donated version.
Please create a .FFS lock removal scan tool
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FFS already does detect abandoned lock files. Even with them, they don't prevent you from doing anything yourself, they only stop other FFS sessions from running.
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Sorry but NO they don't they lock that folder out from being deleted for good. i was just going through this on a drive all night just now. i had to boot from a USB drive and found out that file was that .FFS lock out.
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That's also the problem also is you can't scan again because of that Lock .FFS file there. FFS get stuck some how from a pass bad scan. Can somebody create a Removal tool for those lock .ffs files.
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The issue you are having is a symptom of a different problem. Why aren't your FFS sessions finishing, which is what removes the lock files?
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when i scan that large drive at first it scanned ok then after i run it overtime it always stops and create a failed spot in the drive folder sometime later.
then when i try to re scan and restart it again it give me an error at the same spot with that file .FFS lock out in it. because it wont scan or copy pass it. now i am stuck and cant finish the copy because the file in the folder has it lock out. it a blank folder with nothing in but that .FFS lock file in there. the folder was empty with a name is all when it stop is all i can see.. i can rename that folder but cant delete it. after i spend hours trying to delete that folder... this time with a USB boot drive with another Linux. i got that folder to the trash but still cant delete it from the trash now.. i believe it said scanstop.ffs some thing like that when i was able to show hidden files. this is the third drive this has happen too. something with blank folder with that not sure .FFS has it lock out. all i do is find a way to delete it and then i can finish the copy OK. i have two more drives to go i hope this is the last one with troubles with it. not sure why it stops overtime. that's why i need that lock .FFS file scan remover.. the drives i copy are USB connected and formatted as NTFS.. all i am doing is transfer these files to a new larger drive and then reformat that same drive back to ext4 and put all the files right back on it just like it was. these drives are on and very fast computer with USB C type 4 bay that has that 10gb transfer speed but the drives are large 14tb to 24tb SATA 6GB of speed with the Linux mint OS 22.3. the trouble is i can't finish the sessions because of that .FFS file wont go pass it.
then when i try to re scan and restart it again it give me an error at the same spot with that file .FFS lock out in it. because it wont scan or copy pass it. now i am stuck and cant finish the copy because the file in the folder has it lock out. it a blank folder with nothing in but that .FFS lock file in there. the folder was empty with a name is all when it stop is all i can see.. i can rename that folder but cant delete it. after i spend hours trying to delete that folder... this time with a USB boot drive with another Linux. i got that folder to the trash but still cant delete it from the trash now.. i believe it said scanstop.ffs some thing like that when i was able to show hidden files. this is the third drive this has happen too. something with blank folder with that not sure .FFS has it lock out. all i do is find a way to delete it and then i can finish the copy OK. i have two more drives to go i hope this is the last one with troubles with it. not sure why it stops overtime. that's why i need that lock .FFS file scan remover.. the drives i copy are USB connected and formatted as NTFS.. all i am doing is transfer these files to a new larger drive and then reformat that same drive back to ext4 and put all the files right back on it just like it was. these drives are on and very fast computer with USB C type 4 bay that has that 10gb transfer speed but the drives are large 14tb to 24tb SATA 6GB of speed with the Linux mint OS 22.3. the trouble is i can't finish the sessions because of that .FFS file wont go pass it.
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I'd be more worried about why the transfer gets locked up, which is what is causing the .lock files to remain. Maybe syncing in smaller subsets of data is better. Either way, FFS should detect these remaining lock files and remove them, it can take like 30 seconds though
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That's the problem it not..the .FFS file system is creating the trouble..files copy fine after i find a way to remove it days later and being sick of it and all the wasted time later. I wish your people would create that .FFS file remover so we can move on faster when this does FAILS and it will. i am not the only one who has had theses troubles it be doing this for years and years do the search i did. be nice to have a way to scan and disable that lock .FFS file and remove it because it Don't know how to make or i would find way. i have not had any trouble with the my files for years on those drives i can delete them but not when that .FFS file is in there. I Disable that Lock File in the XML setting after i had all these trouble. that's after reading online. now i need to fix for this drive so i can move on and copy them over and finish this copy.i am not sure why they had not done this already just add it the next release or make it a download. i would even pay for it.
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(Windows.)
If you're using Everything (& everyone should be),
you can simply search for 'ext:ffs_lock',
select them all, & Shift+DEL.
Everything - https://www.voidtools.com/
Or you could create a .bat file, using DEL (but you'd have to know just where to look...).
. (Seems my NAS sees these files, & when they are "deleted", they end up in its' #recycle bin.
[They only exist there, nowhere else.] [So] not a big deal, even if it has happened 227,827 times ;-).)
If you're using Everything (& everyone should be),
you can simply search for 'ext:ffs_lock',
select them all, & Shift+DEL.
Everything - https://www.voidtools.com/
Or you could create a .bat file, using DEL (but you'd have to know just where to look...).
. (Seems my NAS sees these files, & when they are "deleted", they end up in its' #recycle bin.
[They only exist there, nowhere else.] [So] not a big deal, even if it has happened 227,827 times ;-).)
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- Joined: 5 Apr 2026
Delete your lock files using this PowerShell script.
Rename ffs_lock_cleanup.ps1.txt to ffs_lock_cleanup.ps1.
Instructions for use are in ffs_lock_cleanup_description_english.txt
As another user mentioned, using `everything` is actually indispensable, but it’s not a requirement for running the script with PowerShell.
The script works, but use it at your own risk.
I hope this solves your problems with ffs_lock
Rename ffs_lock_cleanup.ps1.txt to ffs_lock_cleanup.ps1.
Instructions for use are in ffs_lock_cleanup_description_english.txt
As another user mentioned, using `everything` is actually indispensable, but it’s not a requirement for running the script with PowerShell.
The script works, but use it at your own risk.
I hope this solves your problems with ffs_lock
- Attachments
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- ffs_lock_cleanup.ps1.txt
- Rename to ffs_lock_cleanup.ps1
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- ffs_lock_cleanup_description_english.txt
- Help File
- (1.25 KiB) Downloaded 11 times
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Thank you both for your help.. i will try them both when needed again. right now it is in the .trash-0 folder expunged file on the side on that drive and that .trash-0 is still lock there.. now all my coping was completed OK using FFS mirroring.. i Reformat that Drive from NTFS to ext4 and everything is working OK now. now i am coping everything right back on it like it was. with out that lock file of course. Thanks.
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Hi HeinzB,
your PowerShell script is very well done, but you should save it in UTF-8 with BOM and then reload it:
it's currently saved in UTF-8 without BOM, and PowerShell doesn't identify it correctly thus crashing on the double quotes seen as “ and †instead of “ and ” (Windows/PowerShell Italian localization).
your PowerShell script is very well done, but you should save it in UTF-8 with BOM and then reload it:
it's currently saved in UTF-8 without BOM, and PowerShell doesn't identify it correctly thus crashing on the double quotes seen as “ and †instead of “ and ” (Windows/PowerShell Italian localization).
- Attachments
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- ffs_lock_cleanup.ps1.txt
- Rename to ffs_lock_cleanup.ps1
- (5.24 KiB) Downloaded 9 times
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You're right; converting it to .txt must have changed the encoding. Strangely enough, both versions run without a hitch on my computer—UTF-8-BOM is the correct encoding.