>Yes this is representative of what I'm trying to do. I want to delete the GIF after loading it to the image control.
>
>Why should trying to delete a transparent GIF be any more wrong than deleting a non-transparent GIF? The latter can be deleted without VFP complaining. BMPs can also be deleted!!!!
>
>I don't understand why VFP would think that the file is in use after it has loaded it to the image control. It is not in memory from that point on?

It's GDI+ that holds the file, not VFP as explained in the Calvin's blog I pointed you to elsewhere in this thread.