If a Java VM opens a RandomAccessFile, spawns a subprocess (via Runtime.exec()),
closes the RandomAccessFile, and deletes the associated File, the delete will
fail on Windows NT.

The reason for this is that the file handle is inherited by the subprocess,
which has no way of accessing that file handle; consequently the subprocess
has no way to close the handle and must keep it open. The file is marked as
in-use and undeleteable until the subprocess exits.

Here is a simple test (the parent waits for 30 seconds to let the child startup).

import java.io.*;

public class Shug
{
    public static void main(String[] argv)
throws Exception
    {
boolean child = (argv.length == 1);
System.err.println((child ? "Child" : "Parent") + " starting");

if (!child) {
// parent
File f = new File("foo");
RandomAccessFile log = new RandomAccessFile(f, "rw");
System.err.println("Parent opened log file");
System.err.println("Parent spawning child");
Process p = Runtime.getRuntime().exec(
new String[] {
"java",
"Shug",
"child"
});
System.err.println("Parent spawned child");
log.close();
System.err.println("Parent closed file; sleep 30");
Thread.sleep(30 * 1000);
System.err.println("Parent removing file");
if (f.delete())
System.err.println("Delete succeeded.");
else
System.err.println("Delete failed.");

System.err.println("Parent exiting");

} else {
// child
// do nothing
Thread.sleep(180 * 1000);
System.err.println("Child exiting");
}
    }
}