Try PURGELINK on each file.  

We use this to purge files that we want to overwrite even if the files are being accessed.

>>>>>>>
HP reviewed our Memory dump
and informed us that we've reached a maximum of 70,000 files within a
single group.

We've idenfified 40,000 files to purge.  However the system crashes
whenever we attempt to purge files from this.

* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, *
* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *