How to delete a file or folder if they are not deleted? Why sometimes I can't delete even an empty folder from the Recycle Bin or Desktop Why can't I delete a folder from the Recycle Bin
It happens that you just need to delete a folder or file, but Windows does not allow you to do this and writes about errors like "this process is busy" or "folder is not empty" or something else. Maybe you found some folder or file that you "didn't like" and want to delete it. Do you know exactly what it is? junk"which only takes up space, but Windows swears and does not allow. In general, it is not so important Why can't you delete, How many How to delete and in this article you will find answers to this question.
Most often, such situations occur due to the fact that the deleted files are occupied by other programs. But it also happens that it is impossible to delete a file even after closing all applications that can use this file. For example, a file or folder may become locked due to incorrect user actions and cannot be deleted in any way. These folders (files) remain "hanging" on the hard disk, take up space, are not opened and are not deleted.
The file may not be deleted due to a failure that occurred during its recording or overwriting. If you interrupted the recording process, then the file was not completely saved, resulting in invalid entries in file system. And our beloved Winda, not knowing how to handle it, simply simply closes access to it, such as for security reasons.
So, let's start dancing with a tambourine!
Why is the file not being deleted?
1) The file was blocked by an antivirus program. Often this happens when the antivirus quarantines the file. Or the antivirus detected malware, but the treatment was delayed (waiting to update its databases). In this case, in order to avoid infecting the computer, the user is blocked from accessing this file. Check the quarantine of the antivirus program and delete the file using the antivirus itself, or disable the antivirus and delete the file manually.
2) The file is being used by another program. Think about what programs can use this file. Close them and try deleting the file again. If this does not help, use the Task Manager to check the list of processes, the program may still be running.
3) Administrator rights are required to delete a file. If you are using a user account, log in again as an administrator and try deleting the file.
4) The file is being used by another user local network . Please wait and try deleting the file later.
5) The file is in use by the system. Try deleting the file after restarting your computer or in safe mode.
6) The device is write protected. For example, SD memory cards and some USB flash drives have a special switch to lock the device.
There are several ways to remove, I will start with the simplest and most effective and gradually move on to more complex ones.
1. Way:
Reboot
We programmers have a saying - "7 troubles - one reset". What does it mean you can guess
But the meaning of the method is that you need to restart your computer and try to delete the file / folder again.
2. Way:
Safe mode
You need to log in in safe mode.
What is the advantage of booting the system in safe mode? The thing is that Windows does not load its libraries to execute dialogs. To put it simply, if you have a virus on your computer (and this is not excluded), then in this safe mode it will not perform any actions. In this mode, there is nothing superfluous, only a clean AXIS and a person.
In order to enter this mode, when you turn on the computer and after loading the BIOS (or in general, you can press the key intensively from the very beginning of loading the "black screen") F8(no need to press and hold!!!). A black screen will appear, in which you need to select Advanced boot options using the keys on the keyboard, and there is already Safe Mode (well, or just Safe Mode, you don’t need to select all sorts of things there With command line support and so on. And so it will do) and press Enter. If you did everything correctly, the system will boot up and in the lower right corner there will be an inscription Safe mode (it can still be in all corners). Do not be afraid of the black screen that will appear) without wallpaper and beauty.
Now you need to find the file that you just could not delete and try to delete it. In any case (it turned out or not), reboot.
3. Way:
Through the program Unlocker
That's it for such purposes, good uncles wrote such a program, called Unlocker. This is a very small, free program for unlocking files running on Windows. This utility allows you to close open file locks, thus making it possible to perform further actions on these files. Those. the program shows all processes blocking a file (folder) and can delete it despite all blockers.
In addition, the program allows you to rename files and their extensions or move a locked file to another location. This is also very convenient, because. Windows does not always allow you to do this quickly and calmly.
During installation, DO NOT agree to the proposed toolbar (well, or you really need it, then click Next) and uncheck Install Babylon Toolbar - RECOMMENDED. And the rest of the installation is normal - everywhere Further I accept Install and everything)
Just right-click on a file that is not deleted (not moved / renamed) in the usual way and select the program icon from the menu. A window should appear in which you select Delete from the list and press the button OK.
If the file or folder is locked, another window will appear. In it, you must first click on the button Unlock everything, and then Delete.
For those who do not know what bit depth is on the system - we read
4. Way:
Through file managers
Of all the most popular and commonly used file managers, the most popular is Total Commander.
File managers have the ability to bypass some Windows restrictions, which we will use.
To delete a non-removable file, we need to download one of these file managers, FAR or Total Commander (I use Total Commander Podarok Edition). After downloading and installing, find your file in the list of directories and delete it by clicking either the right mouse button and selecting Delete, or the Delete key on the keyboard.
Also, these managers have a good opportunity - to see everything that is hidden and encrypted (especially in different colors, like mine). If you do not delete the folder, then go into it through the manager and see what's there. If you see a hidden file, it means that it interferes. Then launch Task Manager ctrl+shift+esc), go to the Processes tab and look for this file in the list (it’s good to click on the button at the bottom left of the dispatcher Display processes of all users), find and complete (del or RMB -> End process or End process button in the lower right corner). With files, the same application, we are looking for the file name and "kill".
5. Way:
Another option with Unlocker
If the folder is not deleted from you, it writes something like "the folder is not empty", then we create a new folder on the same disk, transfer the folders that cannot be deleted to a new folder, delete the new folder using Unlocker
6. Method:
With autoload
Click Start => Run => In the Run box, type msconfig => Click OK. You will see the System Setup window. Go to the "Startup" tab and in the list of downloaded items, find a name similar to your "non-removable" file.
If there is no such file in the list, then click on the "Disable all" button. Click on the "Apply" => "Close" button. The operating system will issue a warning that all changes made by the system setup program will only take effect after the computer is restarted. Click the "Reboot" button. The computer will restart. After downloading, try deleting the "non-removable" file again.
7. Method:
Using System Restore
In the "System Settings" window (which was the same as in the previous paragraph), select the "General" item. Click on the "Start System Restore" button. In the window that appears, select the item "Restore an earlier state of the computer", click "Next". In a new window, you will see a calendar where you can select the date for system restore. Select a date when the "non-removable" file was not on the computer. Press "Next". Don't worry, System Restore won't affect your personal files.
8. Method:
Lack of permissions to delete files
Right-click on the problematic object and select "Properties" from the drop-down list
In the window that opens, select the "Security" tab
Highlight your name in the list and select "Full Control"
- "Apply" and "OK"
Trying to delete
9. Way:
Use a different operating system.
Try booting from a removable disk (or CD/DVD) (LiveCD or LiveUSB) with a different operating system. Then delete the file/folder.
10. Method:
Move somewhere.
Sometimes it helps to move (cut) the folder to an empty flash drive and format it later.
11. Way:
In the window, type the command chkdsk c: / f / r and click Enter, while keeping in mind that c: is the name of the drive to be checked. If the disk being checked has a different letter, then write it.
If the checked drive is C:, then when you click Enter You will be prompted to check it the next time you reboot. When asked whether to check or not on the next reboot, type Y and press Enter.
If the disk name is different, then the check will start immediately. At the end of the test, the result of the test will appear. Type exit and click Enter.
Now you can delete the file that you didn't want to delete. In the case of drive C, just restart the computer and after checking, delete the non-removable file.
12. Method:
In the case of opening the command line through Start - All Programs ... run the process as an administrator (RMB and Run as Administrator) and move to the folder with the file (or folder) that cannot be deleted using the cd \ command in order to end up in the root directory drive, and then cd folder_name to go to the desired folder.
Sometimes, when you try to open a folder, you may receive an error message. Let's see what can be done if there is no access to the folder.
The reasons why a folder cannot be opened are very different, but I will try to tell you about each of them and instruct you what to do in each case if access to the folder is denied. To begin with, I must say that all The following steps must be performed using account administrator.
You are not the owner of the folder
After reinstallation or windows updates you may no longer be on the list of folder owners, so the system quite rightly prevents you from reading files that do not belong to you.
Now I will tell you how to access the folder in this case. First, go to the "Control Panel" menu item and select "Folder Options" or "Folder Options" depending on the system.
In the "View" tab, we find the item "Use the Sharing Wizard (recommended)", if you have Windows 7 or XP, if you have Windows 8 - "Use simple folder sharing (recommended)", uncheck it, click "OK".
Now right-click on the folder and select "Properties" from the drop-down menu. In the "Security" tab, click on "Advanced" and in the new window, click on the "Owner" tab at the top of the window. Click "Edit" on the bottom left.
It is possible that you will not have such a tab. Then you need to go to safe mode and then follow the steps below.
In the window that opens, select the username you want to allow access to and click OK. To gain access not only to the folder, but to all the files and folders inside, we selected the item "Replace the owner of subcontainers and objects" and then click "OK".
As you can see, there is nothing complicated. The bottom line is that the owner of the folder has changed, and in order to fix this, you need to specify yourself as the owner. It's different when you encrypted data and after reinstalling Windows decided to open this folder. That's when your head may just explode, and your problem is solvable and you shouldn't worry! I hope that after following my instructions, you are no longer denied access to the folder that you need.
By the way, if such an error appears when opening a flash drive or disk, be sure to check your computer for viruses.
Here's another option, from the person who posted the video:
Hi all! Today I will tell you howdelete non-removable file or folder in different ways, in case you have already tried everything you could, but it still did not help. I decided to write this article, since I myself once encountered a similar problem that my design themes that were in the folder did not want to be deleted or moved. Why, they could not even be opened or renamed.
Often, when trying to delete such files by PC users, Similar messages may appear: the file cannot be deleted, access is blocked, the disk may be full or write-protected, the file is in use by another application, this process is busy, the folder is not empty. These errors come out for many different reasons, in which you must first understand and understand what the matter may be before trying to do anything. So, there are not many reasons for this, here are some of them:
- You are trying to delete a file that is being used by other programs. For example, if you watched a movie or listened to music, but before you had time to close the player, you are already trying to delete the file being played, then no matter how hard you try, you will not be able to do this until you close all the relevant applications that use this file in the PC ( Personal Computer). It also sometimes happens that this file or folder is used by other applications, but you do not see them, although they are displayed in the task manager, which will be discussed a little lower.
- You are trying to delete a file that is being used by other users. For example, you downloaded it through a torrent tracker and then wanted to delete it, but something doesn’t want to be deleted. The thing is that another user is downloading this game over the Internet, and so far you do not turn off the Internet or exit the torrent program - the file will not be able to be deleted.
You don't have enough rights to do so. What does this even mean? Am I the owner of my computer or what? The fact is that you, like me once, could probably put your files or folders in the folders of the Windows operating system, to which access is closed for your own safety. This restriction was created to prevent you from ruining your computer by deleting some important file from operating system Windows.
- The files or folders that you wanted to delete were quarantined by your antivirus program. In other words, something your antivirus didn’t like about them, so it blocked them so that they couldn’t harm your PC in any way.
Ok, we figured out the reasons. Now all that is left for you to delete your non-deleted file is simply to try all the methods that I have described for you below.
How to delete a non-removable file, folder through a computer?
Method 1. Just restart your computer, in most cases this will be enough.
Method 2. Turn on Task Manager. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete if you have Windows 7 or XP and Windows + X if you have Windows 8. A window will appear in front of you, go to "processes".
All programs that are currently running on your computer will be displayed here. Try to find the one that probably uses your file. If that doesn't work, then just pick one at random and hit "end process" every time you try to delete the file again.
Method 3. Turn off your computer and turn it on again. Press the F8 key many times during the boot process. A black screen will appear in front of you, where there will be several options for booting the PC. Select "safe mode". Once the computer boots up, try deleting the file, or at least move it to another location.
Method 4. If the file is simply not deleted, but it can be transferred, then you can proceed as follows. Just drag and drop your file onto an empty flash drive and format it. Be careful, after this process everything will be deleted from it!
Method 5. Open your computer, find your permanent file on the desktop. At the top of the window, click "service", then "folder options", go to the "view" tab and uncheck the box if it is next to "use simple file sharing" and save the changes. Try deleting your file or folder.
Method 6. Change admin rights. Click on our file with the right mouse, select "property", then in the opened window "security" and click "advanced".
Another window will come out, click on "owner". Here, simply select another administrator and click "apply". Personally, this operation helped me remove restrictions from my WordPress templates, which I wrote about.
Method 7. Disable all processes associated with this file. This procedure is very similar to the task manager, but it has a more effective effect. Click "start" on your desktop, then "run". In the window that appears, enter msconfig and press ok.
Another window will appear in front of you. Here, go to the "startup" tab and in the list of running processes, try to find the name of your non-deletable file and uncheck it, and click ok.
How to delete non-removable files, folders through special programs?
Method 8. To solve this problem, a very cool and at the same time simple program"UnLocker", which is able to delete a file that is not deleted in 90% of cases. You can download the program from the official website. During the installation process, be careful and uncheck the box where you are prompted to install some other application in addition to the program. If you do not do this, then at the end of the installation your antivirus program will swear for a long time.
A common problem faced by novice users is that a file or folder is not deleted (due to some file) that needs to be deleted. At the same time, the system writes the file is in use by another process or action cannot be performed because this file is open in program_name or that you need to ask permission from someone. This can be encountered in any version of the OS - Windows 7, 8, Windows 10 or XP.
Another way to delete such a file is to boot from any LiveCD drive, from a system recovery disk, or from a bootable Windows flash drive. When using LiveCD in any of its variants, you can use either the standard Windows graphical interface (for example, in BartPE) and Linux (Ubuntu), or command line tools. Please note that when booting from such a drive, the computer's hard drives may appear under different letters. To make sure you are deleting a file from desired disk, you can use the command dirc:(this example will display a list of folders on drive C).
When using a bootable flash drive or installation Windows disk 7 and Windows 8, at any time during the installation (after the language selection window has already loaded and in the following steps), press Shift + F10 to enter command line. You can also select "System Restore", a link to which is also present in the installer. Also, as in the previous case, pay attention to the possible change in drive letters.
Using DeadLock to Unlock and Delete Files
Since the Unlocker program discussed below, even from the official website, has recently (2016) begun to install various unwanted programs and is blocked by browsers and antiviruses, I suggest considering an alternative - DeadLock, which also allows you to unlock and delete files from your computer (it also promises to change the owner, but in it didn't work in my tests).
So, if when deleting a file you see a message that the action cannot be performed because the file is open in some program, then using DeadLock in the File menu you can add this file to the list, and then, using the right click - unlock it (Unlock) and remove (Remove). You can also move the file. 
The program, although in English (maybe a Russian translation will appear soon), is very easy to use. The disadvantage (and for some, perhaps, the advantage) - unlike Unlocker, it does not add the file unlock action to the Explorer context menu. You can download DeadLock from the official website http://codedead.com/?page_id=822 Free Unlocker to Unlock Files That Can't Be Deleted
The Unlocker program is probably the most popular way to delete files that are in use by a particular process. The reasons for this are simple: it is free, it does its job well, in general, it works. You can download Unlocker for free on the official website of the developer http://www.emptyloop.com/unlocker/(recently, the site has been identified as malicious).
Using the program is very simple - after installation, just right-click on the file that is not deleted and select in context menu"Unlocker" item. In the case of using the portable version of the program, which is also available for download, run the program, a window will open for selecting the file or folder that you want to delete.
The essence of the program is the same as in the first described method - unloading from the memory of the processes that the file is busy with. The main advantages over the first method are that it is easier to delete a file using the Unlocker program and, moreover, it can find and complete a process that is hidden from the eyes of users, that is, not available for viewing through the task manager.
Update 2017: Another way, judging by the reviews, that works successfully, was suggested in the comments by the author Toha IT specialist: install and open the 7-Zip archiver (free, works the same as file manager) and in it rename the file that is not deleted. After that, the removal is successful.
Why the file or folder is not deleted
What can prevent deleting a file or folder
If you do not have the necessary rights on the system to modify a file or folder, you cannot delete it. If you didn't create the file, chances are you can't delete it either. Also, the cause may be the settings made by the administrator of the computer.
Also, the file or folder containing it cannot be deleted if the file is currently open in the program. You can try closing all programs and try again.
Why does Windows say the file is in use when I try to delete a file?
This error message means that the file is being used by the program. Thus, you need to find a program that uses it and either close the file in it, if it is, for example, a document, or close the program itself. Also, if you are on a network, the file may be in use by another user at the moment.
After deleting all files, an empty folder remains
In this case, try closing all open programs or restart the computer, and then delete the folder.
Each user has encountered a similar problem when a file stubbornly refuses to be deleted for an unknown reason! It's impossible to delete the file, and that's it, no access! Most often, an inscription is displayed that deleting this object is impossible, because it is currently being used by some application, access to the object is denied, there is protection from deletion, and more. But what should the user do if the malicious object still needs to be deleted without fail?! Yes, and you don’t need different trash in your computer, which constantly accumulates and loads the entire system! It is necessary to find out the solution to such troubles. This article discusses several methods to achieve the desired result, helping both to remove protected files, as well as damaged, used and system ones.
Sometimes, if a file cannot be deleted, a simple solution works - close all programs used by the user. For example, it is not possible to delete a music file if it is currently playing on your player. Only after closing the player window, you can start deleting objects. By the same principle, you need to close other programs if there is no access to the file. Just in case, you can restart the computer, and then try again to delete the file. It turns out? Excellent! If the attempt turned out to be a failure, then we move on to the second step, which can help.
Another uninstall method is using the "Task Manager"
It is important to know - you can find and close a non-obvious program or process that uses a stubbornly unremoved file from unnecessary ones. This can be done through the "Task Manager"! To call this dialog box, you should know the following: use the key combination "ctrl" + "alt" + "delete" (for older operating systems Windows systems) or a combination of "ctrl + shift + esc" / "Windows" + "X" (if the OS version is from Windows 8 and later). In the “Task Manager” window that appears, you need to find out the program or process that uses this object and shut it down. After that, you can delete an unnecessary file, objects that cannot be deleted cease to be so.
ATTENTION! Make sure the object is not an essential component of the operating system! If you ignore this, then it is possible that deleting this file will entail irreparable consequences for the operation of the entire system and you will have to reinstall the OS again. Delete only those files that you understand!
The third method is deletion using bootable flash drives or disks
This method is quite practical and allows you to remove almost any folder or file from your computer system. To do this, you will need to start the computer using one of the LiveCD drives, a resuscitation disk, or a special flash drive (if you don’t have one, it’s better to get it as soon as possible) to load the OS. When working with these drives, you will be able to use the familiar Windows interface. It is important to know that when booting the system from these types of drives, the system will most likely change the names of the hard drives and call them with completely different letters. Therefore, carefully look at exactly which object you will delete or use the dir c: command (for the appearance of objects located on the C drive that you are used to).
When working with bootable flash drives / disks, you need to press the “Shift” + “F10” combination at any time during the boot. This will allow you to get into a special command line. Here you can also select "System Restore". It is the command line that can, by the way, be used to solve many other problems.
After starting the system from these drives, using the command line, you can selectively delete all unnecessary information from the hard drives of your computer. Now Windows can't stop you from doing it! After all, it is disabled and its protection of all objects from deletion is disabled.
The fourth method of removal through the program Unlocker
This method is the easiest and most effective! Today, the Unlocker program, probably, as it will be useful to know, is the most popular method for deleting an object that is occupied by programs or processes and cannot be accessed. What is so convenient about this program that eliminates non-removable objects? There are several reasons: it is absolutely free, it is easy to use, and it easily solves the problem of deleting protected files. After installing Unlocker on your computer, you just need to right-click on the unfortunate object and select "Unlocker" from the pop-up menu. When using the portable version of the program, you only need to run it and select the desired folder or object that you want to delete in the window that opens.
The principle of operation of the Unlocker program is based on the first described method of deleting objects. The program itself performs the operation of unloading from the system memory those processes that prevent the removal of the desired object, such a process usually creates a problem. That's just Unlocker is able to end even those processes that are not visible to the average user in the "Task Manager" window!
Reasons for the appearance of non-removable objects in the computer
After the procedure for cleaning your computer from unnecessary files, you can choose two ways to proceed. You can continue to work with the system in the same way and periodically clean it from such problematic objects. Or you can figure out the reasons for their occurrence, why files are created that cannot be accessed, prevent their occurrence, which will significantly reduce the overall system load and increase its performance.
The fact is that Windows is very careful about all the files that you try to delete! This is, of course, good when you are a novice user and accidentally deleted the wrong file. Pulling it back out of the basket is not difficult. Another thing is when you are already a fairly experienced user and deliberately try to delete a file. Windows carefully places it in the Recycle Bin for possible recovery. Now you need to empty the trash in order to completely remove the object from the system. By the way, there is a method to avoid the trash and delete the file past it. To do this, press the key combination "shift" + "delete". Do you think files are deleted after emptying the trash? Not! It's just that Windows hides the files in a far corner, where we can get them with the help of special utilities. This file will be erased only after it has been repeatedly overwritten. Until then, it will take up space on your hard drive and feed on system resources, reducing the performance of the entire system.
Files that cannot be deleted (protected, corrupted, system, used) appear as a result of various system failures. This leads to the fact that Windows cannot deal with these files, and itself closes access to them for security purposes. For example, if the process of installing programs fails, incompletely saved files “remain” in the system. The system cannot deal with these types of files and simply "quarantines" them. You can also encounter viruses that cannot be removed from the computer. It happens that the virus file is deleted, and after a while it reappears. Therefore, it is important to have a reliable computer on your computer. antivirus program, which will help prevent the penetration of such virus files. Viruses also include suspicious files that have a weight of 0 kilobytes. Not a single utility can remove them from the computer, but antivirus scanning will cope with this problem in a couple of minutes.
