How to delete folders that are not deleted. Deleting a folder. Editing the "Startup" list

In the process of working at the computer, a huge amount of unnecessary information accumulates, which reduces the performance of the PC, clogging up the RAM. It needs to be removed. Quite often, due to an operating system failure, a virus attack, the presence of hidden or system files, access blocking, and a number of other reasons, when deleting an object, a message appears that the folder is not being deleted. What to do in this case? There are several ways to help solve this problem.

Restart your computer

An operating system crash is often the reason that an empty folder is not deleted. In this case, a simple restart of the computer is enough - and the object can be deleted. If the reboot did not help, you will need:

Start your computer in safe mode.
... Delete problem folder.
... Return to normal mode.

Removing folders involved in one of the running processes

If a folder or a file contained in it is involved in some system process or is used by an application, they cannot be deleted. First of all, you need to stop the process and only then try to delete the directory again.

To do this, follow these steps:

Open the task manager with the key combination Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
... Switch to the "Processes" tab.
... Find the required file in the list that opens.
... Select it with the mouse.
... Click on the "End process" button.
... Delete a folder using the context menu or the Delete key.

How to delete a protected folder in the standard way

In some cases, the folder is protected and the user must have administrator rights to delete it. This requires:

Shut down the computer.
... Turn on the PC.
... Log in as an administrator.
... Delete the folder in the usual way.

Unlocker utility and its features

If this method does not help to solve the problem of how to delete a non-removable folder, then you will need to install an additional Unlocker utility. It is a handy program for deleting various objects, which takes up a small amount of hard disk memory and has an easy-to-use interface. Plus, it's completely free.

You can unlock and delete a folder using this utility as follows:

• Download the utility to your computer.
• Follow the standard software installation procedure, after which the program icon will appear in the system tray and in the context menu.
• Select the folder to be deleted.
• Click on it with the right mouse button.
• In the pop-up menu, select the Unlocker item.
• The program window will open.
• At the bottom of the list of actions, select the "Delete" line.
• If the folder is blocked by any process (it will be highlighted in the program window), first click on the line "Unblock" or "Unblock all", and then apply the action "Delete".

Unlocker may not always be able to immediately delete an object. In this case, a message will be displayed that the action will be performed at the next system boot.

Deleting a folder via the command line

In the event that a folder with a system name is not deleted, the command line can help. First, you need to run the CMD program:

• Click the mouse on the "Start" button.
• Find the Run dialog using the search bar on the main menu.
• Start the Run program.
• In the "Open" line, enter the CMD command.
• Run the command line by pressing the Enter button.

To delete folders use the command "RD \\. \ Drive C or D: \ Path \ Folder name".

Sometimes, when using this command, you might wonder why the folder is not being deleted. For an object with a long name, you need to know its short designation before deleting it. This can be done as follows:

• Go to the drive containing the non-removable folder with the command: cd / d drive name: \.
• Get a list of the short names of objects contained on the disk: dir / x / n.
• Find the short name of the folder you want.
• Delete a directory using the delete command.

Terminating the explorer.exe process

Sometimes, in solving the problem of how to delete an unremovable folder, you need to stop the explorer.exe process. For this you need:

• Leave the command line open.
• Launch the task manager by selecting this action in the pop-up menu on the system tray.
• In the "Processes" tab, find all the processes named explorer.exe.
• Stop them by clicking on the "End process" button.
• If everything is done correctly, the desktop will be cleared of icons, the taskbar, and only an open command line window will remain.

After that, you can start deleting the object through the command line. Returning the desktop to its previous state will help the explorer command, which should be entered into the command line and press the Enter key. You can also restore your desktop by simply restarting your computer.

FileASSASSIN folder remover

The FileASSASSIN utility will help you to delete any object, including those occupied by any process or application. It works in a similar way to the Unlocker program. To use this utility, you must:

• Download and install it on your computer.
• After installation, the program integrates into Explorer and becomes available in the context menu.
• To delete a folder, right-click on it.
• In the menu, find the FileASSASSIN item.
• Select the method of deletion from the offered list.
• Click on the "Run" button.

Removing non-removable objects with LockHunter

The LockHunter utility allows you to clear the computer's memory of unnecessary objects and solve the problem of how to delete an unremovable folder. Unlike other similar software, it is equipped with functionality that can protect the operating system and user data from misuse. In addition, deleted objects are stored in the system recycle bin for some time, and if you delete them by mistake, you can always restore them.

The LockHunter program works as follows:

• After installation, you need to run the utility by double-clicking on the icon on the desktop.
• The main program window will open.
• Find the ellipsis button and click on it.
• In the window that appears, select the desired folder.
• The program will show the process preventing the deletion of the object.
• Click on the button with the red cross.
• The process will be completed.
• Delete the folder in the usual way.

Restoring access to a folder

Sometimes the reason why a folder is not deleted is the closed access to it. You can restore access to the desired object as follows:

• Change access rights settings - to do this, you first need to go to the "My Computer" section.
• In the top menu, click on the "Service" subsection.
• Find the "Folder Options" block and open it.
• In the "View" tab, uncheck the checkbox opposite the line "Use simple file sharing (recommended)".
• Press the "Ok" button.
• Then right-click on the folder to be deleted.
• In the functional menu, select the item "Sharing and Security".
• Switch to the "Security" tab.
• If a warning about the lack of rights appears, click the "OK" button.
• In the "Security" tab at the bottom, click on the "Advanced" button.
• In the advanced options window, find the "Owner" tab.
• Select the required account from the list.
• Check the box next to the "Change owner of subcontainers and objects" line.
• Click the "Apply" button.
• A change of ownership warning will appear.
• Allow changes to be made by clicking on the "Yes" button.
• Go to the "Permissions" tab.
• Click on the line "Change permissions".
• In the window that opens, select the owner account and click the "Change" button.
• Put a tick in front of the "Full access" item and click the "OK" button.
• In the next window, check the boxes next to the lines "Add permissions inherited from parent objects" and "Replace all permissions of a child object with permissions inherited from this object".
• Confirm the changes with the "OK" button.
• Close all windows.
• Delete a folder using the "Delete" function in the context menu or the Delete key.

Deleting an object with a bat-file command

If the folder that appears again is not deleted, you must create a bat-file and eliminate the directory by running it. This will require the following steps:

• Right-click on an empty space on the desktop.
• In the pop-up menu, select the "New" function and the "Text document" item.
• Open document.
• Enter the command into it: RMDIR / S / Q Path to a folder like C: \ folder name.
• In the top menu, go to the "File" section.
• Click on the "Save As" line.
• Set the file name "1.bat" and click the "Save" button.
• Run the created bat-file - and the folder will be deleted.

Using Total Commander File Manager

Permanently deleting a folder can be performed using the Total Commander program. For this you need:

• Start the file manager.
• Select a non-removable folder.
• Press the "F8" key.
• In the message that appears, click on the "Delete" button.

Folder not deleted? What to do? There are many ways to solve this problem. The choice of the removal method depends on the type of folder and the reasons that prevent you from cleaning your computer of unnecessary objects.

Let's start with the simplest and try delete not deleted folder... Probably every user on a computer or laptop has a WinRar archiver, if not, download and install it. Next, click on the folder that cannot be deleted with the right mouse button and select the "Add to Archive" tab. In the window that opens, check the box "Delete files after packing" and click "Ok". If after archiving the folder or file has been deleted, then everything is fine, take the created archive and simply drag it to the trash.

If this method did not help and the folder is still not deleted, then proceed to the next solution.

We transfer the not deleted folder or file to another medium.

Let's try to transfer the folder or file to another medium. Insert a USB flash drive or external hard drive, right-click on the folder that is not deleted and select the "Cut" tab. Open the USB flash drive or external hard drive and in the window, right-click and select the "Paste" tab. If everything works out, just delete the folder or format the USB stick. If there is no result, read on.

We use Safe Mode to delete the non-removable folder.

Everything is quite simple here, this method helped me personally, I think it will help you to delete the folder without resorting to third-party programs. Just go to Safe Mode, select the folder or file you want to delete and delete it in the standard way. Read how to enter Safe Mode in. What does Safe Mode do? In simple words - To run in safe mode, the windows system loads only the functionality that is necessary to boot windows, practically kills all unnecessary processes, so non-deleted folders and files are deleted with a bang (not counting the folders of the windows system). If you need to delete the system folder or windows file, read on.

How to delete a non-removable folder using programs.

And so let's try delete a folder that is not deleted using programs. As you can see, this warning says - The folder is already in use "The operation cannot be completed because these folders or files are open in another program."

To get started, go to the "Windows Task Manager" to do this, press the key combination Ctrl + Shift + Esc or Ctrl + Alt + Delete. Click on the "Processes" item, then click on the "Display processes of all users" button, look for a process and click on the "End process" button, then delete the folder.

If you cannot determine which process is occupying the folder that is not deleted, then we need the Revo Uninstaller Pro program, you can download it by this link from Yandex disk. After installing the program, open it and select the "Hunting Mode" tab.

A target will appear on your desktop. Click on the Target and hover over the folder or file to be deleted. In the Dropdown menu, click on the "Uninstall" tab.

In the window that opens, you will see the process that is occupying the folder. In my case, this is the Explorer.exe process, click the "Next" button.

In this window, click "End the process and continue." After this procedure, the folder or file should be deleted.

In my case, this cannot be done, if I terminate the Explorer.exe process, then everything will disappear from the desktop, all files, folders and shortcuts. If you have the same situation as mine, then read on. By the way, I recommend reading the article at the link below on working with the Revo Uninstaller Pro program.

Downloading the program Unlocker, in my opinion, this is one of the best programs for deleting non-removable folders and files. You can download from any site on the Internet, after installing the program, right-click on the folder or file to be deleted.

On Windows of any version (XP, 7, 8, 10), a problem often arises when a file or folder with a locked file is not deleted. A message pops up that the file is occupied by another process or open in some program, or you need to ask someone for permission.

There are several ways to delete a file that is not deleted, renamed, or moved. This is done without additional software, using the free Unlocker program, from a bootable USB flash drive or LiveCD, or by DeadLock.

When deleting locked files and folders, be careful, it may be part of the operating system. Without them, Windows will stop loading.

Why isn't it deleted?

• The file is open in another program. End all unnecessary processes and try again. Sometimes restarting the computer helps.
• Insufficient rights to delete. For example, this file was created by another user or the computer administrator removed the delete rights.

Exceptions

The methods described in the article will not always help:

• pagefile.sys and swapfile.sys - Disable the swap file to remove it.
• hiberfil.sys - Removed when hibernation is disabled.
• If an access denied message appears. You need to take ownership of the file or folder. The easiest way to do it is TakeOwnershipPro.
• If a message appears asking for permission from TrustedInstaller. It protects against the removal of system components.
• Windows.old - the folder with the old version of the operating system. It is removed through the "Properties" of the local drive C. On the General tab there is a "Cleanup" button. A window will open in which select "Clean up system files". After the analysis is complete, the item "Previous Windows installations" will appear in the list in this window. We put a tick on this item and click OK.

Delete the file manually

Message: The file is already in use, close and try again.

If the file does not want to be deleted, the error message usually says which process blocked it. It can be explorer.exe or any program that has it open. If you close this program, the file will be deleted.




If the file is occupied by the explorer.exe process

• Before completing the task, open a command prompt as administrator. It is located in "Start - All Programs - Accessories". Right-click on Command Prompt and select run as administrator.
• Deselect the explorer.exe task in the task manager and write full_path / name.extension on the del command line.
• The path does not have to be entered manually. Right-click on the desired file while holding down Shift - Copy as path, and paste it into the command line via the context menu with the right mouse button.
• Now restart explorer.exe. In Task Manager, click File - New Task - explorer.exe.

We use a bootable USB flash drive or disk

If you have a bootable USB flash drive or LiveCD, or a Windows recovery disc, start them and safely delete the file using the standard method or through the command line.


Be careful, sometimes local drives have different drive letters when entering through the boot disk. To see the list of folders on the C drive, write dir c: in the command line.

If you use a bootable USB flash drive or Windows installation disc, the console opens at any time after the language selection step by pressing Shift + F10.

You can also select the system recovery mode, which will be offered before starting the OS installation.

The command to delete via the console: del full_path_to_file.

Using DeadLock

The free DeadLock software allows you to remove a locked file and change the owner. Download from the official website: https://codedead.com/?page_id=822.

Use the File menu to add the problem file to the program. Right-click on it in the list - unlock (Unlock) and remove (Remove).




We use Unlocker

The simplest and most popular program, but now even the official website displays a warning about unwanted software. Along with the program, there may be some other viral or advertising, so use at your own peril and risk. Try the above methods first. Website: http://www.emptyloop.com/unlocker/.

After installation, a new item will appear in the context menu, which is called Unlocker. After clicking on the button, the program will end the interfering process and the file will be unlocked.




If you want to delete a folder, first delete all of its contents.

Through the command line

There was such a case that the file did not want to be deleted in any way. The size was 0 bytes, the name was written in Russian letters (not supported in older versions of MS-DOS), there was a Read-only attribute and an A attribute (only read and content replenishment). The command line helped.




That's all for now. If you know simpler and more effective ways, write them in the comments. Which way helped you?

It happens that you just need to delete a folder or file, and 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. Maybe you know for sure that this is "unnecessary junk" which only takes up space, and Windows swears and does not allow it. In general, it is not so important Why can't you delete, how How to delete and in this article you will find the 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, cannot be opened or deleted.

The file may not be deleted due to a failure in the process of writing or overwriting it. If you interrupted the recording process, then the file was not completely saved, as a result of which there were invalid entries in the file system. And our beloved Windows, not knowing how to handle it, simply simply closes access to it, such as for security purposes.

So let's start dancing with a tambourine!

Why isn't the file being deleted?

1) The file was blocked by an antivirus program... This often happens when antivirus quarantines a file. Or the antivirus has detected a malicious program, but disinfection has been postponed (it is waiting for its databases to be updated). In this case, in order to avoid infecting the computer, the user is blocked from accessing this file. Check the antivirus program quarantine and delete the file using the antivirus itself, or disable the antivirus and delete the file manually.

2) The file is in use 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, re-enter the system as administrator and try to delete the file.

4) The file is being used by another user on the local network... Please wait and try to delete 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 sticks 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. Method:

Reboot

We programmers have a saying - "7 troubles - one reset". What does it mean you can think out for yourself

But the point of the method is that you need to restart your computer and try to delete the file / folder again.

2. Method:

Safe mode

You need to login in Safe Mode.

What is the advantage of booting the system in safe mode? The point is that Windows does not load its libraries to execute dialogs. Simply put - 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 pure 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 from the very beginning of the "black screen" boot) press the key intensively without stopping F8(no need to press and hold !!!). A black screen will appear, in which you need to use the keys on the keyboard to select Additional boot options, and there is already Safe Mode (well, or just Safe Mode, you do not need to select all sorts of there With command line support, etc. And so it will do) and press Enter. If you did everything correctly, the system will boot and in the lower right corner there will be an inscription Safe Mode (it can still be in all corners in general). Do not be intimidated by 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 (whether it worked or not), reboot.

3. Method:

Through the Unlocker program

It is for such purposes that the good guys wrote such a program, called Unlocker... It is a very small, free program for unlocking files running in Windows. This utility allows you to close open file blockers, thereby making it possible to carry out further actions on these files. Those. the program shows all processes that are 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 easily.

When installing, DO NOT agree to the proposed toolbar (well, or you really need it, then click Next) and uncheck the box Install Babylon Toolbar - RECOMMENDED... For the rest, the installation is normal - everywhere Further I Accept Install and all the cases)

Just right-click on the file that is not deleted (not moved / not 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 a file or folder is locked, another window will appear. In it, you first need to click on the button Unblock All, and then Delete.

For those who do not know what bit depth on the system - read

4. Method:

Through file managers

Of all the most popular and commonly used file managers, Total Commander is the most popular.

File managers have the ability to bypass some of the Windows restrictions, which we will use.

To delete a file that cannot be deleted, 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 pressing either the right mouse button and select 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 your folder is not deleted, then we go into it through the manager and see what is there. If you see a hidden file, it means that it interferes. Then we launch the Task Manager ( ctrl + shift + esc), go to the Processes tab and look for this file in the list (it is also good to click on the button at the bottom left of the dispatcher Display the processes of all users), find and complete (del or RMB -> End process or in the lower right corner the End process button). With files the same application, look for the file name and "kill".

5. Method:

Another option with Unlocker

If you do not delete the folder, writes something like "the folder is not empty", then create a new folder on the same disk, transfer the non-removable folders to a new folder, delete the new folder using Unlocker

6. Method:

Using autoload

Click Start => Run => In the Run line enter msconfig => Click OK... You will see the System Configuration window. Go to the "Startup" tab and in the list of loaded 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 Apply => Close. The operating system will issue a warning that all changes made by the system setup program will take effect only after the computer is restarted. Click the "Restart" 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 "General". Click on the "Run System Restore" button. In the window that appears, specify the item "Restore an earlier state of the computer", click "Next". In the new window, you will see a calendar in which you can select the date of system recovery. Select the 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 access rights to delete files

Right click on the problematic object and select "Properties" from the dropdown 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 remove

9. Method:

Please 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) a folder to an empty USB flash drive and format it later.

11. Method:

In the window, type the command chkdsk c: / f / r and click Enter, it should be borne in mind that with: is the name of the drive that you want to check. If the drive being checked has a different letter, then write it.

If the drive being checked is C :, then when you press Enter You will be prompted to check it on the next reboot. When asked whether or not to check on the next reboot, enter Y and press Enter.

If the disk name is different, then the check will start immediately. At the end of the check, the check result appears. We type exit and click Enter.

Now you can delete the file that you didn't want to be deleted. In the case of the C drive, just restart the computer and after checking, delete the non-removable file.

12. Method:

If you open the command line via Start - All Programs ... run the process as administrator (RMB and Run as Administrator) and move to the folder with the non-removable file (or folder) using the cd \ command in order to be in the root directory disk, and then cd folder_name to enter the desired folder.

Any computer user at least once, but faced a situation where a seemingly simple procedure, which is to delete a file, ended in failure. If this has not happened to you, then either you know how to prevent this situation, or everything is still ahead of you. Therefore, today we will talk about how to delete a file or folder that is not being deleted, we will give several methods for solving this problem. For those who are faced with such a situation, we will help to solve it, for whom this is new - they will already be fully armed and will be ready to cope with non-removable files.

Reasons why a folder or file is not deleted

The inability to delete the file can be explained by several reasons:

• Insufficient rights to perform the delete operation.
• The file is in use by another user or program.
• The folder or file is damaged.
• On the medium on which the file of interest is located, write protection is installed, and, therefore, from deletion.

You can solve the problem in different ways: take advantage of the capabilities that are in the operating system, or resort to the help of third-party utilities, which are designed to perform such actions. Let's consider all methods of getting rid of unnecessary files.

There is only one caveat to be made - are you sure the file you want to delete is really unnecessary? Windows OS protects the folders and files necessary for its stable functioning, and attempts to insist on its own can lead to a "crash" of the system and the need to solve completely different problems. Before proceeding with deleting files, make sure that it is really "garbage". You should be especially careful when disposing of objects in system folders.

Checking write protection

Before proceeding with any radical methods, you should make sure that you have the right to delete files. If they are located on flash drives or memory cards, then you need to start with the simplest - make sure that the mechanical switch that prevents writing / erasing is not set to the appropriate position, which blocks the execution of such actions.

Virus check

The file may turn out to be a virus, some kind of malicious program, or part of it that cannot be removed. If you have not scanned your computer for viruses for a long time, you should do it. If suspicious programs have been found and neutralized, you should try to delete this file.

File access check

The way to delete a file that helps in some cases is to restart the computer. It is quite possible that the object you need to get rid of is the result of the work of a program that was uninstalled incorrectly, or it was not completed completely, and some program modules (DLLs, processes) remained in the system that are still running and do not allow deletion. It is quite possible that after restarting the system, unnecessary processes will not work and the file will be freed from unnecessary custody. Delete.

Another point is the prohibition to perform write / erase operations in this folder, set by the computer administrator. You need to go to the properties of the folder, and on the "Security" tab, check the issued rights.

If only read is allowed, then you should give full access to this folder, after which it will be possible to perform any actions with all the files in it. You should be especially careful with system folders.

Using the Task Manager

If, when trying to delete, a message is displayed that the file is open in another program, and a specific process (program) is indicated, then the situation is somewhat simplified, since it is known what exactly prevents us from getting rid of the file that has become unnecessary.

To do this, simply close this program (if possible), or stop the running process. To do this, you need to open the "Task Manager", which can be done by pressing the key combination "Ctrl" + "Shift" + "Esc". After that, on the "Processes" tab, you need to find the process blocking access to the file and terminate it.

After that, you can try to delete the file. Most likely, it will work out.

Using the command line

The file can be held by the system process "explorer", which is responsible for the operation of the taskbar, desktop, etc. If you simply remove this process, then deleting the file can be problematic. At the same time, the command line will allow you to cope with those objects that cannot be deleted using Windows Explorer.

In order to use this tool, you need to start the command line, for which, after clicking the "Start" button in the search field, enter "cmd", press the right mouse button and select the launch mode with administrative rights. A window will open in which you should enter commands to delete a file or folder.

In this way, you can try to delete the damaged file.

Deleting a file

The "Del" command is used. You must enter the line:

Del / F / Q / S<Путь_к_файлу> ,

/ F - Force deletion of files marked as read-only.

/ Q - do not prompt for confirmation of the delete operation.

/ S - deletes subfolders and files in them.

The screenshot shows an example. Naturally, you will have a different path.

Deleting a folder

To delete the entire folder, another command is used:

Rd / S / Q<Путь_к_папке> ,

/ S - deletes subfolders and files.

/ Q - do not prompt for confirmation of the delete operation.

An example is shown in the following screenshot.

Using Safe Mode

If a process that blocks access to a file cannot be stopped for one reason or another, or it is not clear which process is interfering, then this method, in which the system boots in safe mode, can help. At the same time, the required minimum of processes starts, and the one that "held" the file will remain in an inactive state. You can try deleting the file.

Using a boot disk

It happens that even Safe Mode does not allow you to get rid of an unnecessary folder or file. Then booting from an external boot drive can help. Alternatively, the hard drive on which you want to delete files can be connected to another computer. Then, having booted from another media, your disk will be connected as a second (third, etc.) disk, the OS on which will not be running. Now all that remains is to find the desired file and delete it.

Using third-party programs

In order to solve all problems with access to files and be able to delete them, regardless of whether they are used or not, there are a number of utilities designed to unlock objects to be destroyed.

FileASSASSIN

A free utility that can be downloaded from the link. Among the advantages of the program are a simple interface, the ability to run from the command line, unlock and (if this mode is specified) delete the file.

To get rid of an unnecessary file, you need to specify the path to it, check the “Delete file” box and press the “Execute” button. This is all that needs to be done. If you do not want to work with the command line, and also do not want to dig into the processes and running programs, then this method is an opportunity to quickly and efficiently solve all problems with locked files.

Unlocker

Perhaps the most famous program, known for a long time and often used. You can find it at this link, where there are the necessary versions for 32-bit and 64-bit OS. There is also a portable version for those who do not like to install a lot of programs on the system, but prefer to run the necessary tools for system maintenance autonomously.

There is one more advantage in using portable versions: when installing such programs, a few more utilities, browser extensions, etc., which you do not need at all, which I will annoy with advertisements, and from which, sometimes, are not entirely just get rid of. You have to be careful when installing such software. As a rule, this does not happen with portable versions.

The program itself is extremely simple. At startup, a window will open where you must specify the location of the file that you want to delete.

You just need to click the "OK" button, after which a new window will appear, in which you will need to confirm the action to be performed on the file. If no file locks are found, then a window will appear:

It is necessary to indicate what to do with the file - delete, leave it as it is, transfer it, etc.

Other programs

In addition to those listed, there are other utilities that do the same job. Examples include: Delete Doctor, Free File Unlocker, MoveOnBoot, Tizer UnLocker, Wize Force Deleter. Their principle of operation is similar, therefore, you can choose the one that you liked and that helped to solve the problems with non-removable files or folders.

Conclusion

How to delete files or folders, which method to choose - it all depends on the specific situation. Someone prefers to use specialized "software", someone does not like to clutter up the system with many highly specialized utilities and prefers to use all the built-in capabilities of the OS.

The main thing is to have an idea of ​​different ways of solving problems and the ability to apply them in practice. We hope that at least one of the methods we suggested helped you.