How to completely delete any file on your computer. I can't delete the file! How to delete a file that is not deleted? Closing an active process

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Before you try to delete files that cannot be deleted, you need to understand why such files may occur. All this is necessary to ensure that such situations do not arise. Or at least you knew what to do in such a situation.

The problem with deleting a file can occur in three cases:

The file is being used by some process;
The storage medium is damaged;
You don't have enough rights.

Let's look at everything in order: how to delete files that cannot be deleted

Sometimes, when you try to delete or edit a file, you get an error that the file is already in use by another application. That is why the system does not allow you to do anything with this file.

Of course, you can just view it, but not change or delete it. When might this be? For example, you are listening to music and you don’t like the song. Suddenly you decide to delete this song. You pressed Delete, and then, to your surprise, there was an error. Or, they opened some kind of Word document, and then the same situation happened.

It's all about your file being used. To delete it, you need to close the program that works with this file (player, Word, and so on). Close it and quietly delete it.
But what to do when you haven’t opened anything, or don’t even know what to close, because, in your opinion, no program works with the file. This means only one thing, that some process is working with it that you do not see, that is, it is in background. Or, some program has failed and hangs like a dead weight in the system.

In these cases, you need to use the Unlocker program. It is free. You can download it without any problems. It weighs very little.

It's easy to use. Just right-click on the file.

Click on the Unlocker item.

If the file is being used by some process, you will see a window with a list of these processes. Just remove the processes. Then do the same with the file. If there are no such processes, then the following will come out.

As you can see, the program says that “the blocking descriptor was not found.” You have several options to choose from.

Select the Delete option and click OK. And that's it, your file is gone.

Sometimes it happens that a file cannot be deleted immediately. Then the following message appears.

Click “Ok” again and reboot the system. There will be no file after this.

How to delete if the storage medium is damaged

Sometimes it happens that storage media begin to fail. This is typical for all devices: flash drives, hard drives and so on. Most often this happens with simple, ordinary, cheap Chinese devices.

For example, you were able to write a file, but suddenly, when reading it, an error occurs - the file is damaged and cannot be read. Of course you'll want to remove it. In most cases this is successful. But it also happens that removal is impossible. Because some sectors are damaged or due to some other problem at the physical level.

In such cases, formatting the media helps 100%. But, you have every chance that this could happen again. Of course HDD you will not format because of some file. What should you do in this case? They come to the rescue standard features operating system Windows.

I need to open my computer. Right-click to open the context menu and select “properties” there. You will see the following.

We are interested in the “service” tab. Let's move on to it.

As you can see, there is a “check disk” section. Click on the “perform check” button. After this, we will see a window in which you need to check the second item and click start.

We are waiting for the verification to finish. After this, the file can be deleted.

How to delete a non-deletable file if you do not have enough rights

In addition to the above cases, there may be another. It has to do with file permissions. For example, if the file belongs to another user, and he did not give editing rights, then you will never be able to delete or change the file.

Of course, you can somehow bypass this protection and make yourself the owner of this file, but that’s another story.

Quite often people face this question: how to delete a file that won't delete, and the file can be contained both on the hard drive and on media. Typically, to perform of this action Just select the file and then click Delete key. However, this simple manipulation may not help in all cases.

Instructions for deleting a non-deletable file

So let's look at how we can delete a non-deletable file.

Maybe the file is involved in certain process, which is currently running on the device. In such a case, the system will give you a corresponding notification. You will need to close all programs and folders, and then try again.

If this message pops up again, right-click on the taskbar, then open “Task Manager”. The “Processes” folder will open in front of us and look through it running file with the same name. Celebrating this process and click on the icon "Complete". A system completion warning will pop up in front of you, which you will need to confirm, and then try to delete the file again in the usual way.

If you are unable to remove executable file, then it may well be a viral utility. You must enter the operating system through safe mode. To perform this action, when you turn on the computer, press F8 key, as a result of these actions, a menu will open in front of you in which you can select the download method. Select “Safe Mode” from the list, and then perform standard deletion file.

To delete files that cannot be deleted, the special Unlocker program will do; by the way, it is free. You need to download it and activate it. When installation occurs, you must carefully monitor what you install. In the first screen that opens in front of you you will need to uncheck the box opposite the item “I accept the license terms...” if you do not want to see an archiver from this manufacturer on your computer. In the next tab, you will also need to uncheck the box if you do not need another program from this manufacturer.

After this program is installed, you will need to right-click on the file to be deleted, and then select the line Unlocker. You will be presented with actions that can be performed; you will need to select delete.

As information accumulates on a computer's hard drive, files and folders appear whose information is outdated and no longer used. To free up disk space, such files must first be moved to the Recycle Bin and then permanently deleted. No matter how simple the procedure for deleting unnecessary information may seem, many users of the Windows operating system often have problems deleting it. This article provides detailed description solutions to this problem.

Reasons for undeleted files

If you cannot delete a file or folder in the Windows operating system, then one of the following reasons occurs:

a file or folder is used during the operation of some operating system process;
folder contains others hidden files or folders;
the file or folder only has read permissions;
the file system on the hard drive has errors;
the operating system is infected with some kind of virus;
the hard drive is physically damaged;
the non-deletable object belongs to another user, and you do not have access to it, and therefore do not have the rights to delete it.

When trying to delete a file or folder that cannot be deleted, Windows will show one of the following messages:

“An error occurred while deleting a file or folder”;
"Unable to delete file: access denied";
"Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected, and that the object is not currently in use."

If you find in the lists above the answer to the question of why you cannot delete a non-deletable object, then use one of the solutions to this problem that are presented below.

How to troubleshoot problems deleting a file or folder

How to show all files in Windows

To make all system and hidden objects visible in the Windows operating system, click on the Start menu > My Computer. Go to Tools > Folder Options and click on the View tab.

In the Additional configuration section, check the box next to the words Show hidden files and folders. Uncheck the box next to Hide extensions for types known files, and uncheck the box next to Hide files protected by the operating system (recommended). Click Apply to all folders and then Accept.

After completing these steps, restart your computer in safe mode and try again to delete the undeletable object.

To boot your computer into safe mode, use the F8 key if your computer is running a Windows operating system (7, Vista or XP). After your computer restarts, run BIOS instructions, to do this, continuously press the F8 key (F5 if F8 does not work) until BIOS menu. If you press the F8 key too quickly, a “keyboard error” message may pop up; in the latter case, restart your computer and try again.

Once you are in the BIOS menu, use the up and down arrows to get to Safe mode and press Enter.

Copy and paste a file/folder to delete him/her

Go up one level in the directory tree and create a folder or file with the same name as the item you can't delete. Then copy and paste it into the folder with the item that is not being deleted.

For example, if you want to delete the object C:\movies\my_file.avi, go to the folder C : , create a new one text file with the name my_file.avi (the system will ask if you want to change its extension, answer yes). Drag this created object into the C:\Movies folder. When the system asks you, answer that you want to replace an existing object. Now try to remove it again.

Stop the explorer.exe process to delete the object

Another possibility for deleting a non-deletable object is to simultaneously pressing the Ctrl keys+Alt+Supra and stopping the execution of the explorer.exe program. All icons and the taskbar will disappear. After that, click on File > New Task and run the command cmd. Go to the folder with the object using the cd command and delete it using the del command. Click File > New Task again and run explorer.exe. If it works latest program, then the desired object was deleted.

Run a hard drive check

Do hard check disk, using the program scandisk. To do this, click on the My Computer icon, then right-click on the image hard drive and select Properties. Then click on the Tools tab, and in the Error Checking section, select Check Now. This check allows you to find bad sectors disk, and use this information to reconcile it with the file system.

After this, try to delete the non-deletable object as soon as the disk analysis is completed. If it was not possible to delete an object using this method, then using the same analysis program scandisk, execute checking the hard drive for errors, only this time in safe mode. Then try deleting the item again.

Use an antivirus program to remove an undeletable object

A virus may not allow you to delete the object, so you need to analyze your software using any antivirus program with updated databases.

Currently exists great amount programs that allow you to find and remove viruses from your computer. These can be both paid and free programs. Most popular antivirus programs are the following:

Each antivirus program has its own advantages and disadvantages, and is designed to perform a specific range of tasks. You can read more about these and other antivirus programs in the review http://softcatalog.info/ru/obzor/reyting-antivirusov.

Use special tools to remove an unremovable object

If none of the above suggested methods help, then you will need to use a special tool, e.g. Unlocker program. Just click on right button Mouse Unlocker allows you to unlock a file or folder that is locked by the operating system Windows system. If the object being deleted is not in use by any current process, then this program can rename it, delete it, or move it. If the object is used by any program or process, then you need to close this program and stop the current process. The Unlocker program performs its functions from context menu explorer.exe program on Windows.

You can also use other programs to delete files that won't delete. Additionally, these programs are tools that can be used when answering the question of how to remove a program that won't uninstall. The following programs allow you to do this:

You decide to delete files or folders on your computer under Windows control. When trying to delete, the system reported an error: “This item could not be found.”

Sometimes the folder name is something like " new folder" If you look at the end of the title, you will notice a space. If you have Windows 8, 8.1 or even 10, try to create a folder that ends with a space and you will see it automatically disappear.

This is problem!

IN previous versions Microsoft's Windows systems, such as XP or Vista, allowed users to create a file or folder with a space at the end.

For example, you have a “New Folder” (look at the end of the name!) and you decide to delete it in Explorer. Windows will try to erase the folder (without the space), which will result in a "This item could not be found" error.

Deleting unremovable files or folders: the easiest way

So, let's see how to clean your computer of unnecessary and problematic junk:

Click on the "Windows" button and select "Command Prompt" (open it with administrator rights).
Then find the file folder you want to delete.
Now type "cd", copy the location of the folder or file, and paste it into the command prompt window as follows (just change the username): "cd C:\UsersYourUserNameDesktop". Then press enter.
After this you will see that you are inside the folder because the path has changed. Now type “dir/x” and then press “Enter”.
After this, you will see a list of files in the folder. Find the data you can't delete. In our case it is AFTERE~1.
Now, once you find the file, see if it has a specific name like ABCD~1 rather than the actual one.
Enter next line, just change the file name, “rmdir/q/s” and then write the name of your file. It should be similar to the one above. Press "Enter".
Finally, you have successfully deleted the folder. Go ahead and check it out.

So, you have decided to remove the hated folder from the system, but the latter, as luck would have it, reports that it cannot do this. There are several reasons for this.

The main one is the involvement of folder data in some running process.

It will not be possible to delete the “screenshots” folder because one or more of its files are on this moment are involved in the Windows system.

You probably don’t know which one, so the only correct solution is to reboot the device.

Important! We recommend rebooting using the Start button. As a result, you will save important documents that were in progress. If you select forced restart using the “Reset” option, you will lose all data.

System check

In case you do not want to restart, we recommend that you check whether the running program is present in the folder.

For example, you need to get rid of Skype. However, you did this not using the control panel, but by deleting the folder with all the contents of the program.

Let's look at this option.

Step 1. First of all, you need to open the folder. Go to this address: “Drive C/Program Files/Skype”. As a result, the following picture will open.

Step 2. When you click “Delete” the system will report the following.

Because the program is open and running, you will not uninstall it. The system blocked this opportunity. In addition, it is present in the “Task Manager”, more precisely in the processes tab.

Step 3. First, close the program and cancel the task. As a result, the message should not appear again.

To do this, log out of Skype, and then open the task manager using the keyboard shortcut “Ctrl+Alt+Delete”. Find the program and select the "End process" option.

A window will appear asking you to confirm the action (in latest version there is no system). Click on completion again. We hope this option helps you, and if not, then try running a virus scanner.

Note! The advice we offer will be useful in all analog cases.

Viruses

It also happens that it is not possible to delete a folder because the computer is affected by malware, Trojan or dangerous code.

It is worth noting that it is not only the Internet that is to blame for this. The virus also infects the device through a flash drive.

What to do with an undeletable folder on external storage? As you might have guessed, using the full power of an antivirus scanner.

Launch the program and select the option to check the flash drive. Then try to delete the folder. If unsuccessful, proceed to format the device.

Important! You should know that formatting will permanently erase all data from the flash drive.

This process is simple and involves the following steps:

Step 1. Open the menu by right-clicking on the drive and find the format option.

Open the menu by right-clicking on the drive and find the option “Format…”

Step 2. Then the settings will open:

storage capacity;
type file system;
drive name;
formatting method;
start of the process.

Pay attention to the file system type. By default, FAT 32 is defined. It can be read by any device, and not only those running Windows.

Come up with a name of your own. This will not change the parameters.

To make the formatting process more efficient, use deep cleaning. Then click "Start" and wait.

It seems that you have easily overcome the problem and will no longer have to deal with unwanted files or folders that cannot be deleted.

Video - How to delete a folder if it cannot be deleted

Inability to delete a folder or separate file applications are a common problem in OS Windows, from the old XP version to the new “ten”. If you're trying to delete a file without closing the program, that's one thing. In this case, it is enough to close the running application, for example, a game, and the issue will be resolved. Well, in other cases, you will need to apply certain actions to solve the problem, using system or using software methods.

You often encounter these errors when trying to delete a file or an entire folder:

the file cannot be deleted because it hangs in the task manager (occupied by a process);
the file cannot be deleted because it is open in some program;
Administrator permission is required to perform the action.

There are a number of ways in which you can remove required file or folder. This can be done both by means of the system and special utilities and programs.

Before you begin the process, make sure that deleted file won't be the reason unstable work operating system. When cleaning your computer from unnecessary “garbage”, do not delete system files, without which its stable operation is impossible.

Files, busy with the process can be deleted both using the system itself and third party programs. In the article we will tell you and show with screenshots how such files can be deleted in Unlocker, DeadLock and Live CD. The first two programs are free and suitable for untrained users.

If you are trying to remove files such as hiberfil.sys, the methods discussed in this article will not apply to them. In this case, you need to read the instructions for disabling “hibernation”, energy saving mode PC operating system or with hidden settings system file swap pagefile.sys. Deleting the Windows.old folder may also help.

Deleting a file without additional programs

If a file cannot be deleted because it is occupied by a process, the system will notify you about this. In this case, the notification will contain the name of the process due to which deletion is impossible. Most often, the files are “occupied” by the main program process Windows Explorer. And if the file is “freed”, it will be easy to delete.

You can close the process in the task manager. To run it, do the following:

If you have Windows XP or Windows 7, press the key combination Ctrl+Alt+Del.
If you have "eight" or "ten", press Win+X and select task manager.

See what process is occupied by the desired file. By deleting the task, you can easily delete it.

But to delete a file occupied by the main process Explorer programs, it’s not enough, just remove the task. You will only have to remove it using the command line. First, run it, remove the explorer.exe task, and then delete it by typing the del command full_path_to_your file.

Now, to return the standard view of the Desktop, you need to restart the main Windows Explorer process. This is done in the task manager. On the File tab, select Run new task" and in the window that opens, specify "explorer.exe".

The process is running again, and the desktop looks standard.

Removing a locked file using a bootable USB flash drive or disk

Boot the operating system from any Live CD, such as bootable flash drive, USB drive, from the OS recovery disk. When booting from a Live CD, either the command line or the standard GUI operating system. When you boot the OS from any USB drive, the hard drive partitions may have different letters. To avoid mistakes when deleting a file, it is better to use the dir command. For example, the command "dir d" will show all folders stored on that drive.

If you boot the system from a flash drive or installation disk for “seven” and “eight”, after loading the language selection window or at another stage, run command line, using the combination Shift keys and F10. But you can also use System Restore. Here you can see a similar situation with changing drive letters, so don't forget to use the dir command as well.

Using DeadLock to Unlock and Delete Files

Many users who have previously resorted to free program Unlocker, are gradually moving to Alternative option- DeadLock. IN Last year together with the Unlocker distribution kit are downloaded and unnecessary programs, which are installed on the computer without the user’s knowledge. The program is also perceived ambiguously by antivirus programs and browsers.

The free DeadLock utility works on the same principle: it removes the lock and deletes files. The declared functions also include the ability to change the owner of a file, but we have not tested this.

So, how does the program work? If a file cannot be deleted because it is occupied by a program process, launch DeadLock and select File. Now add your file to the program list and click the mouse. Now you have three actions available to you: Unlock, Remove and Move.

The peculiarity of DeadLock is that after unlocking the file, it does not add this action to the Explorer program.

Free Unlocker to unlock files that won't be deleted

Until some time, we already wrote above, Unlocker program enjoyed great love from users. It easily, without problems and quickly deleted any file occupied by the process.

Using the program is easy: click on the file you want to delete and unlock it.

The program works the same way as DeadLock: it kills the process and then deletes the file. But it also has distinctive advantages: the program is able to record even those processes that are not shown by the dispatcher.

Why is the file or folder not being deleted?

The official website of the operating system developer corporation provides little information about why it is sometimes impossible to remove specific folders and files.

What may be preventing you from deleting a file or folder?

You may not have enough rights to edit the file and folder and then delete it. The file may not be deleted due to certain PC administrator settings.

Another option is also relevant - when the file works in specific program. The problem may be resolved if you close all running applications.

Why when I try to delete a file does Windows say the file is in use?

If, when deleting a file, the system displays an error about its use by the program, you need to close it. For example, you want to delete a folder with Word, but you can’t because you are currently working with a document from this program. Therefore, if you close the document, the folder will be deleted. Or you are trying to delete files while someone else is working on them (if you have a home network).

After deleting all files, an empty folder remains

The solution to the problem is closing all programs or restarting the PC.