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It is worth noting that folders and files (especially system files) are usually protected for a reason. Deleting them can cause a chain reaction that can even shut down the system, so you should make sure that you know which file you are deleting and that it is truly useless or even harmful.

You need to decide what exactly blocks the ability to delete non-deletable folders in Windows; this also applies to files. There are several reasons for blocking:

1. The application is already in use by the system;
2. Files are marked as system or protected. In this case, you simply will not have enough access rights, even when using administrator privileges. By default, only the system has access; separate settings are possible.

In Windows, deleting an undeletable file can be very difficult on your own (depending on the situation), so for more severe cases it is better to use the additional software suggested below. Often, you can manually achieve your goal without much effort, even without resorting to special utilities.

First, you should consider ways to delete undeleted files using standard Windows methods, which will help save time on learning applications and, this is convenient if there is no Internet.

To remove a program, there is no point in using the presented methods, since there is a built-in Windows function of the same name, which is not a hindrance to a blocked element.

Read also: How to remove Android system applications?

The file is being used by the program, what should I do?

It is logical that you just need to close the application, after which access and the ability to delete the file will resume. You may have a file in your browser, notepad, or application that needs to be uninstalled, then just close the program. In other cases, when you do not have visible applications working with the file, but it is still blocked, you need to use the following instructions:

• Press Ctrl + Alt + Del;
• Now go to the “Processes” tab;

• You should find an element that has the same name as a file, a short name, or the name of an application that can use it. Be sure to include your name in the “User” column. Also look at the Description column to make sure you've found the process you're looking for;
• Next, click on the “End process” element; if this does not help and it appears again, then “End process tree”.

Here we looked at the most common way to delete an unremovable folder or file in any OS. The method will not work for system and protected files; here you will have to use a different approach.

Removing a file or folder from safe mode

Applications such as antiviruses, programs tightly integrated into the system, firewalls, etc. cannot be easily removed from the system. You need to log in from under it so that the files are not involved and can be manipulated without problems. The method is also convenient if you cannot access the desktop or Windows lags a lot (for example, with two antiviruses).

You need to use the method like this:

• Reboot your computer:
• At startup, press F8;
• Select “Safe Mode”; if necessary, you can use the option to download any individual drivers;

• Now simply follow the path where the file to be deleted is located and uninstall it. It is better to send it to the trash for recovery.

Similarly, you can use the installation disk or flash drive to enter recovery mode and get rid of any files or folders.

Read also: What is Windows Safe Mode?

This method discusses how to delete a non-deletable folder in Windows 7 or any other version. The method is effective for most cases and is recommended for use, but it has the disadvantage of being slow, so you can use programs that reduce the procedure time.

Using the LockHunter utility

LockHunter is a program that removes undeletable files. Deserves one of the leading positions in the niche thanks to:

• Use is free and does not require any fees;
• Works flawlessly;
• Easy to use;
• Allows you to delete files and folders;
• It has the function of completing processes and, more conveniently, stopping them;
• Has little weight.

You can download the application from the link https://lockhunter.com/downloadnow.htm. For the average user, in order to get rid of a file, you just need to move it to the “Path” line or select the file through Explorer. Then click Unlock it or Delete it and the process will end.

An additional convenient method that allows you to not even run the utility separately is the following - right-click right in Explorer and select “What is locking this folder?”

Deleting a file using IObit Unlocker

IObit Unlocker is a universal application available to every user, both in terms of freeness and an intuitive interface. It is part of a software suite for solving everyday needs.

The positive aspects are the same as the previous application.

• Download the program here https://ru.iobit.com/iobit-unlocker/;
• Now use drag and drop or explorer to select the uninstaller;
• There is an arrow next to the Unlock button - by clicking on it, you will see a list of actions after unlocking, such as: move, rename or copy. Set it to the desired position and click Unlock.

There are other utilities for this purpose, but those presented here cover 100% of user requirements and are the most convenient to use.

Having resorted to unlocking a file or folder in any way, you can perform any manipulations in it from editing to deleting, just be vigilant and make sure that your action will not harm the system.

If you still have questions on the topic “How to delete undeletable folders and files in Windows?”, you can ask them in the comments

Quite often a situation arises when Windows does not allow you to delete a completely unnecessary, or even completely empty, file. Most often, the system displays a message stating that the file is being used by some mysterious application. Which one specifically? The operating system is silent about this, they say, sort out your problems yourself. So what to do in such a situation? Read the answer below.

Why is this happening?

There are several reasons why a file cannot be deleted. Let's look at each of them separately.

The file cannot be accessed, permission is required

Not the most common reason. Most relevant for PCs used with a “guest” account. “Guests” cannot install or uninstall programs, change system settings or its password. In addition, when using such an “account”, the user does not have rights to write files (editing, deleting, etc.) outside his home folder set by the administrator. Most often, this access scheme is used on work or school PCs.

Guest account

To delete a write-protected file, contact your administrator or use his account.

Administrator account

However, if you own an account marked “Administrator”, and Windows still insists that you do not have access, it is worth checking the read/write permissions of the desired file. To do this, right-click on it and select “Properties” from the drop-down list. The Security tab will show a list of all users on your PC and the access rights for each of them. If there is a “Deny” checkbox somewhere, remove it using the “Change” key.

File permissions

File sharing error

The object is in use by another user

The problem is also more relevant for work or school machines that are part of a local network. This error means that the file is currently occupied by another user. To delete such a file, you must either wait until it is “freed” or simply disconnect from the local network.

The disc is write protected

The disk on which the deleted file is located is write-protected; nothing can be written, edited or deleted. Most often, this problem affects flash drives and memory cards. With SD cards everything is simple - you need to remove write protection using a special slider on them. This slider overlaps one of the contacts responsible for write operations.

Write protection slider on SD card

And if this problem arose when working with a regular flash drive or hard drive, everything is much worse. The file system of the media may be damaged. Checking with the appropriate application will help. For example, the built-in Windows utility “chkdsk”. there are detailed information on how to do this.

The file or folder may be in use by some process

File opened in "Aimp"

The most common mistake when deleting files. The file is open in some program and cannot be deleted or edited. To remove it, you need to either close some mysterious program, or, which is much easier, use a special application.

Programs for deleting protected files

Since problems with deleting files arise quite often, there are many programs that can help solve them. Below is a small educational program for such applications.

Unlocker

The most popular file deletion program in the world. More popular, perhaps, is Windows Explorer itself. Uses a special algorithm to search for applications that use the file being deleted. If an application is found, Unlocker either closes it or “frees” the file from it.

The program does not have any separate settings and can be used by even the most inexperienced PC users. Once installed, it integrates into the Explorer context menu, allowing you to delete protected files with a couple of mouse clicks. In addition to deleting, you can rename protected files and move them.

To delete a file using Unlocker, right-click on it and select “Unlocker” from the context menu. A program window will open, displaying all applications that use the desired file. The “Unblock” key will not close the process, but will only free the file from it. The “Delete process” button will forcefully terminate it. In the left part of the same window, you can select an action with the file itself after completing the operation with the processes, for example, delete it or rename it.

Unlocker window

If for some reason the file is not deleted using Unlocker, the program will offer to try to delete it the next time the system reboots. In this case, the file will be deleted before the main applications are loaded.

LockHunter

A more serious tool for deleting files. It features built-in protection against accidental use. Unlike analogues, files are not deleted without leaving a trace, but in the trash, which allows you to restore them if necessary. In addition, LockHunter can search for and neutralize malware and applications that slow down the system as a whole.

IObit Unlocker

One of the most effective and convenient utilities for deleting files and folders. Its key feature is the ability to create a special list of files and folders for monitoring. IObit Unlocker will vigilantly monitor them and notify you when their status changes. Very convenient in some situations. It also supports integration into Explorer and Russian localization.

Which program should I use?

Despite the abundance of such utilities, most users recommend the Unlocker program. Perhaps she actually is the best. An intuitive interface that does not require any additional skills, the absence of unnecessary functions, integration into Explorer and the ability to delete upon boot make Unlocker almost indispensable. In addition, we can also note a “clean” installer, without elements of Yandex, Mail.ru, SafeProtect and other nonsense that they love to shove into the load with small programs. In a word, Unlocker can be safely recommended to everyone who is bothered by undeletable files.

And finally, one more thing. All of the listed applications have only one significant drawback - they will not warn you about deleting important system files. Therefore, it is better to think twice before getting rid of a file that the system itself does not allow you to delete.

Users regularly write new information to the PC, erase unnecessary files, install and uninstall applications, create and delete folders. This process is endless.

However, not everything always goes according to plan and the system prohibits the PC owner from performing some actions. Below is a guide on how to delete a non-deletable file or folder on a Windows 7 computer.

The main causes of the problem

There are many reasons why the system does not allow you to remove any component.

Knowing the root of the problem, you can get rid of the unwanted element using Windows 7 itself, and in all other cases third-party applications will help.

Among the main reasons for difficulties when removing a component, the following should be noted:

1. Blocking it with antivirus software. Sometimes the security utility sends a file to quarantine and waits for the database to be updated to carry out treatment.

In this case, for the computer owner, a reasonable option is to completely remove the dangerous element, which can be done using the tools of the antivirus program itself.

If the security program does not provide such tools, it is recommended to temporarily deactivate it and manually clean the infected component (in this guide below, specific methods are indicated on how this can be done using the “Seven” tools or third-party utilities);

Removal methods using Windows 7 tools

Before installing third-party utilities, it is advisable to try to use the built-in tools of the Seven.

Through directory properties

The following sequential steps must be performed:

Using Task Manager

Often the procedure is interfered with by some ongoing process.

You will need to complete the following steps:

Restarting Windows 7

This is the simplest method, but very often it turns out to be effective. You just need to restart the PC.

If a normal restart does not lead to success, then you can remove the damaged element by booting into safe mode.

Using third party programs

If there is no positive result from using the methods described above, you will need to use alternative applications.

Some utilities can even remove components involved in the operating system itself. Therefore, when such powerful tools are used, it is recommended to know exactly the purpose of the element being removed, otherwise its uninstallation may lead to a crash in the OS.

Unlocker

This utility is freely distributed and easily erases most user-specified items from the PC's memory.

You need to do the following:

By performing these simple steps, you can forcefully remove any elements that the PC owner wants to get rid of forever. The Revo Uninstaller application has similar functions.

The interfaces of these programs are made in an intuitive style and contain explanatory information, so even a beginner can work in them without first studying the instructions.

However, you should not uninstall items whose purpose the user is not sure of.

It is very difficult to find a more popular file manager. Total Commander (TC) is used by many users, so if this file shell is already installed on the PC, then with its help you can successfully bypass some of the Seven’s prohibitions.

There are many modifications of TC, they differ significantly in interface and number of built-in utilities, but almost all versions successfully cope with the removal of the required elements.

You need to do the following:

Note: instead of a physical button, you can equally well use the special virtual key “F8 Delete” provided by the application developers, which you simply need to click once with the left mouse button.

FAR Manager

Old-school users accustomed to working in Norton usually prefer the more native look and feel of the FAR Manager interface.

Here are two options for solving the problem in this manager:

FileASSASIN

You only need to take the following few steps:

This often happens when certain files are not deleted. And the system writes that this file or folder is occupied by another process. This can happen both in Windows XP and in Windows 7, 8, 10. Today we will look at methods for eliminating this problem when files are not deleted.

So, imagine, you installed some program on your computer, used it, and you didn’t like it. What are your actions? Of course, delete it. After uninstallation, the program was allegedly removed, but the folder with some program files remained. When you try to delete such a file, an error appears:

Let's look at ways in which you can delete files that cannot be deleted using standard means.

1st method. Simplest
If the file is not deleted, restart your computer and try deleting again. In many cases this helps. If the problem persists, then read below.

2nd method. Task Manager
In the Windows 7 and XP operating systems, to get to the Task Manager, you must press the key combination Ctrl + Alt + Del.
In Windows 8 and 10, just press the Windows + X key combination and select Task Manager from the menu that appears.

The Task Manager we called will open, where you need to find the process that is using the file and remove the task from it. Then try deleting the file again.

3rd method. Using a boot disk or flash drive
The next method is to start the computer from a LiveCD or bootable USB flash drive and then delete the file or folder. In the first case, we need to use the standard Windows graphical interface to find and delete the required file, or use the command line. If you are using a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 7, 8 or 10, then during installation you can open the command line by pressing Shift + F10. There is also “System Restore”, thanks to which you can return the computer to its previous state. By the way, the drive letters may be different, so use the dir c: command to display the contents of that drive. Thanks to this, you can easily understand what kind of local disk it is.

4th method. Deleting files in safe mode
It's very simple here. You need to go into safe mode, find the required file or folder and delete it. In safe mode, only operating system programs are launched, while all your installed third-party utilities (messengers, drivers, antiviruses, etc.) do not start. Therefore, the probability of successfully deleting the required file is very high.

5th method. Using a special Unlocker program
This program, called Unlocker, helps delete files that are used by some process. A very useful utility that copes with its tasks with a bang. You can download it at https://yadi.sk/d/PkczjpOKjbeje

When the program downloads, install it.

Next, select Advanced and uncheck all the boxes,

The essence of the Unlocker program is to unload from RAM the processes that are used by the file. The program can find and terminate a process that is even hidden in the Task Manager. In general, an excellent utility that every system administrator should have.

Hi all! Today I will tell you Howdelete a file or folder that cannot be deleted in different ways, in case you have already tried everything you could, but it still didn’t help. I decided to write this article because 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 couldn’t even be opened or renamed.

Often when PC users try to delete such files, The following messages may appear: the file cannot be deleted, access is blocked, the disk may be full or write-protected, the file is occupied by another application, this process is busy, the folder is not empty. These errors occur for many different reasons, which you must first understand and understand what the problem may be before you try 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 used by other programs. For example, if you were watching a movie or listening 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 corresponding 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 below.

— You are trying to delete a file that is used by other users. For example, you downloaded a game through a torrent tracker and then wanted to delete it, but for some reason it just doesn’t want to be deleted. The thing is that another user is downloading this game from you over the Internet, and until you turn off the Internet or exit the torrent program, the file will not be deleted.

-You don't have enough rights to do this. What does this even mean? Am I the owner of my computer or who? The fact is that you probably, like me once, could have placed your files or folders in folders of the Windows operating system, to which access is denied for your own safety. This restriction was created to prevent you from ruining your computer by deleting some important file from the Windows operating system.

— Files or folders that you wanted to delete were quarantined by your antivirus program. In other words, your antivirus program didn’t like something about them, so it blocked them so that they could not harm your PC in any way.

Ok, we figured out the reasons. Now all that’s left for you to delete your non-deletable file is to simply try all the methods that I described for you below.

How to delete a file or folder that cannot be deleted via 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 Windows + X if you have Windows 8-10. 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 exactly the one that might use your file. If it doesn’t work, then just select any one at random and click “end process” each time trying to delete the file again.

Method 3. Turn off your computer and turn it on again. During the boot process, press the F8 key many times. A black screen will appear in front of you, where there will be several options to boot your PC. Select "safe mode". As soon as the computer boots, try to delete the file or at least move it to another location.

Method 4. If the file is simply not deleted, but can be transferred, then you can proceed as follows. Just drag 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 and find your non-deletable 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 administrator rights. Right-click on our file, select “property”, then in the window that opens “security” and click “advanced”.

Another window will appear, click on “owner”. Here simply select another administrator and click “apply”. Personally, this operation helped me remove restrictions from my WordPress templates.

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 click 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 files and folders that cannot be deleted using special programs?

Method 8. To solve this problem, a very cool and at the same time simple program “UnLocker” was created a long time ago, which is capable of deleting files that cannot be 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 offered to install another application in addition to the program. If you don’t do this, then at the end of the installation your antivirus program will swear for a long time.

Ok, now just right click on your file and select “UnLocker”. A window will appear in front of you where all processes that use this file will be displayed. Select it and click on “unblock”, then “delete”.