Why are files not deleted from my laptop? There is no simpler action than how to delete a file that is not deleted! What programs can delete undeletable files?

Useful tips

Usually there are no problems with deleting on your computer. Selected, clicked Delete key, cleaned the “Trash” - done. But sometimes the deleted information clings to life on your hard drive so much that it cannot be erased. This is where it arises interest Ask, how to delete undeletable files.

It would seem that the paradox is insoluble. If the data is undeletable, then it seems like you won’t be able to get rid of it. But this is only an appearance: in fact, everything can be destroyed, the only question is how much effort will be required to complete the task. Sometimes you even have to resort to the help of special software.

How to delete undeletable files

Why is he still here?

If you are not interested in the reasons why data is not deleted, then you can immediately move on to methods of destruction. For the more curious, below are the most common reasons:

Blocking by antivirus.
Use by another application.
Use of data by another user over a local network.
File usage by the system.
Lack of administrator rights.

Depending on the reason, the methods for deleting stubborn data differ. If they are used by the system, a reboot will help or Windows startup V safe mode.

If you do not have administrator rights, you need to log in under the appropriate account. In general, let's take a closer look available methods– one or two will definitely save you.

Search for connections

Method one is to restart the computer. In any unclear situation, the first thing to do is reboot the system. If after a reboot the information still remains unavailable for deletion, then try starting the system in safe mode. I’ve already told you how it’s simpler on the “seven” - there’s a cool F8 key that launches the boot mode selection menu.

If rebooting and safe mode do not help, look for information about the file in the antivirus quarantine. It happens: antivirus utility blocks malicious data, preventing the system from accessing it. Accordingly, they cannot be deleted either, which is somewhat illogical. But if you wait for 10 minutes, you can easily erase non-deletable data. The listed actions, of course, must be performed from an administrator account, otherwise nothing will work.

If you have problems uninstalling the application, then look at the list running processes and autorun list. How to do it:

Everything can be done in one window only on Windows 10. If you have the eternal “seven”, then open the startup list through “System Configuration” (Win + R – msconfig).

The task manager on Windows 7 is launched in the same way as on other versions of the Microsoft OS - with the combination Ctrl+Shift+Esc.

Unblock and Destroy

If you have tried the above methods and are already going down to the comments to write something like “difficult” or “doesn’t help,” then give me the opportunity to correct myself. Removing non-deletable files is not limited to using Windows tools. In difficult cases, you cannot do without third party software – file manager or unlocking programs.

Let's start with the file manager Total Commander. He's good because he knows how to bypass some Windows bans and shows hidden data (however, FAR Manager can do that too).

Install Total Commander and find the file or folder that does not want to leave your computer. Highlight and press F8.

If the folder is not deleted, open it through Total Commander and see what's inside. If there is any hidden file, look for it by name in the task manager on the “Processes” tab. If you find it, complete the process and try again to erase the directory through Total Commander.

Instead of Unlocker, you can use other programs: LockHunter, IObit Unlocker or Free File Unlocker. These are proven utilities that will help you deal with system messages type "Access denied" when deleting.

Hello. When working with a computer, we constantly create and delete many files and folders. But what if the folder is not deleted? In this article I will show you how to delete a folder that cannot be deleted

There are several reasons why we cannot delete a file or folder. I will list the main reasons and ways to solve them.

Folder in use

You will not be able to delete a folder if it is being used by any program. Try closing all programs. If this does not help, then restart your computer.

The folder is protected from deletion

This usually applies to system folders and files. I do not advise you to try to delete such a folder, as this may adversely affect the operation of the system or cause its complete failure.

Folder with a program or game

If you need to delete earlier installed application no need to try to delete its folder. Use this simple guide:

How to delete a protected folder

Reconsider whether you really need to remove this folder. After all, protection against deletion was not imposed by chance.

If you are sure that this procedure is necessary, you must use a third-party application.

That's all. Now you can delete this folder.

How to delete a folder (file) that cannot be deleted? Hello dear friends, probably each of you has encountered this problem when you wanted to delete the desired folder or file, but the folder is not deleted. Situations may be different, mostly this happens after correct removal programs, utilities, browsers, or some kind of failure occurred during the removal process and after removal, folders or files remained that were simply not needed. I want to offer you four ways to solve this problem when folders are not deleted.

The content of the article:

We delete a folder or file using additional programs.

We archive a folder that is not deleted.

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

If this method does not help and still folder is not deleted, then move on to the next solution.

We transfer a non-deletable folder or file to another medium.

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

We use Safe Mode to delete a non-deletable folder.

Everything here is quite simple, this method helped me personally, I think it will help you 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 a standard way. Read how to enter safe mode. What does Safe Mode do? In simple words- To start in safe mode, the Windows system loads only the functionality that is necessary for windows loading, practically kills everything unnecessary processes, so folders and files that cannot be deleted are deleted with a bang (not counting the Windows system folders). If you need to delete system folder or windows file, read .

How to delete a non-deletable folder using programs.

So let's try it 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 "Dispatcher" windows tasks» to do this, press the combination Ctrl keys+ Shift + Esc or Ctrl + Alt + Delete. Click on the “Processes” item, then click on the “Display processes of all users” button, look for the process and click on the “End process” button, then delete the folder.

If you cannot determine which process is occupying a folder that is not deleted, then we will need the Revo program Uninstaller Pro, you can download 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. Hold the mouse on the Target and point it at the folder or file to be deleted. In the Drop-down menu, click on the “Uninstall” tab.

In the window that opens, you will see the process that occupies 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 me, then read on. By the way, I recommend reading the article at the link below on working with Revo program Uninstaller Pro.

Download the program Unlocker, in my opinion this is one of the most best programs for deleting non-deletable 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.

In the drop-down menu, click on magic wand)) Unlocker icon.

In the window that appears, click on the arrow and select the “Delete” action. Click "Ok".

The Unlocker utility will terminate on its own busy process and delete the folder.

I think this method will help everyone 100% delete a folder that cannot be deleted! That's all friends, I hope the article will be useful to you. If, nevertheless, something doesn’t work out for you and the folder or file is not deleted, then write in the comments, I will try to help everyone. Good luck to you!

Instructions

note

Do not try to remove a folder from a program using the Add or Remove Programs service (or Programs and Features), which is located in the Control Panel. There you can only delete the entire program at once.

Helpful advice

Don't forget to empty the trash, since it is impossible to delete a folder from the program immediately and permanently in the "Programe files" section.

In the operating room Windows system A “safety mechanism” is provided to prevent accidental deletion of data. When you delete a document, movie, or any other file, it is placed in special folder"Basket". At the same time, before emptying the trash can, you still have the opportunity to full recovery deleted information. But this technology also has disadvantages. The first of these is that remote files continue to take up disk space. The second disadvantage is a decrease in security, for example, in corporate networks. But files can be removed an order of magnitude faster.

You will need

A computer running an operating system, basic computer skills.

Instructions

To begin, determine what files need to . If there is only one such file, select it and press the key combination Shift+Del. A message will appear indicating that the file will be permanently deleted, click OK. If there are several, hold down the Ctrl key and, without releasing it, mark the ones to be deleted one by one. files. When they are all selected, press Shift+Del. The procedure takes a few seconds, and from that moment the remote files It is possible only with the help of special ones and not always.

Video on the topic

Helpful advice

On computers that are accessed by multiple operators, the question complete removal data problem is particularly acute. There are cases when a file falling into the wrong hands can lead to serious consequences. Yes, and at home, some personal files It’s better not to show it to your family. To do this, you need to delete files bypassing the trash.

Sources:

programs for permanent deletion data

PC users create and delete daily files using familiar and familiar commands. Sometimes it happens that a number of documents simply cannot be deleted. Those who are familiar with the computer only at the user level are perplexed by this turn of events. However, there is a way out; you can clean your computer even if there is no access to the files to be deleted. access.

Startup

To ensure that a file is deleted, you can use one of the following options: physical destruction of the media; certified device for guaranteed destruction of information; software for guaranteed removal of information.

As you know, the file is deleted logically, but is physically present on the media. Even if the media is formatted, the data can still be recovered. Three main methods of guaranteed destruction of information: physical destruction of the media; certified device for guaranteed destruction of information; software for guaranteed removal of information.

Physical destruction of the carrier

This method is one of the best. No media - no information. Unfortunately, this method is labor-intensive for some types of storage media.

Storage media such as paper, floppy disk, CD, plastic card and some types of flash drives can easily be destroyed by a Shredder-type device. You take the media, put it in the “Shredder” and get your media in the form of sawdust and shavings.

But “Shredder” will not be able to destroy hard drives or flash drives in a vandal-proof case. To destroy them, use available tools, such as: hammer, pliers, screwdriver, scissors.

Certified devices for guaranteed destruction of information

Such devices destroy all information contained on the media and, in most cases, destroy the media itself. This device strikes the carrier with a powerful electromagnetic beam of energy, resulting in demagnetization of the carrier.

To destroy, place the media in the device. Turn it on and give it time to accumulate charge. Press the start button and take a few steps away from the device. As a result, a bang (similar to a gunshot) will be heard and the information will be destroyed.

Software for guaranteed destruction of information

This method is one of the simplest and does not require financial costs. There are many software, which is guaranteed to delete information. The operating principle is almost the same. They write hexadecimal zeros to sectors where there is no current information. Restoring data after destruction by such software product impossible.

This destruction method is convenient because the media remains operational and ready for further use.

To carry out the removal procedure, download and install the software. Select the media on which you want to delete information, start the deletion process.

In the process of working at the computer, it accumulates great amount unnecessary information, which reduces PC performance by clogging RAM. It needs to be removed. Quite often, due to an operating system failure, 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.

Restarting the computer

An operating system crash is often the reason why empty folder is not deleted. In this case, a normal computer restart is enough - and the object can be deleted. If rebooting does not help, you will need:

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

Deleting folders involved in one of the running processes

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

To do this you need to follow these steps:

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

How to delete a protected folder using the standard method

In some cases, the folder is protected and the user must have administrator rights to delete it. To do this you need:

Shut down your computer.
. Turn on PC.
. Login as administrator.
. Delete the folder in the usual way.

Unlocker utility and its capabilities

If this method does not help solve the problem of how to delete an unremovable folder, then you will need to install additional utility Unlocker. This convenient program for removing various objects, occupying a small amount of memory hard drive and has an easy-to-use interface. Moreover, it is completely free.

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

Download the utility to your computer.
Perform the standard software installation procedure, after which the program icon will appear in the system tray and in context menu.
Select the folder to be deleted.
Click on it right click mice.
Select Unlocker from the pop-up menu.
A program window will open.
At the bottom of the list of actions, select the line “Delete”.
If the folder is blocked by some process (it will be displayed in the program window), first click on the “Unblock” or “Unblock all” line, and then apply the “Delete” action.

Unlocker may not always be able to remove an item immediately. In this case, a message will be displayed that the action will be performed the next time the system boots.

Deleting a folder via the command line

In the event that a folder that has system name, the command line can help. First you need to run the CMD program:

Click on the “Start” button.
Find the Run dialog box using search bar main menu.
Launch the Run program.
In the “Open” line, enter the CMD command.
Launch 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 may be asked why the folder is not deleted. For an object that has long name, you need to find out its short designation before deleting it. You can do this as follows:

Go to the drive where the undeletable folder is located using the command: cd /d drive name:\.
Get a list of short names of objects contained on the disk: dir /x /n.
Find the short name of the desired folder.
Delete a directory using the delete command.

Terminating the explorer.exe process

Sometimes in order to solve the problem of how to delete an unremovable folder, you need to stop the explorer.exe process. To do this you need:

Leave open command line.
Launch Task Manager by selecting this action in the pop-up menu on the system tray.
In the “Processes” tab, find all 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 open window command line.

After this, you can begin deleting the object via the command line. The explorer command will help return the desktop to its previous state, which should be entered into the command line and press Enter key. You can also restore your desktop by simply restarting your computer.

Program for deleting folders FileASSASSIN

The FileASSASSIN utility will help you delete any object, including those occupied by some process or application. The principle of operation is similar to the Unlocker program. To use this utility, you must:

Download and install it on your computer.
After installation, the program is integrated into Explorer and becomes available in the context menu.
To delete a folder, right-click on it.
Find the FileASSASSIN item in the menu.
Select a deletion method from the list provided.
Click on the “Run” button.

Removing undeletable objects using LockHunter

Clear computer memory from unnecessary objects and the LockHunter utility allows you to solve the problem of how to delete an undeletable folder. Unlike other similar software, it is equipped with functionality that can protect operating system and user data from inappropriate use. In addition, deleted objects are stored in the system trash for some time, and when erroneous deletion they can always be restored.

The LockHunter program works as follows:

After installation you need to run the utility double click by icon on the desktop.
The main program window will open.
Find the button in the form of an ellipsis and click on it.
In the window that appears, select the desired folder.
The program will show the process that is preventing the object from being deleted.
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 because access to it is closed. 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 top menu Click on the “Service” subsection.
Find the “Folder Options” block and open it.
In the “View” tab, uncheck the checkbox next to the line “Use simple file sharing (recommended).”
Click the “Ok” button.
Then right-click on the folder you want to delete.
In the functional menu, select the item “ General access and safety."
Switch to the "Security" tab.
If a warning appears about the lack of rights, click the “Ok” button.
In the “Security” tab at the bottom, click on the “Advanced” button.
In the window additional parameters Find the "Owner" tab.
Select the one you need from the list account.
Check the box next to the line “Replace owner of subcontainers and objects.”
Click the “Apply” button.
A warning about the change of ownership 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.
Check the box next to " Full access" 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 using a bat file command

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

Right click on empty space desktop.
In the pop-up menu, select the “Create” function and the “Text document” item.
Open the 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 to “1.bat” and click the “Save” button.
Run the created bat file and the folder will be deleted.

Using the Total Commander file manager

You can permanently delete a folder using Total programs Commander. To do this you need:

Launch file manager.
Select a folder that cannot be deleted.
Press the “F8” key.
In the message that appears, click on the “Delete” button.

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