Why can't I delete an empty folder from my computer? How to delete a folder if it won't delete

Any computer user has at least once encountered a situation where a seemingly simple procedure, such as deleting a file, ended in failure. If this has not happened to you, then either you know how to prevent this situation, or you still have it ahead. That’s why today we’ll talk about how to delete a file or folder that cannot be deleted, and we’ll give several methods for solving this problem. We will help those who are faced with such a situation to solve it; for those who are new to this, they will be fully armed and ready to deal with undeletable files.

Reasons why a folder or file is not deleted

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

Insufficient rights to perform the delete operation.
The file is being used by another user or program.
The folder or file is damaged.
The media on which the file of interest is located is protected from writing, and therefore from deletion.

You can solve the problem that has arisen in different ways: use the capabilities that exist in the operating system, or resort to the help of third-party utilities that are designed to perform similar actions. Let's look at all the methods for getting rid of unnecessary files.

You just need to make one caveat - are you sure that the file intended for deletion is really unnecessary? Windows OS protects the folders and files necessary for its stable functioning, and attempts to insist on one’s own way can lead to the “crash” of the system and the need to solve completely different problems. Before you start deleting files, make sure that they are truly “garbage”. You should be especially careful when disposing of objects in system folders.

Checking write protection

Before you start any drastic 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 thing - make sure that the mechanical switch that prevents writing/erasing is not set to the appropriate position that blocks such actions.

Virus check

The file may be a virus, some kind of malicious program, or part of it that cannot be removed. If you haven't scanned your computer for viruses in a while, you should do so. If suspicious programs have been found and neutralized, you should try to delete this file.

Checking file access

A helpful way to delete a file in some cases is to restart the computer. It is quite possible that the object that needs to be gotten rid of is the result of a particular program that was uninstalled incorrectly, or it was not done completely, and there are some program modules (DLLs, processes) left 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 care. Delete.

Another point is the prohibition on performing write/erase operations in this folder, set by the computer administrator. You need to go to the folder properties, and on the “Security” tab check the granted rights.

If read-only 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 located in it. You should be especially careful with system folders.

Using 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 is preventing 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 this, on the “Processes” tab, you need to find the process blocking access to the file and terminate it.

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

Using the Command Line

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

In order to use this tool, you need to launch the command line, for which, after clicking the “Start” button, enter “cmd” in the search field, right-click and select run mode with administrative rights. A window will open in which you must enter commands to delete the file or folder.

You can try to delete the damaged file using this method.

Deleting a file

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

Del /F /Q /S<Путь_к_файлу> ,

/F – Forces deletion of files marked as read-only.

/Q – do not issue a confirmation request for the delete operation.

/S – delete subfolders and files in them.

The screenshot shows an example. Naturally, your path will be different.

Deleting a folder

To delete an entire folder, use another command:

Rd/S/Q<Путь_к_папке> ,

/S – delete subfolders and files.

/Q - do not issue a confirmation request for the delete operation.

An example is shown in the following screenshot.

Using Safe Mode

If you cannot stop a process blocking access to a file for one reason or another, or it is unclear what process is interfering, then this method can help, in which the system boots in safe mode. In this case, the required minimum of processes starts, and the one that “held” the file will remain in an inactivated 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 may help. Alternatively, the hard drive on which you want to delete files can be connected to another computer. Then, after booting 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 in use or not, there are a number of utilities specifically designed to unlock objects that need to be destroyed.

FileASSASSIN

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

To get rid of an unnecessary file, you need to specify the path to it, check the “Delete file” box and click the “Execute” button. That's all that needs to be done. If you don’t want to work with the command line, and also don’t want to delve into processes and running programs, then this method is an opportunity to quickly and effectively 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 and 64-bit OS. There is also a portable version for those who do not like to install many programs on the system, but prefer to run the necessary tools to maintain the system autonomously.

There is one more advantage to using portable versions: when installing such programs, you often install several more utilities, browser extensions, etc., which you don’t need at all, which will annoy you with advertising, and from which, sometimes, you don’t really care. just get rid of it. 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. When launched, a window will open where you need to specify the location of the file that needs to be deleted.

You just need to click the “Ok” button, after which a new window will appear in which you will need to confirm the action that needs to be performed on the file. If no file locks are found, the following window will appear:

You need to indicate what to do with the file - delete, leave as is, move, etc.

Other programs

In addition to those listed, there are other utilities that perform the same job. As an example, we can cite: Delete Doctor, Free File Unlocker, MoveOnBoot, Tizer UnLocker, Wize Force Deleter. Their operating principle is similar, so you can choose the one you liked and which helped solve problems with undeletable files or folders.

Conclusion

How to delete files or folders, which method to choose - it all depends on the specific situation. Some people prefer to use specialized software, others do not like to clutter the system with many highly specialized utilities and prefer to use all the built-in capabilities of the OS.

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

You decide to delete files or folders on your Windows computer. 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 of Microsoft's Windows, such as XP or Vista, the system allowed users to create a file or folder with a trailing space.

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 the following 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 due to the fact that one or more of its files are currently used 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 choose to force a 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 (it is not available in the latest version of the 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 has come under the influence of a 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 a non-deletable folder on an external drive? 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;
file system type;
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 dealt with 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

Deleting a file from the Windows operating system seems simple and easy. But under certain circumstances, this task can turn into a certain problem for the user. After all, if the file is used by other applications and processes, if the OS accesses it, if it is blocked by a virus, the standard cleaning procedure no longer has any effect on it. And in this case, you need to use other computer software mechanisms, as well as special applications that delete objects that are not deleted.

Manually deleting files from your computer

Situation No. 1: the audio file is not deleted

Pay attention to the OS message (i.e. why the file is not deleted). Most likely it is played or opened in a media player. If this is the case, remove the track from the playlist and close the application. And then drag it to the Trash.

Situation No. 2: it is impossible to remove the video, disk image or installer

The reason for the refusal may be hidden in the program with which you downloaded these files from the Internet. For example, the uTorrent torrent client constantly accesses downloaded files and folders with the aim of distributing them to other network participants. Check if the file is there. If you find one, disable it or close uTorrent completely. And then start deleting.

Situation #3: the file is locked by a process

Even if the application is closed, the process that accesses it or is part of its software may still be active. In this case, it will block uninstallation or direct removal. To force it to stop, follow these steps:

Press "CTRL" + "SHIFT" + "ESC" simultaneously.
Click on the "Processes" tab.
Right-click on the process associated with the file that is not being deleted.
From the context menu, select "End Process" to forcefully deactivate it.
Close the Manager window.

Removing non-deletable files using software

A tiny utility (a little more than 1 MB). After installation, it is integrated into the system context menu. Does not contain additional settings. Automatically removes software locks from the selected object, be it a folder or a file. Also supports "move" and "rename" functions.

Launch the utility (its icon will appear in the tray).
Right-click on the file you want to delete.
Select Unlocker from the menu list.

Note. Sometimes, when using the utility, a system restart is required (for example, during the process of deleting dynamic libraries.dll).

A free tool for neutralizing “problem” files. Able to remove locks from several elements simultaneously. Performs cleaning correctly: maintains system stability and useful data. It is equipped with a clear interface and does not contain complex settings.

In the utility window, click the “Add” button.
In the additional “Browse files...” window, select a folder or file. Click OK.
Under the top block of the working window, on the button, click the down arrow. Select "Unblock and Delete" from the drop-down menu.
Confirm the action: click “Ok” at the “Continue?” prompt.

A fast cleaner for stubborn files. Displays items that prevent deletion. It can not only stop, but also remove the blocking process. All neutralized objects are placed in the “Trash”.

In the program interface, click the “three dots” button. Select:
- “Browse for a file” - to delete a file;
- “… a folder” - for a folder.
2. In the “Open” window, select the object that you want to remove from the directory.
3. Click the “Open” button.
4. To clear, click “Delete It!” (button in the bottom panel).

Powerful utility. Distributed free of charge. Knows how to remove system files and elements of third-party applications. Determines the reason for the blocking and neutralizes it when the messages “Access denied”, “... protected” from writing”, “... used by another program”, etc. appear. Unloads modules, descriptors and other “software obstacles” from memory.

Click the "..." button on the application bar.
Left-click once on the file or folder that you want to remove from the OS.
Click the “Open” button.
Click "Execute" to activate cleaning.

What to do with system files?

Some files and OS folders cannot be deleted either using standard tools or special programs. They are protected from erasure by special functions. And others, on the contrary, are temporary.

To correctly remove Windows items, do the following:

First of all, determine the status of the file: can the system work without it or not. This can be done on special services (for example, filecheck.ru).

Temporary files (or “digital trash”) can be safely deleted using third-party utilities (for example, folders and libraries from the Temp folder). But it’s better not to touch the “vital” elements. In case of urgent need, it is better to replace them with similar ones using the recovery function, installing special patches, or manually copying them to a directory.

Let your computer always be clean and tidy! And the question “why is the folder not deleted?” will lose relevance for you.

Deleting folders and files is a fairly simple procedure that does not cause any difficulties even for novice users. However, sometimes there are situations when folders are not deleted. In this article we will talk about how to delete a folder that cannot be deleted.

Method No. 1. Close the program that uses files from this folder.

If you are trying to delete a folder but it is not being deleted, then the first thing to check is the running programs. It is quite possible that one of the running programs is currently working with files from this folder. Typically, in such cases, the message “The operation cannot be completed because these folders or files are open in another program” appears.

If you suspect that a program can use files from this folder, then such a program should be closed. Then you need to try to delete the folder again.

Separately, it is necessary to say about antiviruses. It is not uncommon for antivirus software to block files that cause them suspicion. Such files cannot be opened or deleted. If you try to delete the folder in which such a file is located, you will also not succeed. In order to delete a file blocked by the antivirus, you need to pause the antivirus protection.

Method number 2. Rename the folder.

Another simple way is to rename the folder. It is not uncommon that the system does not allow you to delete a folder, but allows you to rename it. However, after renaming you can delete it.

Method number 3. Disconnect the computer from the network.

If files from a folder are used by other users on the local network, then you will not be able to delete the folder in which they are located. In order to solve this problem, you can simply disconnect your computer from the network and then delete the folder.

Method #4: Use an administrator account.

Administrator rights are required to delete some folders and files. If the system reports that you do not have enough rights, then you need to log into the administrator account and try deleting the folder again.

Method number 5. Restart your computer.

If the previous methods did not work, then simply restart your computer. In most cases, after a reboot, locked files and folders are deleted without problems.

Method number 6. Delete the folder using a special program.

There are programs for removing locked files and folders. The most popular programs of this kind are Unlocker, IObit Unlocker, LockHunter. Install one of these programs and try to delete the folder using it.

Method number 7. Delete the folder through Safe Mode.

You can also . Safe mode starts only the most essential components of the operating system. Therefore, in Safe Mode, most likely, the folder will not be locked and you will be able to delete it.

Hi all. I propose to talk today about files that are not deleted from the computer. After all, there are always a lot of files on your computer, you download them from the Internet, dump them from a flash drive, and create them yourself. Each user periodically deletes unnecessary files. Some people do this just to free up disk space, others for security purposes, and others just to keep their computer in order. But it happens that the selected file is not deleted. The system writes that there is no access to it or that it is occupied by another process or is being used by another program. Also, sometimes a file is not deleted from the computer due to the fact that you do not have sufficient rights to do this.

Is it possible to delete such files from the computer?

If you are wondering how to delete a file that won't be deleted, then you probably have good reasons to destroy it. But you need to be careful and pay attention to what these files are and in which folders they are located. Often, novice users want to free up more space on their hard drive, so they go into the system files and try to remove what is being used by the operating system. Even such files can be deleted, but this will lead to errors in the computer or make it impossible to boot. But in fact it will free up a very small amount of space.

Before deleting a file, you should analyze what it does and how it ended up on your computer. If you downloaded the program, installed it, but now want to delete the downloaded files, then you will not always be able to do this. They can still be used by the system until the next reboot. You can safely delete everything that you personally downloaded from the Internet. But sometimes such files may not be deleted. Let's figure it out.

The easiest way is to reboot

If the file is not deleted from your computer and you see a message that it is being used by a process or program, then you need to restart your device. The main point here is that it is actually being used by a program or process, you don't see it, but the computer is using the file in its operation. For example, you opened a photo in a photo editor and made some changes, then saved the new one and closed the program. But when trying to delete the old file, problems arise. This is because you closed the program, but the process froze and did not close, the photo is attached to this process and you do not have the opportunity to delete it. In other words, the system is glitched.

As a rule, restarting the computer closes all processes and programs, frees the RAM from unnecessary information, and you can calmly, in the standard way, delete the file from the computer. Therefore, it makes sense to start removing it using the simplest method, and only then begin further attempts.

Terminate the process manually

It is not always possible to restart the computer, because the programs you need may be open at the moment and you do not want to start your work from the very beginning. In this case, you can try to terminate the open process that is using the file for deletion yourself. The deletion error message usually indicates which program or process is using the file. Therefore, you need to go to the task manager, find this file and complete it.

Press the key combination Ctrl + Alt + Del and select " Task Manager».

Launch Task Manager

After this, you need to go to the “ Processes", find the process that was displayed in the error message. If there is such a process, then you right-click on it and select “ End the process" or " Cancel task" After the process is stopped, you can make another attempt to delete the file; if everything was done correctly, the file should be deleted from the computer without the need to reboot.

Select “End process” or “End task” (depending on your OS)

The file is not deleted due to insufficient access rights

Another common mistake when deleting is that you do not have access rights to perform this operation. This happens quite often, so you may encounter this problem. If a file cannot be deleted from your computer due to lack of access, then you need to analyze what kind of file it is. We decided that you shouldn’t delete everything on your computer; if you didn’t create or download this file, then you don’t always need to delete it.

The thing is that the developers of the operating system foresaw that inexperienced users will try to delete something that should not be deleted, as the computer will stop working. That is why some system files are in a special legal field; only the system can gain unlimited access to them, only it can change and delete them. Therefore, you can delete such a file only by loading through LiveCD or having received system rights. You can do it, but is it worth it?

In order to perform further actions with such a file, you need to know what you are trying to delete. If you have a certain system file name in front of you, then you can find information about it on the Internet without any problems and will immediately understand whether you can delete it or whether it is better to leave everything as is. Very often, viruses are hidden under such system files, so they must be removed using an antivirus program.

Deleting files via booting from LiveCD

Sometimes reboots and termination of various processes do not give you any positive result; files are still not deleted from the computer. In this case, there is a win-win option, but it is accessible to more experienced users. But even a beginner, with a strong desire, can figure out this method and implement it on his own. Its main essence is to boot under another, independent operating system, enter the file system and delete all unnecessary files.

In most cases, it is your operating system that does not allow you to delete this or that file that, in its opinion, it really needs. This is necessary to protect system information. It is the OS that does not give you access rights; it is the OS that uses files in various processes and programs. The file itself is simple information on the disk, so deleting it without an OS is quite easy. But initially you need to make a bootable disk or flash drive with a LiveCD.

There is a lot of information on the Internet regarding this and the drive, so you won't have any problems. Once you boot from such a system, you can do whatever you want with your files on the disk. But remember that now there is no room for error; if you delete something that was not worth it, the computer will not be able to boot normally or will work with errors.

How to delete a file with Unlocker

If the file is not deleted from the computer and you see various errors in front of you, then it can help in solving this problem Unlocker program. This is a completely free program that you can easily download from the official website. The program is lightweight and installs in a few seconds. Immediately after installation, a new item appears in the context menu that appears when you right-click on a file.

When you right-click on a file, a new item appears

By clicking on this item, you will see a program window asking you to select what needs to be done with this file. In the drop-down list, you need to select the delete command and then say goodbye to the file. The program bypasses most of the obstacles in deleting a file and completes the task without any problems. But again you need to be careful in what you do. You must understand that this way you can delete system files without problems and obstacles, which is not a good idea.

Also pay attention to the fact that very often such programs spread viruses, which will worsen the performance of your computer. If you download the Unlocker program, do it only on the official website or from trusted sources. Be responsible about what you download onto your computer, and especially what programs you install. Sometimes after installation you don’t get exactly the new functions you expected, and you have to take your computer in for repairs.