It is not deleted. How to delete a folder if it won't delete

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

Restarting the computer

An operating system crash is often the reason why an 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 the file it contains is involved in any system process or used by an application, it 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 the required file in the list that opens.
. 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 the additional Unlocker utility. This is a convenient program for deleting various objects, occupies a small amount of hard disk memory 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 the context menu.
  • Select the folder to be deleted.
  • Right-click on it.
  • 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

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

  • Click on the “Start” button.
  • Find the Run dialog box using the main menu search bar.
  • 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 with a long name, you must find out its short name 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 the command line open.
  • Launch the task manager by selecting this action from 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 the open command line window will remain.

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. 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

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

The LockHunter program works as follows:

  • After installation, you need to launch the utility by double-clicking on the 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 the 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 function menu, select “Sharing and Security”.
  • 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 additional settings window, find the “Owner” tab.
  • Select the desired account from the list.
  • 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 an empty area of ​​the 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 the Total Commander program. 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.

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

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

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

Why isn't it deleted?

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

    • Exceptions

    The methods described in the article will not always help:

    • pagefile.sys and swapfile.sys - to remove, disable the swap file.
    • hiberfil.sys - deleted when hibernation mode is disabled.
    • If an access denied message appears. You need to become the owner of the file or folder. The easiest way to do this is with the TakeOwnershipPro program.
    • If a message appears asking permission from TrustedInstaller. This is protection against the removal of system components.
    • Windows.old - folder with the old version of the operating system. It is deleted through the “Properties” of the local drive C. On the General tab there is a “Cleanup” button. A window will open in which select “Clean up system files.” Once the analysis is complete, the “Previous Windows installations” item will appear in the list in this window. Check this box and click OK.

    Deleting the file manually

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

    If a file doesn't want to be deleted, the error message usually tells you which process has locked it. This could be explorer.exe or any program that has it open. If you close this program, the file will be deleted.


    If the file is occupied by the explorer.exe process

    • Before completing the task, open Command Prompt as an administrator. It is located in “Start - All Programs - Accessories”. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator.
    • Remove the explorer.exe task in the task manager and write del full_path/name.extension in the command line.
    • The path does not have to be entered manually. Right-click on the desired file while holding Shift - Copy as path, and paste it into the command line through the right-click context menu.
    • Now restart explorer.exe. In the task manager, click "File - New task - explorer.exe".

    Use a bootable USB flash drive or disk

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


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

    If you use a bootable USB flash drive or Windows installation disk, the console opens at any time after the language selection stage, using the key combination Shift + F10.

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

    Command for deleting via the console: del full_path_to_the_file.

    Using DeadLock

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

    Using the File menu, add the problematic file to the program. Right-click on it in the list - unlock it (Unlock) and delete it (Remove).


    Using Unlocker

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

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


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

    Via command line

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


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

The inability to delete a folder or a separate application file is 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 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 you can delete an unnecessary file or folder. This can be done both using system tools and special utilities and programs.

Before starting the process, make sure that the deleted file will not cause instability in the operating system. When cleaning your computer from unnecessary “garbage”, do not delete system files, without which its stable operation is impossible.

Files occupied by the process can be deleted both by the system itself and by 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, the energy-saving mode of the PC operating system, or setting up the hidden system swap file 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 process of the Windows Explorer program. 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 of the Explorer program, it is not enough to simply cancel 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 a 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 a bootable USB flash drive, USB drive, or OS recovery disk. When booting from a Live CD, either the command line or the standard operating system GUI can be used. 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, launch the command line using the Shift and F10 key combination. 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 previously resorted to using the free Unlocker program are gradually switching to an alternative option - DeadLock. Over the past year, along with the Unlocker distribution, unnecessary programs have been downloaded and 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, as we already wrote above, the 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 delete certain 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 a 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 gives 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.

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 won't delete.

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 remove a previously installed application, you do not need to try to delete its folder. Use this simple guide:

How to delete a protected folder

Think again about whether you really need to delete 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.

Deleting a folder in the Windows 10 operating system is a simple procedure. However, there are times when it is not possible to remove a directory. It is not deleted, blocked or given special rights. In this case, will advice help on how to delete a non-deletable folder in Windows 10?

Reasons why a folder cannot be deleted

If a directory is not deleted in Windows 10, there are many reasons for this. Let's consider only the main ones:

  • The folder or file is blocked by the antivirus. Relevant if the directory has been quarantined or the file has been sent for treatment (waiting for an update of the anti-virus databases).
  • The file is being used by the system.
  • Only the administrator has rights to the file.
  • The directory is in use by another program.
  • The folder or file is being used by another user on the local network.
  • The folder is write protected.

These are the most common reasons why a folder or file cannot be deleted in Windows 10.

Different ways to delete folders in Windows 10

Before using programs to delete folders and files, it is worth checking the standard methods to ensure they work. The file or folder may be in use by the program. Therefore, we restart the PC and try to remove it again. If this method does not work, reboot into Safe Mode and delete the directory.

Method No. 1. Using the free Unlocker program

The Unlocker program is designed to unlock and delete folders and programs. Its usage is as follows:

  • Launch and install the software. Right-click on the file that cannot be deleted and select Unlocker.
  • Then select the file and click “Delete”.

Method No. 2. Via file manager

The most popular file manager, which is installed on almost every PC, is Total Commander. To delete a file through this manager, you should follow these steps:

  • We launch the program and look for the file to delete. Press F8 or the special button on the toolbar.

  • File deleted.

Method number 3. Renaming the file

Often a folder cannot be deleted because it is being used by other programs. Therefore, you can right-click on it and select “Rename”. After assigning a new name, the folder or file will be available for deletion.

Method number 4. By stopping the process and services that are using the file or folder

If the system blocks deletion of a file or folder, it means that the item is being used by some program or service. Therefore, we call the “Task Manager” and remove all processes and services that are associated with the directory.

It's also worth checking the Startup tab to rule out the possibility of using the file from Windows 10 itself.

Method No. 5. Using bootable media

  • Boot from the installation media.
  • Press F10 to open the command line.
  • Enter “del path to file” or “rmdir /s folder_name”.
  • Afterwards we boot in normal mode.

Method number 6. Granting permissions on a folder

  • Right-click on the folder and select “Properties”.
  • A new window will open. Go to the “Security” tab. Select your user. Click on the “Advanced” button.

  • In the new window, select the user to whom you need to grant rights to delete the directory.

  • Check the “Replace owner of subcontainers and objects” checkbox.

  • Next, we grant access to the rights to the folder. Click on the “Add” button.

  • Afterwards we put the marks with which we grant rights to the folder.

  • Check the box “Replace all permission entries of the child object with those inherited from this object” and click on “Disable inheritance”.

  • In the window that opens, click again on “Replace all permission entries of the child object with those inherited from this object.”

  • Now we delete the directory.

This method is suitable if the rights to the object belong to another user and access is blocked.

If methods for deleting a folder that cannot be deleted in Windows 10 did not help solve the problem, you should check your PC for viruses and malware.

Also, see the video for ways to delete directories that are not deleted: