Force deleting files xp

What should I do to make the file disappear? Any suggestion on force delete the file? Write-protection, corrupted drive, virus infection, etc. Under different situations, you can take corresponding measures to fix cannot delete files issue. Or you can choose one among the three ways to force delete file or folder. Force delete file using a GUI file shredder. It can complete many operations, including force delete file, format partition, etc. To hard delete a file using CMD, refer to the steps below:.

Super User is a question and answer site for computer enthusiasts and power users. It only takes a minute to sign up. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

Cannot delete blah. To successfully delete a locked file, you will need to identify the process which has locked the file. You need to exit the process first and then delete the file. With Unlocker. You could also try booting into safe mode or just rebooting and see if you can delete it then. Edit : I've found something better. When I have a file I can't delete, say from some application I wanted to try out, I reboot and see if I can delete it then.

If that fails, I either:. Sanboxie makes it very easy to clean about the detritus of an application install. If you computer has been compromised, most security experts would strongly recommend that you clean install you system. Trying to manually clean a system is only possible in the luckiest of cases, and you never know if something was left behind. I would recommend not taking the chance. Try a program such as Unlocker only available for x You can use it to see all the locks and remove them if you want.

For x64, there might be similar programs as well. A more complicated and more general approach if there isn't is to use program such as Process Explorer , where you search for handles containing the file or program name, and delete all the handles you see.

Normally this is not easy, but Microsoft had made this really easy for us. This suit consists of various tiny but powerful software tools to manage, troubleshoot and diagnose your Windows systems and applications. The search utility will find the handle for process or software that were using or opened your file.

Click on the search result to see detail in lower pan of main window. Seeing your comments, it's best to have a different antivirus do it for you then. All of the other files associated with it will also be removed from the system. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group.

Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. How do I delete a 'locked' file? Ask Question. It starts with the basics for Windows and moves on to more involved tricks. The process will work for all recent Windows releases, but Windows XP has been causing the most the problems, so we will focus on it.

Please note: we are assuming that the file is not crucial to the operation of Windows — deleting important system files can cause havoc. Software Patch. Is the file in use? It sounds obvious but it happens. If it is being used or open, close the file and the application that opened it. For example, if it is a Word document, close Microsoft Word. If the file was opened in an application and subsequently closed , but the program is still running, try quitting the program. Windows will lock a file because the application hasn't yet released it.

This is not always Windows fault and can be the fault of the program. DivX files don't get on very well with Windows XP and sometimes renaming the file can trick Windows into releasing it. Reboot your PC and don't start any programs. Go directly to the file and delete it.