There is probably no need to say that almost any last-generation Windows user has encountered a situation where it is impossible to delete some files (and not even system ones) from the hard drive. The reason for their blocking by the operating system remains a mystery to many. However, in order to understand how to delete an undeletable file in Windows 10, it is completely optional to delve into the essence of this phenomenon. Below are some simple methods that will get rid of most of the blocked objects (of course, only on condition that they are not important system components without which Windows will not be able to work at all).
What is meant by undeletable files?
First of all, let's dwell on what kind of files can be attributed to undeletable, and why they are. If we consider the main possible situations, the following components can be attributed to such objects:
- system files and directories;
- elements of active applications and running processes;
- files blocked by attributes restricting access to them;
- objects that cannot be deleted due to lack of rights;
- remnants of remote applications;
- virus components or infected documents.
Windows 10 does not delete active program files: what should I do?
An example of the first and very common situation is when a user tries to erase a program or some of its components, but it is currently active. Quite often this can be observed with applications that, at the moment of closing the main window, are minimized to the system tray without stopping work in the background (for example, uTorrent, TeamViewer and others). In this case, the removal of undeletable files in Windows 10 can be performed only after the active application has completed its work.
To be sure that none of its components are currently used by system or user processes, you need to not only exit the program, but also see if there is an active process in the "Task Manager" (if necessary, it will need to be completed , and then try to delete again).
How to delete an undeletable file in Windows 10: simple solutions
However, often the problem is completely different. Usually this is due to the blocking of such objects by the operating system itself or with the installation of special restrictions. How to delete an undeletable file in Windows 10, based on their situations? As the simplest solutions, you can recommend the following actions:
- rename an undeletable object (sometimes this may require administrator confirmation, or the renaming item will be marked with a corresponding icon);
- in the file properties, uncheck the read-only attributes and indicate the hidden file (this will help to remove the parent directory);
- try to delete the object at startup in safe mode;
- check the date of creation or modification of the object, and if it differs from the system one (for example, a few decades), open the file in the most suitable application and re-save it.
Change of ownership of an undeletable object and change of access rights
One of the most common problems is the user’s lack of administrator rights to access the problematic object. How to delete an undeletable file in Windows 10 with this question?
In this case, the easiest way is to use the properties of the component or directory, and then establish full access to them by choosing either an arbitrary user registered in the system or an entire group.
If you cannot add rights in this way, you can use the change in the owner of the object. Most often TrustedInstaller will be specified.
By clicking on the change of ownership link, select either yourself as the new one, or add the user manually. Keep in mind that when performing such an operation with system directories, changing the owner for some components will be impossible at all.
Bypass blocking descriptors
The method described above may seem quite complicated to many, therefore, as a simpler solution, you can offer the use of a special program that deletes undeletable files in Windows 10 or in any other OS of the entire family. Of course, we are talking about the Unlocker application.
During the installation process, he embeds his own commands in the context menu of "Explorer" and most well-known file managers. Therefore, to delete the selected object, just use the utility call from the RMB menu. Then from the drop-down list as an action, select the necessary. But this program for forced removal of files and folders to get rid of locked objects does not always allow. In some cases, you may first need to display the entire list of processes that can use the component at a given time, force them to terminate, and only then try again.
Removing program and virus applet file remnants
Very often you can observe situations when, after uninstalling the main components of a certain application, it is also impossible to get rid of residues. Typically, such objects are deleted automatically after a system reboot. But if this does not happen, initially it is recommended to delete the program itself using special uninstallers like iObit Uninstaller, which automatically clean up the residual garbage.
In case of incorrect removal of the application in such programs, you can use a special tool to find and remove residual program components. In addition, it is the programs of this direction that allow you to remove even programs built into the Windows shell that cannot be uninstalled by conventional methods (unless using the PowerShell console command prompt or the command line).
Finally, uninstallation utilities very often turn out to be useful when removing viral advertising applets that are not masked in the system and are presented as separate applications. When uninstalling, balances in the form of files and registry keys are deleted automatically.