force delete a file that cannot be deleted [Windows 10]

Force delete a file that cannot be deleted Windows 10

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Introduction 0:00
New file, same name and extension 0:36
File in use by another program 2:01
Command Prompt 2:53
Unlocker 3:58

Today I’ll give you three possible solutions to delete an undeletable file. I’m also going to show you one free application that you can use if the first three methods fail.

In most cases, this problem occurs because the file is in use by another program, but it can also be stuck in general lock mode or even a virus could be the cause. Before we look at the possible solutions you should make sure that you have tried restarting your computer first as this can unlock the file.

1. Force delete a file with new file

Sometimes it is possible to create a new file with the exact same name and extension and have this replace the undeletable file. When this works, you can afterward delete the new file like normal.

We start by searching for notepad in the Windows 10 search bar. Open it and type a few random characters in it. Next, you have to select the save as option.

For the file name, I have to enter the exact same name and extension. You also need to add quotation marks at the beginning and end of the name. If you forget the quotation marks it won’t work.

Click on Save to continue. This results in a message popping up, explaining that this file already exists and if you want to replace it. Of course, click on yes to continue. This method can work depending on the complexity of the problem.

2. How to delete a file in use by another program

This next method is quite easy when it works, and you also get a clear error when trying to delete the file.

Now, you probably already closed the program and even after a reboot, you’re still getting the same error message. This usually means that you need to be looking at a process that automatically start when restating Windows. In my case we are going to see if the program is active in task manager and if we can close it there.

3. force delete file windows 10 cmd,

The next method in this force delete a file that cannot be deleted tutorial, is deleting with CMD or command prompt. To open CMD, click on the Windows 10 search bar and search for command prompt. Right-click on it and select to run it as an administrator.

You need to enter “del” and the exact location of the undeletable problem. You can copy the exact location by holding the shift key, followed by right-clicking on the file. This gives you the additional option to select “copy as path”.

We switch back to the command prompt window and enter del followed by pasting our copy as path. You can paste in CMD simply by right-clicking in it. Press enter and hopefully you go the job done.

If you tried all of the methods from this tutorial to no succes, you could explore some third-party software that might succeed where we failed.

4. Deleting File With Unlocker

From the free software that I tried, I’m most satisfied with Unlocker. It is easy to use and it doesn’t install additional third-party software. When you need to use a program like this, it’s almost certain that a virus is causing the issue.

Once you have installed Unlocker, you can navigate to the undeletable file through a standard tree structure.

When I select a test example, Unlocker says that there isn’t a locking handle found. If there is a locking handle found you get the option to try and remove it.

There are a few different actions to choose from. You can delete, rename, or move. This works for files even when they aren’t locked.

If you still can’t delete the file you should consider restoring your pc to factory settings. While this might sound drastic for not being able to delete some random file, it is fairly likely that your PC is under the influence of a virus.

This concludes our force delete a file that cannot be deleted Windows 10 Tutorial.

#Windows10 #Tutorials #HowTo