When Windows does not let you delete a folder

In today's article we will show you what to do if Windows does not let you delete a folder on your computer.

Deleting a folder in Windows is not a difficult task. Just highlight the folder you want to delete and press the Delete button on the keyboard. Or you can just right-click on a folder and select Delete. The issue arises when at some point none of them work. In this article, we will discuss such an issue and what you can do.

And suddenly Windows does not let you delete a folder. Most people who have not had such a thing will think: “Slow down now. So what?". But come on, you usually get mad and think that "this operating system can not do what it wants" and that "either Windows or you" !!

Your initial classic attempts to delete the folder are supplemented by various simple tricks, such as doing a scan with Windows for any security problems, restart the computer and the like, which eventually when they do not work make your nerves rags.

We suggest you think a little more professionally. Make sure you do not spend so much time deleting someone folder required for Windows operation, so they do well and don't leave you. If o που θέλετε να διαγράψετε δεν έχει να κάνει με το λειτουργικό σας and if you are facing this strange problem then do the following three fixes that will help you.

REPAIR 1 - Obtain folder ownership
One of the most common reasons why you can't delete a folder is ownership. In Windows, all objects as one , a folder, etc. well protected by copyright and ownership. So you will only be able to delete a folder if you have permissions to do so.

In addition, it also depends on who owns this folder. If you are experiencing this issue, you probably do not own this folder and do not have permission to edit it. So follow the guide below to acquire ownership of the file:

1. Right-click on the file or folder you want to take ownership of and select Properties.

2. On the Properties tab, go to the Security tab and click Advanced.

3. Then, in the window “Additional Security Settings” (Advanced Settings), click the Change link next to Owner. As you can see in the screenshot below, the current owner name listed is SYSTEM . When we take ownership, our username will be displayed.

4. Then, in the "Select: User or Group" window, click the Advanced button.

5. Moving on, in the next window, first click on “Find Now”. Then from the results s , pick up the account you want and set as the content owner. Double-click that account name.

6. This will show you the account that was added again in the Select: User or Group window, then click OK.

7. Now go back to the Advanced Security Settings window, select "Replace Holder in Secondary Containers and Objects". Click Apply, followed by OK.

8. In the Windows Security Confirmation query, click OK. Then click the Apply button, then OK in the other windows we have opened so far and close them.

Once you have acquired ownership of the folder you can now easily delete it.

REPAIR 2 - Inheritance exclusion
Another reason for not deleting a folder is if that folder receives permissions from its parent folder. A parent file may have some other rights and ownership. Therefore, you should try to exclude the inheritance and see if it helps you solve the problem.

1. Right-click the folder that you cannot delete and select Properties.

2. Then go to the "Security" tab and click on "Advanced". In the "Additional Security Settings" window, click "Disable Transfer".

3. Next, select "Remove All Transfer Rights". Click Apply, and then click OK.

Now the file should be free of inheritance rights from its parent file and you should be able to delete it after acquiring ownership.

FIX 3 - Use the command prompt
If Fixes 1 and 2 do not resolve your issue, then the folder that you can not delete may have symbolic links or junctions. Try using these steps to delete the folder:

1. Open it command line with administrator privileges .

2. Type the following command and press Enter:

3. When done, close the command prompt.

We hope we helped you!

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Written by Dimitris

Dimitris hates on Mondays .....

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