If you ever run across a folder with files that you simply cannot delete, try this

hsehestedt · 2026-10-12T12:16:24-0400

I may have referenced this in another post in the past but thought that I would just create a quick post just for this topic.

I do a lot of work with Windows images and on occasion I will interrupt a process working with these images. That can literally result in tens of thousands of files that simply won't allow me to delete them. In the past I had tyo take ownership of the files and take a number of additional steps before I could delete those files. But one day I had a sudden realization: Robocopy can delete those files because it has special system permissions allowing it to delete those files. So, here is an easy way to clean out a folder of "undeletable" files.

Create an empty folder.
Use robocopy to mirror the contents of that folder to the problem folder. It is literally that simple.

Here is an example using a folder called BadFiles that needs to be cleared.

Batch:

md c:\EmptyFolder
robocopy c:\EmptyFolder c:\Badfiles /mir
rd C:\EmptyFolder

kelper · 2026-10-12T12:48:42-0400

I have Webroot SecureAnywhere as my anti-malware; it has a nice right-click option that can delete any folder or file.

Quandary · 2026-10-12T12:53:28-0400

My solution is to boot a Linux image on my Ventoy USB and delete the protected file/folders.

kelper · 2026-10-12T12:55:36-0400

Quandary said:
My solution is to boot a Linux image on my Ventoy USB and delete the protected file/folders.

Yeesh! What a runaround! I do it in two clicks.

hader · 2026-10-12T13:53:34-0400

hsehestedt said:
I may have referenced this in another post in the past but thought that I would just create a quick post just for this topic.

I do a lot of work with Windows images and on occasion I will interrupt a process working with these images. That can literally result in tens of thousands of files that simply won't allow me to delete them. In the past I had tyo take ownership of the files and take a number of additional steps before I could delete those files. But one day I had a sudden realization: Robocopy can delete those files because it has special system permissions allowing it to delete those files. So, here is an easy way to clean out a folder of "undeletable" files.

Create an empty folder.
Use robocopy to mirror the contents of that folder to the problem folder. It is literally that simple.

Here is an example using a folder called BadFiles that needs to be cleared.

Batch:

md c:\EmptyFolder robocopy c:\EmptyFolder c:\Badfiles /mir rd C:\EmptyFolder

I think if you came across a directory or a file you can't delete? Look at who owns it! If you don't own the object and have no any rights to remove it? You can't!

The proper way always!

Note: You can bypass this by Linux. But without consent of the real owner. If the file is owned by e.q. TrustedInstaller? (Is the highest user inside any Windows system. It is even higher then being an Admin. It is the Windows equivalent of root inside Linux.) Things can go wrong!!

Try to own the object first!

I ran against this problem several times. After an In-Place-Installment I always want to delete the Windows.old directory. Using the explorer as admin and delete dir? Fails because many files are owned by the TrustedInstaller. In this case the is a save workaround for this: Start cleanmgr.exe and mark that Windows.old directory. It wil now erase that directory. Why? Because the owner "TrustedInstaller" is doing this action.

Ik know. Some files are owned by someone else an sometimes not clear by whom...
Only in those cases you can revert to an series of old school and hard to understand DOS commands.

This is just an example I uses to remove a directory that I did not own ("User": S-1-5-21....etc did!!)
(CMD as admin) and execute a series of commands. (files? idem dito) Remove Dir is the dir you want to erase....

Batch:

set rmdir="<Drive>:<Path>\<Remove Dir>"
rem ========================================================================================================

rem >>>>>> 1 - Take ownership of the directory by running this command.
takeown /f %rmdir% /r /d y

rem >>>>>> 2 - Grant the local Administrators group full control over the folder and all subfolders/files.
icacls %rmdir% /grant Administrators:F /t /c

rem >>>>>> 3 - Remove any conflicting read-only or system attributes.
attrib -r -s -h %rmdir% /s /d

rem >>>>>> 4 - Delete the directory forcefully.
rmdir /s /q %rmdir%

rem ========================================================================================================

This is the proper and save way (KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING!!! If it's a important Windows dir? Bye Bye dir and hello Windows Installation!

) to do things. I don't know how many of you can recall these complicated commands? But they are still there.
And as always: Be carefull once gone it is permanently gone!

garlin · 2026-10-12T13:56:11-0400

Or install @LesFerch's RightClickTools to give yourself TrustedInstaller rights in a context menu.

GitHub - LesFerch/RightClickTools: Add a Set of Powerful Tools to the Windows Explorer Context Menu

OAT · 2026-10-12T13:59:39-0400

I don't know what you guys are doing to your system but I've never had to delete a problematic file or folder in the decades I have used PCs.
Yes, I have had corruption and drives that have gone bad on me but this is different and expected.
In any case, @hader is absolutely correct, do it the right way.

hsehestedt · 2026-10-12T14:02:20-0400

hader said:
I think if you came across a directory or a file you can't delete? Look at who owns it! If you don't own the object and have no any rights to remove it? You can't!

The proper way always!

Note: You can bypass this by Linux. But without consent of the real owner. If the file is owned by e.q. TrustedInstaller? (Is the highest user inside any Windows system. It is even higher then being an Admin. It is the Windows equivalent of root inside Linux.) Things can go wrong!!

Try to own the object first!

I ran against this problem several times. After an In-Place-Installment I always want to delete the Windows.old directory. Using the explorer as admin and delete dir? Fails because many files are owned by the TrustedInstaller. In this case the is a save workaround for this: Start cleanmgr.exe and mark that Windows.old directory. It wil now erase that directory. Why because the owner "TrustedInstaller" is doing this action.

Ik know. Some files are owned by someone else an sometimes not clear by whom...
Only in those cases you can revert to an series of old school and hard to understand DOS commands.

This is just an example I uses to remove a directory that I did not own ("User": S-1-5-21....etc did!!)
(CMD as admin) and execute a series of commands. (files? idem dito) Remove Dir is the dir you want to erase....

Batch:

set rmdir="<Drive>:<Path>\<Remove Dir>" rem ======================================================================================================== rem >>>>>> 1 - Take ownership of the directory by running this command. takeown /f %rmdir% /r /d y rem >>>>>> 2 - Grant the local Administrators group full control over the folder and all subfolders/files. icacls %rmdir% /grant Administrators:F /t /c rem >>>>>> 3 - Remove any conflicting read-only or system attributes. attrib -r -s -h %rmdir% /s /d rem >>>>>> 4 - Delete the directory forcefully. rmdir /s /q %rmdir% rem ========================================================================================================

This is the proper and save way (KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING!!! If it's a important Windows dir? Bye Bye dir and hello Windows Installation! ) to do things. I don't know how many of you can recall these complicated commands? But they are still there.
And as always: Be carefull once gone it is permanently gone!

The whole process of taking ownership is way too slow when dealing with tens of thousands of files. Robocopy gets around all of that because it has special permissions, so it does not matter who owns the files. I used to do it your way, but this works so much faster and easier and it works every single time.

In the meantime, I appreciate the other suggestions on methods of accomplishing this. I just thought that I would shgare this method because it will work on every Windows PC without a single piece of additional software and it is WAY faster than taking ownership (at least that is always the case for me).

TIP: If robocopy has to display every single file it is processing, the time to display all those files can be significant. To make it even faster add " > NUL" at the end of the robocopy line to supress output to the screen.

hsehestedt · 2026-10-12T14:07:46-0400

OAT said:
I don't know what you guys are doing to your system but I've never had to delete a problematic file or folder in the decades I have used PCs.
Yes, I have had corruption and drives that have gone bad on me but this is different and expected.
In any case, @hader is absolutely correct, do it the right way.

I work with Windows images a LOT (every day), and I mount those images, often several images at once. Then I run my latest code for testing purposes. That code will sometimes fail in the middle of an operation due to a programming bug or faulty logic on my part (thus the need for testing). When it fails, it can leave tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of files behind sometimes.

chn97 · 2026-10-12T14:38:49-0400

hsehestedt said:
I work with Windows images a LOT (every day), and I mount those images, often several images at once. Then I run my latest code for testing purposes. That code will sometimes fail in the middle of an operation due to a programming bug or faulty logic on my part (thus the need for testing). When it fails, it can leave tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of files behind sometimes.

Sounds like you need DISM unmount and clean up commands rather than the force delete commands. But anyway.

hader · 2026-10-12T14:49:26-0400

hsehestedt said:
The whole process of taking ownership is way too slow when dealing with tens of thousands of files. Robocopy gets around all of that because it has special permissions, so it does not matter who owns the files. I used to do it your way, but this works so much faster and easier and it works every single time.

In the meantime, I appreciate the other suggestions on methods of accomplishing this. I just thought that I would shgare this method because it will work on every Windows PC without a single piece of additional software and it is WAY faster than taking ownership (at least that is always the case for me).

TIP: If robocopy has to display every single file it is processing, the time to display all those files can be significant. To make it even faster add " > NUL" at the end of the robocopy line to supress output to the screen.

Really? You make a directory, let Robocopy mirror it and than remove the directory... Did the directory contain any files? No! What if it contained 100.000 files? That's why ownership takes a long time. The owner, rights, attributes etc. are there for a reason. If it wasn't there everything could and will messed up within no time.

FYI: Robocopy is made buy the same old guys at Microsoft who also gave us commands like takeown, icacls, attrib, rmdir etc. RoboCopy itself is using these commands "under water" You don't have to take my word for it! See for yourself; Robocopy your home directory to an other location using the /MIR command. It makes a copy identical to the original location. Incl. owner, rights, attributes etc. If you can't delete it on the original location? That will be also the case at the other copy location!!.....

Robocopy stands for Robust File Copy. It is a built-in command-line tool in Microsoft Windows used to copy, backup, and sync files and folders reliably across directories or networks

I dare you. Wait until you see a directory that you want to delete. Robocopy and mirror it to an other location. A directory with thousands and thousands of directory's and files owned by many different owners.

Time everything!

Delete the directory the RoboCopy way and my way.... Surprise.... It took both ways the same amount of time....

Surprised? I am not. RoboCopy was made by some technicians at Microsoft who also designed DOS. It is an Windows command as ancient as the road to Rome. Is has been there in every Windows version that Microsoft ever made. It is is still here till this day. It can even sync, transfers data over networks.....

pseymour · 2026-10-12T15:32:42-0400

chn97 said:
Sounds like you need DISM unmount and clean up commands rather than the force delete commands. But anyway.

Or remove the image’s key under the WIMMount key and restart the WIMMount driver.

hsehestedt · 2026-10-12T15:34:59-0400

chn97 said:
Sounds like you need DISM unmount and clean up commands rather than the force delete commands. But anyway.

When you abort an operation in mid-stream, those DISM commands alone are sometimes effective, but most of the time they are not.

OAT · 2026-10-12T15:37:40-0400

"It is an Windows command as ancient as the road to Rome."

Now this could be slightly exaggerated...

Scott · 2026-10-12T17:12:30-0400

Suppose Windows fails to delete a folder because it claims the folder "does not exist"?
You see it there, but Windows doesn't recognize it. And you can't take ownership of a
folder that doesn't exist.

This command work well for me in this circumstance:

Code:

rmdir /s “\\?\path

where path=directory to non-existent folder you wish to delete. So

rmdir /s “\\?\C:\Temp\scratch

will permanently remove the scratch directory+sub-directories+any files within those directories,
which doesn't really matter since they "didn't exist" in the first place.

dacrone · 2026-10-12T17:56:53-0400

Scott said:
Suppose Windows fails to delete a folder because it claims the folder "does not exist"?
You see it there, but Windows doesn't recognize it. And you can't take ownership of a
folder that doesn't exist.

This command work well for me in this circumstance:

Code:

rmdir /s “\\?\path

where path=directory to non-existent folder you wish to delete. So

rmdir /s “\\?\C:\Temp\scratch

will permanently remove the scratch directory+sub-directories+any files within those directories,
which doesn't really matter since they "didn't exist" in the first place.

Just to break it down for people that are new to this (most here aren’t) (also - from some old notes so original source of this text… I don’t remember)

Enter:
dir /x /a

The /a shows All files and folders, even those with Hidden or other attributes
The /x switch inserts a column between the file size and the LFN (Long File Name) showing the SFN (Short File Name), also known as the 8.3 filename, for each file and folder

So, find that entry in the directory listing and note its SFN
If it's "monopo~1"

FILE:
del monopo~1

FOLDER:
rd monopo~1 /s

This rd (Remove Directory) command, with the /s switch, will remove the folder, plus all its files and subfolders, so you will be asked to confirm that you really want to do this.

Ghot · 2026-10-12T18:21:55-0400

Am I under-thinking this?

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garlin · 2026-10-12T18:30:34-0400

Take ownership is fine if you're permanently removing a folder or file (because you don't need to restore the permissions afterwards). Not recommended if you want to temporarily edit a system file.

gunrunnerjohn · 2026-10-12T19:28:57-0400

Taking ownership of some system files/folders can lead to unfortunate situations.

If you ever run across a folder with files that you simply cannot delete, try this

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