Deleting a Windows file or folder is extremely easy in practically all situations. There are times when it can become quite an odyssey, either because it is being used or because you do not have rights to delete it. Let’s see how you can solve this problem.
Sometimes trying to delete certain files or folders can become a headache since there is no way for the system to delete them.
In some cases, those files don’t really bother you, but you already take it personally to delete them.
If you do not know how you can do it, we will tell you some solutions you can take to make these folders or files disappear.
Administrator Account
The fastest and safest way is to log in as System Administrator, since with such an account, you will not have, in theory, any problem getting that file deleted.
Accessing an Administrator account on a shared computer is as simple as selecting that account when the device starts. This implies that only the person who is the true System Administrator will know the password.
So, in theory, it should be that person who ends up deleting that file or folder.
Command Prompt
You can use the Command Prompt to delete a file or a folder.
To achieve this, you must follow a few simple steps:
- Open the Windows file explorer, go to the folder where the file that you cannot delete is located, mark it and click on the Copy path option at the top.
- Write in the cmd taskbar, and when the icon appears, press it.
- In the command prompt window, write del <FilePath> replacing <FilePath> with the name of the path you have copied previously.
- That way, the file will be deleted directly. That is, there will not be a copy in the recycle bin.
File ownership
If you are trying to delete a file from another user by chance, the safest thing is that the Windows system itself will not allow it.
To eliminate it, you must take ownership of it as follows:
- Right-click on the file and go to Properties.
- Go to the Security tab and click on Advanced options.
- At the top, where it says Owner, if you go to the right of the name, you will see Change.
- In the next window where it says Check names, you should find yours and mark it.
- The following is to click on Accept all the tabs so that the result is that this file is already part of yours.
Close file in use
One of the most common reasons why you can delete a file is because it is being used.
To ensure that it is no longer the case and you can delete it, do the following:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, and when it appears on the screen, we select the Task Manager.
- Now in the processes, you have open, it is time to look for the file you want to delete and right-click on it to select End task.
- That way, the file will no longer be in use, and you can delete it like any other.
Safe Mode
The last option that we show you is to enter Safe Mode and delete the file from it since it is a system by which errors are eliminated, and it can be an excellent way to achieve, once and for all, that that file disappears.
Perform the following steps to get into and work with Safe Mode :
- Press Windows + I to enter the Windows 10 configuration.
- Now we enter Update and security.
- At that moment, look Recovery option and click.
- Now just below the Advanced Start option, click Restart now.
- Next, go to Troubleshooter, then Advanced Options, and Startup Settings. The last thing would be to click on Restart.
- After the computer restarts and the Startup Settings menu appears, select any version of Safe Mode by pressing the corresponding key (4, 5, or 6).
- Once inside, go to the file and delete it as you normally do.
Some of these ways will help you delete that file once and for all and stop seeing it in your internal storage.
