Can’t delete a file in Windows? Here are eight solutions

So, you want to clean up your hard drive, but some files just cannot be deleted. Regardless of whether these files are located in a file folder or in the Recycle Bin, when you try to delete them, the same error messages keep popping up. The files are supposedly in use, impossible to access or unavailable. Fortunately, there are ways to force delete a file.

There are various reasons as to why you might not be able to delete a file. Sometimes these reasons are unclear at first due to the system not providing much information about the error. However, in most cases, a Windows error message will provide you with a clear explanation. Windows often provides messages for the following errors:

• The file or folder is still being used by a program.
• The file or folder has already been deleted.
• You are not authorised to delete the file or folder.
• The program in question is frozen or unresponsive.
• There are hidden files in the folder concerned.

To force delete a file, use one of the following methods. If the Windows error message has already given you a clear indication of the source of the error, you can immediately choose the corresponding method to be used. However, if the source of the error is unclear, there are still a few tips and tricks that can help you.

Step 4: Quit all programs by right-clicking on the active programs and selecting ‘End task’. However, be careful not to close the Windows File Explorer and Task Manager.

Step 5: You should now be able to delete the file or folder without a problem.

If you have closed all the active programs through the Task Manager and the file still cannot be deleted, the program might be frozen or unresponsive.

Step 1: Go to the Windows icon in the lower left-hand corner of the screen and restart the computer.

Step 2: Check if the file still shows up. If it does, try to delete it again.

Step 5: If the file in question still shows up, delete it again.

In some cases, the file or folder can be deleted in Windows Safe Mode. In this restricted mode, background programs that can interfere with deletion are not started.

Step 1: Restart the computer and press the [F4] key during start-up.

Step 2: Under ‘Advanced start-up’ options, select the ‘Safe Mode’ option.

Step 3: Once Windows has started in Safe Mode, find the file, and delete it.

If you still cannot delete the file, try using a Windows CMD command.

Step 1: Open the Run command line using the keyboard shortcut [Windows] key + [R].

Step 2: Open the command prompt window and enter ‘cmd’ in the command line.

Step 3: Now enter the command ‘del’ in the cmd.exe window, add a space directly after ‘del’ and then enter the name of the file to be deleted. It should look like this:

Step 4: If you do not succeed in deleting the file this way, enter the full file path starting with the drive. It should look like this:

Usually, there is a harmless reason for not being able to delete a file. However, the problem can sometimes indicate the presence of malware. Check to see if the file has been infected.

Step 1: If you have not already done so, perform an update for your anti-virus program.

Step 2: Perform a complete virus scan.

Step 3: If the file is detected as malware and quarantined, delete it. Make sure it is not an important operating system file.

Step 4: If the infected file cannot be deleted, it may be malicious malware. In some cases, an undeletable critical system file may become infected. Consult an expert as you may need to reboot the system if worse comes to worst.

So, you have already moved the file to the Windows Recycle Bin, but the file still cannot be deleted from there. In this case, you will need to empty the Recycle Bin using the command prompt window.

Step 3: The system will now ask you to enter Y or N. Enter Y for Yes and confirm by pressing [Enter].

Step 4: All the files that were in the Recycle Bin should now be deleted.

If all your efforts to delete the file using Windows are unsuccessful, there are free tools available that can be used to delete undeletable files. Some of these tools include:

• MoveOnBoot
• Unlocker
• FileASSASSIN

Download the applications and follow the instructions in the software menu to remove listed blocked files. Keep in mind that free software tools may come with malware and privacy risks.