“I can’t delete the folder”: no reason to panic

Often on the forums there is a cry for help: “I can’t delete the folder!”. It may seem to some that the problem is far-fetched, since file operations are studied in the first lessons of computer science.

After all, this is the basis without which further full-fledged work with the system is almost impossible. So maybe this green newbie says, “Can’t delete the folder”? However, everything is not so simple. In case of unsuccessful circumstances, such a deletion can be a problem even for a user with experience who knows very well what the right mouse button and the basket on the desktop are. In addition, sometimes blocking an elementary operation can be confusing for an experienced computer owner. What is the matter?

In modern operating systems , access to files has not only the user himself, but also various programs: system modules, antiviruses, even the file system. In which case, the person declares: "I can not delete the folder."

When you try to perform this operation, a window appears with a system message about blocking the element currently being used by a process or another program. Sometimes, to solve this problem, a banal restart of the computer is quite enough. But if after that the thought “I can’t delete the folder” doesn’t leave a person, then the reason for the lock is more serious.

Well, rolled up your sleeves and overlaid with literature, you have to get down to business. Use the right mouse button to call the properties of the “problem” folder and proceed to the “Security” tab. Here, having opened "Advanced - Owner", you need to change the access rights, redefining them for yourself and choosing a username from the list. Sometimes it helps to simply transfer the folder to another, where you can safely delete it. In general, the problems with the owner are entirely on the conscience of the “file system”. Most often they arise when reinstalling the operating system.

But if neither rebooting nor prescribing the owner helped to solve the problem, then a more universal way is recommended. It consists in using a special program to delete folders. There are several similar software solutions, but we recommend Unlocker. You should not download it from third-party resources, because it is completely free, so it’s “pulled” from the developer's site without any difficulties. There are three options: for 32, 64 bit systems, as well as a portable version that does not require installation. We recommend that you use this one, the latter, since in this case you can once rewrite the program into a folder, and during the initial setup of the system, start and allow changes to the registry.

Note that after all, no similar program will give a 100% guarantee of the successful removal of a file or folder. However, even 80-90% is enough for most situations. After installing Unlocker, an additional entry appears in Explorer - “Unlocker” with the image of a magic wand. You need to click on the “problem” folder with the right mouse button and select the appropriate item. Here you should perform the action - “Delete”. So simple. Additionally, it is possible to remove the lock, but since we are considering deleting folders, these processes are the subject of a completely different article.