download applicationt to delete files How to Delete Undeletable Files. How do I force a file and folder? If you have the same question, read on and get 5 solutions to delete undeletable files on Windows computer. Amy Dennis. Jul 05, 2021 • Filed to: Recover & Repair Files • Proven solutions. Cannot delete a file in Windows 10. It is said that the administrator has access to all the operations of the computer. However, there are certain things in which even an administrator faces a problem and hence it can be very frustrating. For example, a file or folder cannot be deleted, like the case. How to delete undeletable files? In this post, we will cover the reasons for and 5 ways of force deleting file and folder in Windows. Messages Telling Why You Cannot Delete File. Undeletable files are generally spyware, malware, adware, or Trojan files. They are also normal files that are currently being used by the system and hence prevent them from being deleted. How do you know if the files are undeletable? The following messages are the signs of the undeletable, and also show the reasons. Cannot delete file: Access is denied. The file or folder is open in another program or user. The source or destination of the file may be in use. There has been a sharing violation. Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is currently not in use. Once you get these messages, files can’t be deleted by simply pressing the Delete button, no matter how many times you try. That's why you have to force delete the files and folders. How do I force delete a file and folder? 5 Ways are introduced in the following sections. Solution 1. Close the folder or file and try again. If you get the message showing that "The action can't be completed because a folder or a file in it is open in another program", you can delete the file or folder after following the below steps. To close a file, folder, or an app, there are 2 ways that can help you do that easily. Step 1 You can directly click the "x" logo on the upper right. Step 2 Right-click the app in the taskbar and choose "Close window". Step 3 Finally, try deleting the files or folders once again. Sometimes, you may be unable to close the files, folders, or apps. The Task Manager can help you do that. Press "Ctrl + Alt + Delete" simultaneously and choose "Task Manager" to open it. Find the application where your data is in use. Select it and click "End task". Try to delete the undeletable information once again. More Related Articles: How to Use Powershell to Force Delete File and Folder 3 Genius Ways to Delete a File in Use in Windows How to Delete Search History in Windows 10. Solution 2. Reboot the Computer. In many cases, restarting the computer is conducive to fixing many computer errors and abnormal performance, including deleting undeletable files and folders. Sometimes, the file is in the unknown progress after you open some certain applications. By rebooting the computer, you can end the tasks, close the apps, and thus remove files successfully. To restart a computer, go to the Start menu, click the Power button, and choose "Restart". You can also resort to the Settings to do the same. Go to the "Settings" window by clicking the gear icon in the Start menu. Go to "Update & Security" > "Recovery" > "Advanced startup" > "Restart now". After restarting the computer, you can try deleting files or folders or move on to get another solution for removing data in Windows . Solution 3. Use Command Prompt. This allows you to delete the undeletable files without using any third-party apps. However, you need to have a bit of technical knowledge to use this method. Step 1 Click on the "Start" button and then type "Command Prompt" or "CMD" in the search box and press the ‘Enter’ key. Step 2 A search result appears. Right-click the "Command Prompt" icon from the search results and click on "Run as administrator" from the list that appears. Step 3 This will launch the administrator level command prompt window which allows you to execute commands without any restriction. The syntax of the command for deleting a file looks like below: Location: DEL: stands for the delete option /F: stands for the force delete option /Q: stands for quite a mode option. /A: stands for various file attributes such as read-only, hidden, ready for archiving, etc. /C: stands for your main drive. In most of the cases, it is the "C:" drive. Step 4 For example you need to delete a file named "virus.exe" present in the desktop. Enter the command as shown and press the "Enter" key to force delete the file from the system. Solution 4. Use FileASSASIN. FileASSASIN is a free program that is used to delete undeletable files from your system. You can download it by searching it from your browser or by clicking on the link: http://fileassassin.en.softonic.com/ Step 1 Once you have downloaded FileASSASIN, open the program by double-clicking on its icon. The main interface of the program looks like as shown below: Step 2 Now click on the browse icon (rectangular shaped icon with three dots adjacent to blank space) to select the files you want to delete. Step 3 Browse for the file you want to delete and then double click on it to select it. Once you have select the file to be deleted, click on the box adjacent to the "Delete file" option to select it. A blue tick indicates that the option has been selected. Step 4 Finally click on the "Execute" option to delete the file. Your file will now be deleted. Solution 5. Replace the Undeletable File. One of the simplest ways of deleting an undeletable file can be done by simply replacing it with another file of the same name and extension. This can be done very easily as shown below. Suppose file named "Softwares" is my undeletable file. Step 1 Open a new notepad file on your system and simply type anything random in it. Now, click on the "File" option and then click on "Save as". Step 2 Now, select the save location of the notepad as same as where the undeletable files are present. After doing so, choose the file type as "All files" under the "Save as type" option. Step 3 Now, click on the undeletable file once so that the name of the undeletable file will be copied in the "Filename" option. Add the quotation mark at the start and end of the file name as shown below and then click on the ‘Save’ option. Step 4 Now, a message will pop up asking "Do you want to overwrite and replace the existing file?". Click on "Yes" and the undeletable file will be automatically replaced by the new notepad file. Now, you can delete the notepad file by simply selecting it and pressing the "Delete" button. Closing Words. So far, you might have to get rid of undeletable files and folders successfully by means of the above 5 solutions. Before leaving the page, we have a few tips and tricks for you. 1. It is generally advised to have an antivirus program in your system, which is up to date to prevent your system from malware, spyware, and virus which create unnecessary undeletable files. 2. It is generally better to take the advice of an expert before performing unknown system operations. 3. If you lost data on your computer, unfortunately, don't worry! You still have the chance to get lost data back. To recover files from the computer, Recoverit Data Recovery is a nice option for all of you. It is able to recover deleted files in different formats and types. How to Delete Undeletable Files. How do I force a file and folder? If you have the same question, read on and get 5 solutions to delete undeletable files on Windows computer. Amy Dennis. Jul 05, 2021 • Filed to: Recover & Repair Files • Proven solutions. Cannot delete a file in Windows 10. It is said that the administrator has access to all the operations of the computer. However, there are certain things in which even an administrator faces a problem and hence it can be very frustrating. For example, a file or folder cannot be deleted, like the case. How to delete undeletable files? In this post, we will cover the reasons for and 5 ways of force deleting file and folder in Windows. Messages Telling Why You Cannot Delete File. Undeletable files are generally spyware, malware, adware, or Trojan files. They are also normal files that are currently being used by the system and hence prevent them from being deleted. How do you know if the files are undeletable? The following messages are the signs of the undeletable, and also show the reasons. Cannot delete file: Access is denied. The file or folder is open in another program or user. The source or destination of the file may be in use. There has been a sharing violation. Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is currently not in use. Once you get these messages, files can’t be deleted by simply pressing the Delete button, no matter how many times you try. That's why you have to force delete the files and folders. How do I force delete a file and folder? 5 Ways are introduced in the following sections. Solution 1. Close the folder or file and try again. If you get the message showing that "The action can't be completed because a folder or a file in it is open in another program", you can delete the file or folder after following the below steps. To close a file, folder, or an app, there are 2 ways that can help you do that easily. Step 1 You can directly click the "x" logo on the upper right. Step 2 Right-click the app in the taskbar and choose "Close window". Step 3 Finally, try deleting the files or folders once again. Sometimes, you may be unable to close the files, folders, or apps. The Task Manager can help you do that. Press "Ctrl + Alt + Delete" simultaneously and choose "Task Manager" to open it. Find the application where your data is in use. Select it and click "End task". Try to delete the undeletable information once again. More Related Articles: How to Use Powershell to Force Delete File and Folder 3 Genius Ways to Delete a File in Use in Windows How to Delete Search History in Windows 10. Solution 2. Reboot the Computer. In many cases, restarting the computer is conducive to fixing many computer errors and abnormal performance, including deleting undeletable files and folders. Sometimes, the file is in the unknown progress after you open some certain applications. By rebooting the computer, you can end the tasks, close the apps, and thus remove files successfully. To restart a computer, go to the Start menu, click the Power button, and choose "Restart". You can also resort to the Settings to do the same. Go to the "Settings" window by clicking the gear icon in the Start menu. Go to "Update & Security" > "Recovery" > "Advanced startup" > "Restart now". After restarting the computer, you can try deleting files or folders or move on to get another solution for removing data in Windows . Solution 3. Use Command Prompt. This allows you to delete the undeletable files without using any third-party apps. However, you need to have a bit of technical knowledge to use this method. Step 1 Click on the "Start" button and then type "Command Prompt" or "CMD" in the search box and press the ‘Enter’ key. Step 2 A search result appears. Right-click the "Command Prompt" icon from the search results and click on "Run as administrator" from the list that appears. Step 3 This will launch the administrator level command prompt window which allows you to execute commands without any restriction. The syntax of the command for deleting a file looks like below: Location: DEL: stands for the delete option /F: stands for the force delete option /Q: stands for quite a mode option. /A: stands for various file attributes such as read-only, hidden, ready for archiving, etc. /C: stands for your main drive. In most of the cases, it is the "C:" drive. Step 4 For example you need to delete a file named "virus.exe" present in the desktop. Enter the command as shown and press the "Enter" key to force delete the file from the system. Solution 4. Use FileASSASIN. FileASSASIN is a free program that is used to delete undeletable files from your system. You can download it by searching it from your browser or by clicking on the link: http://fileassassin.en.softonic.com/ Step 1 Once you have downloaded FileASSASIN, open the program by double-clicking on its icon. The main interface of the program looks like as shown below: Step 2 Now click on the browse icon (rectangular shaped icon with three dots adjacent to blank space) to select the files you want to delete. Step 3 Browse for the file you want to delete and then double click on it to select it. Once you have select the file to be deleted, click on the box adjacent to the "Delete file" option to select it. A blue tick indicates that the option has been selected. Step 4 Finally click on the "Execute" option to delete the file. Your file will now be deleted. Solution 5. Replace the Undeletable File. One of the simplest ways of deleting an undeletable file can be done by simply replacing it with another file of the same name and extension. This can be done very easily as shown below. Suppose file named "Softwares" is my undeletable file. Step 1 Open a new notepad file on your system and simply type anything random in it. Now, click on the "File" option and then click on "Save as". Step 2 Now, select the save location of the notepad as same as where the undeletable files are present. After doing so, choose the file type as "All files" under the "Save as type" option. Step 3 Now, click on the undeletable file once so that the name of the undeletable file will be copied in the "Filename" option. Add the quotation mark at the start and end of the file name as shown below and then click on the ‘Save’ option. Step 4 Now, a message will pop up asking "Do you want to overwrite and replace the existing file?". Click on "Yes" and the undeletable file will be automatically replaced by the new notepad file. Now, you can delete the notepad file by simply selecting it and pressing the "Delete" button. Closing Words. So far, you might have to get rid of undeletable files and folders successfully by means of the above 5 solutions. Before leaving the page, we have a few tips and tricks for you. 1. It is generally advised to have an antivirus program in your system, which is up to date to prevent your system from malware, spyware, and virus which create unnecessary undeletable files. 2. It is generally better to take the advice of an expert before performing unknown system operations. 3. If you lost data on your computer, unfortunately, don't worry! You still have the chance to get lost data back. To recover files from the computer, Recoverit Data Recovery is a nice option for all of you. It is able to recover deleted files in different formats and types. 10 Free Software To Delete Undeletable Files On Windows 10. Easily delete undeletable files on Windows 10 with these tools! If you are using a Windows operating system for a while, we are sure that you might have dealt with folders or files that don’t delete. It doesn’t matter how many attempts you make to delete that file; it simply refuses to leave your computer. These things usually happen due to malware, spyware, adware, etc. However, sometimes, it also happens due to system corruption. Users get different types of errors while deleting files or folders like Cannot Delete File: Access is denied, there has been a sharing violation, the source or destination file is in use, etc. List of 10 best Software To Force Delete Undeletable Files. To fix all those errors, we will share few best Windows tools that can forcibly delete undeletable files on Windows 10 pcs. These are free tools that can unlock and delete specific files and folders. 1. FileAssasin. FileAssasin is a security tool that revokes all permissions from the malware. So, if you cannot delete any file or folder due to a malware attack, then FileAssasin might be the best tool to use. FileAssasin closes remote handles to rid your system of suspected malware files. So, after closing the remote handles, you can delete the files or folders that were previously undeletable. 2. Unlocker. If you search for a free and simple tool to remove files and folders that refuse to leave your system, then Unlocker might be the best tool to pick. The great thing about Unlocker is that it searches for a lock handle and allows users to take back control over the files and permissions. To remove lock handles, it can kill processes, unload DLLs, delete index.dat files. 3. IObit Unlocker. IObit Unlocker can fix the ‘Cannot Delete’ or ‘Access Denied’ error messages from your computer. The great thing about IObit Unlocker is that it automatically finds and ‘Force’ terminates all processes that prevent you from deleting any particular file or folder. IObit Unlocker offers users plenty of other options as well like ‘Unlock & Delete’, ‘Unlock & Rename’, ‘Unlock & Move’, etc. 4. XL Delete. The great thing about XL Delete is that it follows the same technique as Unlocker to remove lock handles. Guess what? XL Delete can remove any file type, entire folders. Not just that, but XL Delete can also remove your internet cookies, history, and cache file. 5. File Governor. It is one of the advanced file removal tools available for the Windows operating system. The great thing about File Governor is its interface which looks clean and well organized. Not just that, but File Governor also shows additional information on the file that you want to delete, like if the program is currently used or not, the source or destination file is in use, etc. 6. EMCO UnLock IT. EMCO UnLock IT is one of the best software that can be used to unlock files that are locked or access is denied. The great thing about EMCO unlocks IT is that it can detect different locks that block resource management. So, with EMCO UnLock IT, you can quickly delete files locked for several reasons. 7. LockHunter. LockHunter is the best Windows software to delete undeletable files. The great thing about LockHunter is that it shows the processes locking the files & folders from deleting. Not just that, but LockHunter can also kill those processes to delete files. 8. BlitzBlank. Well, BlitzBlank from Emsisoft is another best Windows software that can help you delete files locked by malware or malicious processes. BlitzBlank effectively scans and kills the process that’s denying the file deletion. Apart from that, BlitzBlank can also remove malicious registry entries, malicious drivers, etc. 9. WipeFile. WipeFile is another lightweight Windows 10 tool on the list that can be used to delete files and folders. The tool offers some useful features like removing the leftover files, delete locked folders, and more. Also, the tool supports different wipe methods to force delete files & folders. 10. HardWipe. It’s a USB Toolkit that’s meant to fix various errors of USB devices. So, if you cannot delete any files from your USB device, then Hardwipe might be the best pick for you. It has different language support, and it’s one of the best tools to unlock and delete files on Windows. So, these are the best Windows software to force delete undeletable files on Windows operating system. If you know of any other tools like these, let us know in the comment box below. I hope this article helped you! Please share it with your friends also. How to remove default apps to open files? Hi, I need some help. I accidentally set a default app to open .jar files, is there a way to remove the app to open it? I don't want to change it to something else, I know how to do that, I want to REMOVE the app to open it. In the menu to change it, some apps don't have a default app and I don't want .jar files to have one either. They didn't previously. I tried searching it up, and someone had the same problem. However, you guys only told him how to change it, not remove. Anyways, I hope you can help! 5+ best file deletion software for Windows 10 [2021 Guide] When you delete files with File Explorer, they’re usually sent automatically to the Recycle Bin folder. Thus, they’re not really deleted until you empty them. Even then you might still be able to restore some erased files with file recovery software. Therefore, it’s better to add some third-party utilities to Windows 10 if you want to ensure your files will be permanently deleted. These are the best software packages for Windows 10, and other platforms with which you can erase files more thoroughly. What are the best tools to erase data and files on Windows 10? Easy File Shredder. Even after emptying your Recycle Bin and even quick formatting your hard drive doesn’t completely delete your files. A file recovery software can recover them and access your sensitive data. Easy File Shredder is not just deleting the files, it shreds them digitally so that nobody can recover them, and it also wipes the free disk space so that your files are safely removed from any drive. And we mean any drive because it can also shred files on USB drives and SD cards, an extremely useful feature if you use those media to transport sensitive files. When you delete a file, even if you hold the Shift key to bypass the Recycle bin, Windows doesn’t remove the file, it only marks the space as free, and it can take a while until it writes new data on that space. Easy File Shredder uses no less than 13 advanced algorithms used by the US Army and the US Department of Defence that overwrites data on many levels so that the data cannot be retrieved. Moreover, this tool can also shred the free space on your drive so you can make sure that it is truly free. So if you’re planning to sell or give away your PC, use Easy File Shredder so you can make sure that your data is secure. Let’s review the best features of Easy File Shredder: 13 advanced algorithms for file shredding used by officials Fast and complete wipe of the files and the free space of a drive Can be used on any drive, including USB flash drives and memory cards Very friendly interface and easy to use, three steps mechanism. Easy File Shredder. Easy File Shredder will completely wipe out any data from any internal or external drives, including Flash drives and memory cards. BitRaser File Eraser. BitRaser File Eraser is useful for erasing sensitive files, folders, application traces, system traces, Internet activities, or volumes from Windows- based systems and supported storage devices beyond the scope of recovery. Unlike similar tools, this one is 100% safe for the system, as it never makes the mistake of erasing operating system files. This isn’t just a simple file eraser. Aside from its data deletion key feature, it offers advanced options to schedule file eraser tasks at a predefined date and time. Moreover, it guarantees file erasure beyond recovery via two simultaneous verification methods – Random Verification and Total Verification. Don’t hesitate to evaluate and extensively use the software free trial to get rid of any confidential files that you want to eliminate. BitRaser File Eraser. Easily delete all your unwanted data and schedule future file eraser tasks with BitRaser! CCleaner. CCleaner is an award-winning utility that the Piriform website proudly boasts has had more than 1.5 billion downloads. It has an intuitive UI, extensive options for deleting files, and consumes minimal system resources. You can add a freeware version to Windows from this page, and CCleaner also has a Professional version that includes many more options. Run a System Scan to discover potential errors. Click Start Scan to find Windows issues. Click Repair All to fix issues with Patented Technologies. The freeware version alone is a great utility. Its Cleaner tool scans for both Windows system and third-party software junk files to free up considerable disk space. You can scan and clean the registry with CCleaner. It includes Uninstall and Startup tools to remove software and startup entries. The Professional and Plus versions also provide scheduled cleanup and disk defrag options. CCleaner. Get CCleaner to delete junk files from your system with a minimum of used resources! IObit Unlocker. IObit Unlocker can manage all your files and folders to keep them safe and available. The user interface is incredibly easy to use and there are no complex operations required in order to manage it. If you want to delete, unlock, rename, move, copy, and so on, according to your specific needs, you just drag and drop the locked file or folder into IObit Unlocker interface and choose the delete option. Let’s have a look at some of iObit Unlocker features: Easily unlock all files Keep files safe and secure Manage user permissions: run, copy, read, move, delete, modify. IObit Unlocker. Delete all files and keep them protected with the incredibly easy-to-use IObit Unlocker! Kernel File Shredder. File Shredder is another great utility for more thorough file deletion. The tool provides an easy alternative to completely erase confidential or no longer wanted files from your PC. By putting the advanced file shredding algorithms on which the software relies to work, you prevent any unauthorized access to sensitive data. You can even schedule file shredding tasks, rename the files before shredding them, and create log files to store shredding operation information. File Shredder has a straightforward UI that enables users to erase files in just a few clicks. Kernel File Shredder. Hit the button to get Kernel File Shredder and have no concerns for your unwanted and confidential PC files! Secure Eraser. This is a great multipurpose file eraser that also makes the most of high-end deletion algorithms. Secure Eraser is a versatile utility with a decent UI design. The software has a freeware version, but also a professional one. Aside from its thorough deletion of selected files and folders, the software can erase partitions and drives. It includes a registry cleaner and system cleaner for deleting junk files. Secure Eraser can also generate HTML deletion reports, which isn’t something every file deletion utility provides. Secure Eraser. For a safer solution, check out Secure Eraser for a complete deletion of your sensitive and confidential data or drives! Now you can really delete your files with these terrific utilities for Windows. They have the most efficient deletion techniques to purge documents and folders with. You can also erase lots of Windows systems and junk files with those software packages to free up some disk space. Let us know which one worked best for you by leaving your feedback in the comments section below.