Cannot delete a Microsoft file

[Ritter 197]

I have on my external drive a folder "retrospect Backup". It has many
sub-folders and eventually winds up at Microsoft (a folder which has OE in
it)
I have not been able to delete this folder or the ones above it.
The message I get is

"Cannot delete Microsoft: Access is denied

Make sure the disk is not full or write protected
and that the file is not currently in use."

I have tried Safe Mode, same problem. And to top it off, all folders are
empty. So they are just a nuisance.

How can I delete this. I am using as OS WindowsXP Pro.

 

[Kelly]

Do some reading here and good luck:
http://www.auditmypc.com/process/retrorun.asp

--

All the Best and Happy Mardi Gras,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

 

[woody]

Download Unlocker :

http://www.majorgeeks.com/Unlocker_d4660.html

Install and use on the folder.

Woody

 

[donald huang]

It seems to be a backup folder of the retrospect backup utility. The utility
could be run from the network to protect several computers so your external
drive may be shared for another user on your network or your computer. If
you really don't want it and nobody will need those files ever after, you
can always try to take the ownership or that folder and change the
permissions so your account is the only one with full control of that folder
and delete the folder. You can try to move your external drive to another
computer and try to delete it with local administrator privilege also. I
guess the last resort will be to make that computer standalone and reboot
with a DOS floppy or something to make sure no file permission and policies
work on that folder. If the drive is formatted NTFS, you can boot with a
WinPE CD or USB flash drive. From the Internet, you can find those WinPE or
BartPE CD/DVD/USB flash drive or the instruction about how to make them with
your Windows XP disc.

 

[Ritter 197]

I downloaded unlocker and installed it.
It does not delete any of the files even though it says it deleted them.
I tried it on a number of the above mentioned files. Always says it deleted
them but it did not. A complete shutdown and cold start made no diference.

 

[ju.c]

These are the best apps for file deletion, all free.
(You can't delete a folder if you have it opened)

Unlocker 1.8.7 237 KB
Info: http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/
Download: http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/unlocker1.8.7.exe

KillBox 90 KB
Info: http://www.killbox.net/
Download: http://www.killbox.net/downloads/KillBox.exe

FileASSASSIN 1.06 163 KB
Info: http://www.malwarebytes.org/fileassassin.php
Download: http://www.malwarebytes.org/fa-setup.exe

DelinvFile - Delete Invalid Files and Folders
Info: http://www.purgeie.com/delinv/index.htm
Download: http://www.purgeie.com/dl/divfinst.exe


This is a trick to delete an undeletable file by restoring a file over it with a file
created with the same name using a drive imaging program.

Instructions:

1. Create a text file and write in it a couple of letters.
2. Save that file in your root drive (C: for example) with the
same exact name and extension as the file you want to delete.
3. Now make a backup your new file (I used Acronis True Image).
4. Open your backup program and restore the file you created to
the folder where the undeletable file is, overwriting it.
4. Now you can delete it!
5. Run chkdsk


ju.c

 

[Malke]

I downloaded unlocker and installed it.
It does not delete any of the files even though it says it deleted them.
I tried it on a number of the above mentioned files. Always says it
deleted them but it did not. A complete shutdown and cold start made no
diference.

Since you've tried everything else, copy the data on the external drive
which you want to keep to somewhere else and format the drive NTFS (quick
format is fine). Then copy the data back.

Malke

 

[Kelly]

You cannot delete a file or a folder on an NTFS file system volume
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320081

"Access is Denied" error message when you try to open a folder
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/810881

--

All the Best and Happy Mardi Gras,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm