Deleting a folder after reinstall

  • Thread starter Thread starter Brad
  • Start date Start date
B

Brad

I have a folder on my hard drive that I can't delete. I
hid the folder and all of it's contents as well as making
it read only.

I had problems with windows which caused me to to do a
reinstall. Now that I have reinstalled, I can't delete
the files. I can see them...they are still hidden and
write protected, but whenever I try to do anything with
them, they say "access denied".

Is there a utility that I can use to do the delete the
folder without having to wipe the hard drive? This folder
is taking up a significant ammount of drive space.

Thanks,
Brad
 
I'm not sure I understand what you 'want' to do. If you're
going to delete a folder, you shouldn't hide or write protect it.
That's what you do if you don't want to delete it.

If you really insist on removing it, right-click it > choose properties,
and turn off (take check mark out of) the hidden and read-only attributes.

Then you should be able to delete it.

Before you delete a folder, make sure it is not an important system folder.

To be sure, post the name of the folder and where it is located in your
reply,
and maybe I can tell you what its' purpose is.
 
I should've explained a little better. I use a shared
computer and I didn't want anyone else viewing that
folder. I hid the folder to keep out the riff-raff and
then write protected it to prevent changes. I had the
folder stored in the "My Documents" folder of my login.

Obviously when I reinstalled Windows XP, my login is no
longer MY login. It creates a new login for every
user...regardless of what you name it.

So the dilemma is that since the folder was write
protected by me, under a different login that I no longer
have access to, I can't delete the folder.

I have tried all sorts of utilities, but none let me
delete the folder...even if they say they delete it, they
don't.

I HAVE tried to change the attributes to allow me to
delete them. Unlike NT and Win 2000, there doesn't seem
to be an option to take ownership of the folder. I can't
even open the folder to access the contents.

I have tried to reboot in safe mode and login as the
administrator (even though I have admin rights under my
normal login), but even that doesn't work. This folder is
about 20 gigs and I would REALLY like to delete it.

Thanks,
Brad
 
I should've explained a little better. I use a shared
computer and I didn't want anyone else viewing that
folder. I hid the folder to keep out the riff-raff and
then write protected it to prevent changes. I had the
folder stored in the "My Documents" folder of my login.

Obviously when I reinstalled Windows XP, my login is no
longer MY login. It creates a new login for every
user...regardless of what you name it.

So the dilemma is that since the folder was write
protected by me, under a different login that I no longer
have access to, I can't delete the folder.

I have tried all sorts of utilities, but none let me
delete the folder...even if they say they delete it, they
don't.

I HAVE tried to change the attributes to allow me to
delete them. Unlike NT and Win 2000, there doesn't seem
to be an option to take ownership of the folder. I can't
even open the folder to access the contents.

I have tried to reboot in safe mode and login as the
administrator (even though I have admin rights under my
normal login), but even that doesn't work. This folder is
about 20 gigs and I would REALLY like to delete it.

Thanks,
Brad
 
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