Deleting a "WINDOWS" Folder Stopped by "Access Denied"

[jaugustine]

Hi,

I had issues with the WinXP OS. I removed the HDD and
put it in a docking station. Then plugged it into another computer
via the USB port. I wanted to replace "WINDOWS" folder with a
backup of that folder (also have backups of "Program Files"
and "Documents and Settings") saved in this other PC.

When I tried to delete "WINDOWS", after a short time,
I received an "access denied" to "Flash9d.ocx" (I may encounter
others too). I aborted deleting this folder and renamed "WINDOWS" to
"WIN-DEL".

I "unzipped" the "WINDOWS.ZIP" backup to "WINDOWS".

Everything is fine now, but I have the older WINDOWS (renamed)
folder taking up disk space.

Does anyone know of a tool or technique to remove the older
Windows folder without the tedious task of seeking these
"access denied" files and changing their attributes?

Thank You in Advance, John

 

[Mayayana]

Process Explorer from Sysinternals has a Find menu
that allows you to look for a loaded PE file so that you
can kill that process. Though it sounds like that's not
the issue.

Personally I don't think your backup approach is a
good idea. I can't think of any situation where it would
make sense to replace either of the folders you mentioned
with an older copy, while leaving everything else in place.
But, of course, you didn't ask about that....

I've found that XP is much worse than Win98 about these
things, in general. Sometimes I can just accidentally blur
a mouse click and end up with a locked file. I think there
must be at least one bug in the XP file tracking system.

But your case is very unusual. The only thing I can guess
is that there's some kind of record kept of locked files, and
that list was recorded on disk when you unplugged the hard
disk. That would fit with the fact that sometimes buggy
file locks will persist through a reboot. I don't know of any
file attribute that will prevent deletion. Read-only doesn't
do that.




| Hi,
|
| I had issues with the WinXP OS. I removed the HDD and
| put it in a docking station. Then plugged it into another computer
| via the USB port. I wanted to replace "WINDOWS" folder with a
| backup of that folder (also have backups of "Program Files"
| and "Documents and Settings") saved in this other PC.
|
| When I tried to delete "WINDOWS", after a short time,
| I received an "access denied" to "Flash9d.ocx" (I may encounter
| others too). I aborted deleting this folder and renamed "WINDOWS" to
| "WIN-DEL".
|
| I "unzipped" the "WINDOWS.ZIP" backup to "WINDOWS".
|
| Everything is fine now, but I have the older WINDOWS (renamed)
| folder taking up disk space.
|
| Does anyone know of a tool or technique to remove the older
| Windows folder without the tedious task of seeking these
| "access denied" files and changing their attributes?
|
| Thank You in Advance, John
|

 

[BillW50]

In Mayayana typed:

Process Explorer from Sysinternals has a Find menu
that allows you to look for a loaded PE file so that you
can kill that process. Though it sounds like that's not
the issue.

Personally I don't think your backup approach is a
good idea. I can't think of any situation where it would
make sense to replace either of the folders you mentioned
with an older copy, while leaving everything else in place.
But, of course, you didn't ask about that....

I've found that XP is much worse than Win98 about these
things, in general. Sometimes I can just accidentally blur
a mouse click and end up with a locked file. I think there
must be at least one bug in the XP file tracking system.

But your case is very unusual. The only thing I can guess
is that there's some kind of record kept of locked files, and
that list was recorded on disk when you unplugged the hard
disk. That would fit with the fact that sometimes buggy
file locks will persist through a reboot. I don't know of any
file attribute that will prevent deletion. Read-only doesn't
do that.

Running BartPE from USB shouldn't have any problems with it. Although
some people don't want to create one. WinPE is basically just like
BartPE (free from Microsoft). But a simple thing to try is to boot up in
safe mode and to delete it that way.

By the way, I also agree with Mayayana. And I also used to make backups
just like what you are doing. Although strange problems could crop up
doing it this way. One Program Files might be not correct for the
Windows folder you are currently using. I fixed that problem by doing
the same to Program Files as I did with the Windows folder.

Although you are not done, other odd things start to happen. System
Restore gets confused and could toast your system. I would guess turning
off System Restore would solve that one. Another oddity I recall was MS
Works v8 or was it v9, broke. Other applications like MS Office and such
worked just fine. I just got tired of all of the little odd problems
that I gave up doing things this way.

 

[Hot-Text]

<jaugustine
@verizon.net>
wrote in message
@4ax.com...

Hi,

I had issues with the WinXP OS.
I removed the HDD
and put it in a docking station.
Then plugged it into another computer
via the USB port.

No you didn't do that
with out uninstall Window On
The USB Computer First

I wanted to replace "WINDOWS" folder with a
backup of that folder

and you can
It takes time

You Have to uninstall Flash9d.ocx
On The USB Computer First

(also have backups of "Program Files"

On The USB Computer
Rename it to "Program Files"

and "Documents and Settings") saved in this other PC.

On The USB Computer
Rename it to "DocumentsandSettings"

When I tried to delete "WINDOWS", after a short time,
I received an "access denied" to "Flash9d.ocx" (I may encounter
others too). I aborted deleting this folder and renamed "WINDOWS" to
"WIN-DEL".

You Have to uninstall Flash9d.ocx
On The USB Computer First

I "unzipped" the "WINDOWS.ZIP" backup to "WINDOWS".

Everything is fine now,
but I have the older WINDOWS (renamed)
folder taking up disk space.

You Have to Remove Flash9d.ocx
On The USB Computer First

Then you be about to Remove
older WINDOWS

 

[Hot-Text]

Do a File search For
Flash9d.ocx
On The USB Computer Drive

Right Click It
Click Open Folder

Delete all File in that Folder

But do not Delete Flash9d
Nor that Folders Path


Note: For you will not be able to
that Delete File or
the Folders in that Path Only
it Lock
and that Step Two


Just Delete all
Folders Out side
of that Path
One at this time

Like X:/windows
If you have a Error
Go the the Folder
Were it Error

Delete Backwards
Start of that with
All the Files in that
Folder

Go Back down the Tree
Delete as you go

It will take some time
But you will get
the Job Done

 

[jaugustine]

Running BartPE from USB shouldn't have any problems with it. Although
some people don't want to create one. WinPE is basically just like
BartPE (free from Microsoft). But a simple thing to try is to boot up in
safe mode and to delete it that way.

By the way, I also agree with Mayayana. And I also used to make backups
just like what you are doing. Although strange problems could crop up
doing it this way. One Program Files might be not correct for the
Windows folder you are currently using. I fixed that problem by doing
the same to Program Files as I did with the Windows folder.

Although you are not done, other odd things start to happen. System
Restore gets confused and could toast your system. I would guess turning
off System Restore would solve that one. Another oddity I recall was MS
Works v8 or was it v9, broke. Other applications like MS Office and such
worked just fine. I just got tired of all of the little odd problems
that I gave up doing things this way.

Hi Bill,

Before I saved those 3 folders (WINDOWS, Documents and Settings, Program
Files) using another computer and the HDD in a docking station, I turned off
System Restore.

UPDATE:

Using "FM" (Dos based Files Manager) at Command Prompt, I "MOVED" the
two "accessed denied" files ("Flash9d.ocx" and "FlashUtil9d.exe") to a "TRASH"
folder outside of the WINDOWS folder tree. These files were located in
WINDOWS\System32\Macromedia\Flash folder.

Afterwards, I was able to delete this former "WINDOWS" folder.

Thanks again for your replies, John