Typically, deleting files and folders is quick and painless, except for Windows warning messages that protect you from accidentally pressing a button. But in some cases, the system refuses to perform an action, citing the impossibility of executing the command. It's time to figure out the reasons for such errors.

In what cases may it be necessary to delete “undeletable” folders or files?

Windows 7 may refuse to delete files or folders for several reasons:

  • damage. Physical or software failure, virus operation;
  • usage. The file is used by a running application or the system itself;
  • lack of rights. The user account does not have sufficient permissions to delete.

Possible solutions

  1. If the problem is a software glitch, it may be enough to restart the computer.
  2. When using a file in another application, you need to determine which program is using it and close it. In some cases, you may also need to access the Windows Task Manager to stop background processes such as torrent clients.

    Sometimes the system refuses to delete even seemingly empty folders. This may be due to File Explorer settings not to show hidden files. In other words, the folders only appear empty; they contain information that is hidden from the user. Therefore, you should first make sure that these directories really do not contain information. Otherwise, you can unintentionally erase important data and disrupt the stability of the system.

  3. If files and folders are visible, but they are not deleted due to the lack of rights of the account under which the system was logged in, you can do one of the following:
    • use another entry. Restarting the system as a user with administrative rights is the easiest and most painless option.
    • In this case, the OS settings do not change, and after carrying out all the necessary manipulations, you can return to the previous account;
    • turn to third-party applications. There are utilities that specialize in forcibly deleting information, including protected information.

Uninstall by granting administrator rights

A user with normal rights can create, erase and modify most files and folders, but does not have access to modify system information, which serves to protect against unintentional and careless actions. The administrator account has no restrictions, within which you can regulate the operation of the entire system.

The best solution is to use the two entries alternately. User - for everyday work, administrator - for setting up the system.

Only an administrator can grant superuser rights to a regular account. Therefore, the following methods are only suitable if such an opportunity exists.

Through system settings

  1. Press the Win key or the on-screen Start button. In the search bar located at the very bottom of the list that opens, enter the query “User Accounts”.
  2. We go to the active line located at the top of the list of search results and open a window with the heading “Making changes to the user account.” Click on “Manage another account” in the central part.
  3. By clicking on the tab, we will be taken to a window with a list of all accounts created by the system. We select the one to which we want to give administrative rights and change its type to “Administrator”.
  4. Click on the “Change account type” button. Rights granted.

Via command line

Using the command line requires some experience, but allows you to perform many operations faster. In order to call the desired window, we will again use the search bar.


Disabling TrustedInstaller

In fact, Windows 7 has a user with even greater rights than any administrator. To protect critical components, the system creates a TrustedInstaller account, which is assigned exclusive access rights to certain files.

If a user, even with administrative rights, tries to delete protected information, the system will refuse him and show a window with the message: “Request permission from TrustedInstaller to change this file.”

To bypass the protection, you must manually grant access to the desired file to administrators, after which you will be able to delete it.

  1. In Explorer, select the file that you want to delete and right-click on it.
  2. In the context menu that opens, select “Properties”.
  3. Then go to the “Security” tab.
  4. Click on the “Advanced” button.
  5. In the “Advanced Security Settings” window, go to the “Owner” tab.
  6. Click the “Change” on-screen button.
  7. Windows 7 will offer several options to change the owner of a file. Immediately select the “Administrators” group and click “OK”.
  8. We read the message that appears recognizing our rights and describing the necessary actions for them to come into force, and then click “OK”.
  9. We repeat the previous steps. We need to clarify our powers.
  10. Click the “Change” button and select the added “Administrators” group.
  11. We put a checkmark on “Full access”, automatically receiving marks on all other items.
  12. Click the “Apply” button, giving all accounts with administrative rights the ability to edit this file.

The same mechanism can be used to edit or move important files or folders. In this case, it is necessary to return all settings to their original state after completion of work, otherwise Windows 7 may begin to become unstable.

By editing the Startup list

An executable application can prevent the file from being deleted. If it is launched deliberately, it is enough to shut it down, and in some cases it is also useful to restart the computer. But programs that automatically start when Windows 7 starts will again end up in RAM and prevent you from deleting the necessary information. Therefore, you need to exclude them from the Startup list.


If we have correctly identified the application that is interfering with our task, the file will be deleted without problems. If another program interfered, you can repeat the process for it or use Windows restart in safe mode.

Via Safe Mode

If a folder or file is not deleted due to a third-party application or malware, you can restart your computer in safe mode and thereby bypass the restriction.

Safe mode in Windows 7 involves minimal loading of system components.


The advantage of this method is that there is no need to leave the Windows 7 shell. The disadvantages include the fact that to reboot in normal mode, you will have to repeat the same steps, only this time disable safe mode.

In order to boot the system once in safe mode, you can use another method.


Having loaded using any of the listed methods, we find “stubborn” files using “Explorer” and delete them.

Using the command line

You can bypass the deletion ban using a low-level tool that is already a little familiar to us - the command line.

After the window loads, you must enter the required command.

Commands for forcibly deleting root directories and files - table

When using the command line to delete files or directories, keep the following in mind:

  1. The information is erased irrevocably, that is, it cannot be restored from the Recycle Bin.
  2. It is necessary to accurately, without errors and completely enter the name of the files to be deleted, including the extension and full path.

Through file managers

Most file managers have built-in capabilities for deleting protected files and folders.

For example, when working with the popular file manager Total Commander, to delete a file, just select it and press the F8 function key. The application will definitely clarify whether the user is confident in his actions.

Total Commander easily copes with most protected files and folders, limiting itself to just one more request to the user. But some information is beyond his capabilities, in which case it is better to use specialized applications.

Removal using third-party programs

If the need to delete protected files and folders arises regularly, it makes sense to install on your computer one of the applications that specialize in unlocking and destroying information.

Unlocker

A simple and convenient Unlocker program is automatically added to the context menu, which opens when you right-click on the file name.

An additional advantage of the application is the ability to see why a file is blocked and what process is using it.

It is likely that it is not at all necessary to use a “hard” removal; sometimes it is better to return to Windows 7, close the interfering program, and then erase the unlocked file. But you can do without this by simply selecting the “Delete” option.

The lock prevents not only deleting, but also simple operations such as moving a file or renaming it. Unlocker can help with this too.

Lockhunter

Another application with similar functionality is Lockhunter. This utility is even built into the Explorer context menu and can delete those files and folders that Unlocker cannot do.

The program interface is more similar to classic Windows, the main information is collected in one window, and the main operations are presented in the form of large buttons.

Although Lockhunter does not support the Russian language, the simplicity of the interface and free distribution make it very popular.

The program's wide capabilities can become a serious problem if used carelessly. Lockhunter can easily delete system files, thereby disrupting the performance of Windows 7.

The Fileassassin program works in a slightly different style:


The use of several special utilities with similar functionality can be justified by the fact that they have different operating algorithms. Files that one program could not delete can be erased by another.

System Restore

The mechanism of “rolling back” the system using backup points is a universal means of restoring the functionality of Windows 7 in the event of serious failures.

The system restores its “old” state by erasing additionally installed programs and settings, so as a last resort, you can use this radical remedy for those files and folders that cannot be erased.

A prerequisite for this method is the availability of suitable backup recovery points. It should be taken into account that some malware intentionally corrupts such files, so it is better to transfer such data to external media.

  1. Launch the recovery utility. To do this, type “System Restore” in the search bar and press Enter.
  2. The window that appears is more informational than functional, so click the “Next” on-screen button.
  3. Select the one you need from the list of recovery points and click “Next”.

    Don't forget to save your working files to external media before restoring the system, otherwise they may be lost.

  4. Once again, we make sure that this is the date to which we want to “downgrade” Windows 7, and click the “Finish” on-screen button.

Using a different operating system

All restrictions and access settings are important only when running a specific copy of Windows 7. From an external point of view, both the system itself and the files carefully protected by it are ordinary records on the hard drive. Therefore, all unnecessary information can be deleted by gaining access to the drive without starting the “main” Windows 7:

  1. By downloading another copy of Windows 7 located on a second physical disk.
  2. By running another operating system, such as Linux.
  3. Using a bootable USB flash drive or “life disk”.
  4. By physically removing the hard drive and connecting it as external storage to another computer.

This method will also be useful in combating some particularly stubborn viruses that penetrate RAM and block antivirus programs. By booting from external media, you can disinfect your computer without allowing malicious applications to start running.

If you don’t have your own bootable USB flash drive, you can download it from antivirus software developer sites, for example, DrWeb or Nod 32.

The disadvantages of this method are a consequence of its effectiveness - you can accidentally delete critical files and folders, disrupting the operation of Windows.

other methods

If the information that refuses to be deleted is located on an external device (SD card, flash drive or external hard drive), then you can solve the problem using a device with a mobile operating system, for example, Android. Some nuances:

  1. The SD card can be inserted into the appropriate slot on your smartphone or tablet.
  2. To connect a flash drive you need support for OTG technology and a suitable adapter.
  3. To work with external hard drives, Android devices typically need to download additional apps and also have enough current to power the drive.

Before looking for ways to delete system-protected information, you should make sure that such a step will not harm the performance of Windows 7. It may be worth creating an additional restore point to minimize the negative consequences.

In addition, you should first use the safest methods and only if they are ineffective, move on to more “rough” ones:

  1. User Tools. Find and disable programs and processes that are using the files you need. Restart your PC.
  2. Windows Tools. Edit the Startup list, use safe startup mode if necessary.
  3. Access settings. Gain administrative rights or access to account files.
  4. Command line. Use system commands for low-level removal.
  5. Third party applications. Use file managers or specialized programs.
  6. System Restore. Use a backup restore point to roll back Windows 7.
  7. External OS. Boot the operating system from external media or another computer.

How to delete protected folders and files without additional programs - video

System protections for critical information are often used by malware for their own purposes, so you need to be able to bypass restrictions and delete damaged files. Fortunately, quite effective applications have been created for these purposes, including free ones.

This problem may occur if you are not the administrator of the computer you are using. The window may appear both when changing regular folders and when trying to move system folders. This answer explains how to resolve the issue with the “Request permission from your administrator to edit this folder” message.

If your rights to access folders, files and disks of a computer device are limited and a similar message is displayed, you need to contact your boss or administrator who is in charge of the network.

Self-editing is not always possible. For example, in government agencies, not all devices allow you to edit or change folders. To change something, contact the organization’s programmers directly and ask them to solve the problem, they will help you.

Change folder owner and get full control

If the “Request permission from your administrator to edit this folder” message popped up while you were working on your home laptop where you are an administrator, then the problem is completely different. Most likely, the folder was received from another user who did not allow it to be changed. It can be fixed:

  • The parameters of this network saved on this computer do not match - what does this mean?
  • Insufficient rights to delete, contact your administrator - what should I do?
    1. Right-click on the folder or file that needs to be changed. In the context menu, select the "Properties" section.

      Go to the “Security” tab and click the “Advanced” button.

      In the window that opens, opposite the “Owner” line, click on the “Change” link.

      Another window will open in which you need to click on the “Advanced” button.

      The “General Queries” tab will appear in this window, click on the “Search” button. All users who work at the computer will become available.

      Select your user. It must be the same nickname that is displayed when you log into the system or make settings in your Profile.

      Click OK. You will be returned to the previous window, where you need to check the box next to “Replace owner of subcontainers and objects.” This is necessary so that you become the owner of not only the folder, but also all the files in it.

      Click OK.

    Attention: be sure to read the next section of the answer!

    User Permissions

    In some cases, the above operation helps, but not always. If you still cannot delete the folder, you need to do the following:

      Follow the first 2 steps of the previous instructions.

      Click the “Add” button. In the window that opens, click “Change subject”.

      After this, we perform the same procedure as in the previous instructions. We look for our user and add him (steps 5-6).

      After selecting a user, return to the previous window and click on all the fields that will be there (Full access, Change, etc.). Click OK.

      In the window that appears, check the box “Replace all permission entries of the child object with those inherited from this object.” Click OK.

    Important! The same message is displayed in cases where they try to change the system folders on drive C. Think several times whether you need the change you are about to make, as it may lead to Windows not working correctly.

    Hi all! Have you ever had a situation where you needed to delete some folder, but the bastard doesn’t want to delete it, even if you crack it! Like you have to ask some administrator for permission, even though you are the most important person on the computer! What to do in this case? Don't worry, everyone has their own jokes, even Windows.

    In fact, if it asks for permission from the administrator, then this is simply done for security purposes so that you do not delete anything important. On the other hand, it happens that the folder was created by a program that has more rights than you. This is all controlled at the account level. In other words, if it requires permission from the administrator, then in theory the folder can be deleted if you log into Windows under an administrator account, well, that’s logical

    The administrator account seems to be able to do everything, that is, everything is allowed there, which is why by default you are NOT logged under this account. You have a regular account that was created when you installed Windows. Something like this...

    So, that’s why it’s also interesting that if you search on the Internet for a way to delete a folder when administrator permission is required, then you can find information that says that you need to set some rights in the folder properties, add some user somewhere, make it the owner of the folder.. But I’ll tell you frankly that these manipulations do not always lead to the desired result. And to be honest, this amount of action bothers me. By the way, you need to dig into the folder properties on the Security tab:

    Therefore, in such cases I don’t worry about permissions, I just use one interesting utility that can delete those folders that don’t want to be deleted. This utility is called Unlocker, it is quite easy to find it on the Internet, because the utility is well-known. Just when you install, look carefully, because along with Unlocker, some kind of illegal program often wants to be installed! So, when I installed Unlocker for myself, I also wanted to install some kind of leftist, so to prevent this from happening, I unchecked this box:


    So be careful

    Well, the Unlocker utility is already installed, now you need to select the victim, that is, the folder that we will delete. So, as an example, let me try to delete the Windows Media Player folder from here:

    C:\Program Files

    It’s just that when I tried to do this in the usual way, the following error popped up:


    Only here you need permission not from the administrator, but from some TrustedInstaller (translated as a type of trusted installer).

    Well, in order not to suffer, right-click on the folder and select Unlocker there:


    Well, I think it’s clear that you must already have the Unlocker program installed for this item to be available! Then, when you click on the Unlocker item in the menu, a small window will appear, in which you need to select Delete and click OK:


    It may also be that you have some kind of list of processes here. Then you also need to select Delete from the menu, but then click the Unblock all button. This is to complete all processes and then delete the folder!

    Then there will be such a small window that displays the removal progress:

    The deletion itself took me about five seconds, after which the following message appeared:

    That is, as you can see, there are no problems! But it also happens that a message appears, saying that to delete it you need to reboot. This is so that Unlocker deletes the folder even before Windows loads, so to speak, before it wakes up

    In this way, you can delete almost all folders and files that cannot be deleted using the standard method. The Unlocker utility has helped me out more than once, and other users too, but be careful, do not delete anything systemic, because bugs and glitches will come to your Windows! Do you need it?

    In general, before deleting something that doesn’t want to be deleted, it would be a good idea to make a restore checkpoint, well, just in case. I already talked about the benefits of such a point in the article about removing the MSXML 4.0 SP3 Parser program, in general I advise you to take a look.

    Well guys, that's all, I hope that everything was clear to you here. Good luck in life and may you be in a good mood

    16.10.2018

    Sometimes you need to know how to request administrator permission to delete a folder. This happens because when you try to delete or change a folder or file, an error appears.

    It says that "You need permission to perform this operation", and you can request it from the administrator or a group of them.

    Accordingly, nothing can be done with this folder or file. Therefore, it makes sense to figure out what kind of error this is and how can you get rid of it.

    Standard method

    operating system Windows allows you to get rid of this error using your own means. The solution to the problem consists of two steps - first you need to become the owner of the folder, and then give yourself the necessary rights.

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    In some cases, only the first step helps. In general, if you have problems with missing rights, you should follow these simple steps:

    1. On the folder that you do not want to delete and cannot perform other operations with, right-click. In the drop-down menu, click on “Properties”.

    2. In properties, go to the “Security” tab (it’s at the top). Next click on the button "Additionally". As you can see, in this window there are only two users - the system and "Administrators". And we work under another user (Lenovo/Admin, in your case the user will have a different name), so it is not surprising that we do not have the rights to change properties. For the same reason, we cannot delete or do anything else with this folder.

    Rice. 1. Folder properties window

    3. After this, you need to click on the change owner button. IN Windows 7 there is a special tab at the top for this, and in 8.1 and 10 there is a “Change” item near the “Owner” inscription.

    Rice. 2. Additional folder properties windows in Windows 8.1, 10 and 7

    4. In the seventh version, in the next window you will also need to click on the “Change” button. And in the next window you will need to click on the button "Other users or groups...". After this, you will be redirected to the user selection window. In newer versions, the redirection occurs immediately.

    Rice. 3. Access to the user selection window in Windows 7

    5. In the next window, click on the button "Additionally…"(at the bottom). Next, click on “Search”. The system will find absolutely all users who have ever worked on this operating system. Find there the one from which you are working, select it and click “OK”.

    Rice. 4. User selection windows

    6. Now in the first user selection window (in Figure 5 on the left), the selected user will appear in the list. Click "OK" to continue. In the next window, select the user you just added (as mentioned above, in our example this is Lenovo/Admin) and click the “Apply” button in the lower right corner. A message will appear telling you that to make further changes, you must close the properties and reopen them. Therefore, we close everything that we opened earlier.

    Rice. 5. The user appears in the user selection windows

    7. It is quite possible that after these steps it will become possible to delete a folder for which this was previously impossible. If it doesn't, open properties again and go to the Security tab. Under the block "Groups and Users" click on the “Change...” button. In the next window, in the block with the same name, click on the user you added earlier.

    8. Further down the block “Permissions for the group “[name of the user added in previous steps]””(in our case it is “Permissions for the “Admin” group”) pay attention to the checkmarks. Everything there should be as shown in Figure 7 (on the right) - there are all the checkboxes under the “Allow” inscription, but there are none under the “Deny” inscription. To use these changes, click on the "Apply" button, then "OK" and close all windows.

    Rice. 6. Properties and permissions windows for specific users

    Now everything should work as it should - the folder will be deleted, it can be changed, and so on.

    It is worth saying that it is quite possible that you will not be able to complete step 8 of the previous list due to the fact that it will be impossible to change anything in the open window. Then you will have to bypass this window and give the user permissions in another. In this case, you need to do this:

    1. On the “Security” tab of the folder properties, click the button "Additionally".

    In the next window in the block "Permission Elements" select the added user and click on the button "Change permissions...".

    Rice. 7. Change permissions window

    2. In the next window, do the same - select a user and click on the “Change...” button. The Permission Items window will now open. There, do the same as in the step of the previous list. IN Windows 10 this window will look slightly different than in Windows 7. There, in the lower block, you just need to check the boxes everywhere, and next to the “Type” inscription, select the “Allow” option.

    Rice. 8. Permission elements window for the selected folder

    Most likely, after this everything will work. If not, you will need to use additional software.

    Unlocker

    A very convenient and small program called Unlocker allows you to delete, rename and move files and folders that cannot be deleted in any other way. In most cases, this utility allows you to bypass all sorts of system restrictions. To use it, you need to do the following:

    1. Download and install Unlocker (here is the link to the official website).
    2. On the folder with which nothing can be done, right-click. In the drop-down menu, select the “Unlocker” option.

    Rice. 9. “Unlocker” option in the drop-down menu on a folder that cannot be edited

    1. Then there are two options for opening the Unlocker window. The first one (which is shown on the right in Figure 11) will open if two processes are currently working with this folder. And the second - if there is one. In the first case, you can try clicking on the “Unblock” button, then close the program and try again to do with the folder what you tried to do before. If it doesn't help, click the button "Unblock everything" and do the same. Finally, click on the “No action” inscription at the bottom left and select the action you want to perform - delete, move or rename. And in the second case, only the field for selecting action options will be available, so all you have to do is click on the “No action” sign and select an action.

    Rice. 10. Two options for opening the Unlocker program

    Login as administrator

    In the end, you can log in not as the user you usually use, but as an administrator. Then you will automatically receive those rights that supposedly do not exist now. To do this, you should follow a few simple steps:

    1. Open the Start menu and right-click on Computer. Select "Management".
    2. On the left panel follower go to the following sections: "Computer Management (Local)", , then "Utilities", "Local Users and Groups" and finally "Users".
    3. On user "Administrator" right-click and click on "Properties".

    Rice. 11. Transition to user management

    1. Uncheck the box "Disconnect account". Click OK and close all windows.
    2. Now open the Start menu, then click on the arrow next to the shutdown button and select from the drop-down menu "Change user".

    Rice. 12. User properties window and user change button

    1. Then you can easily select an administrator and perform all actions with the desired folder or file.

    Everything happens in Windows 8.1 and 10 somewhat differently, but all the actions are practically the same.

    If this doesn't help, try logging in using safe mode and perform all actions with the desired folder or file. How to do this is shown in the video below.

    Agree, today deleting a folder or file from a computer does not cause any difficulties for anyone. However, users who have the latest versions of Windows installed on their computer sometimes encounter the following problem: The folder cannot be deleted in the usual way, because Administrator access is required. Therefore, further you will find out how to delete files and folder in this case.

    Accounts

    When you install a new operating system on your PC, an administrator account with full access rights is created automatically. Therefore, in fact, if you work alone at the computer, then you will be the system administrator. In the case where several people use one PC or laptop, as a rule, several accounts are created for convenience.

    Logging in with normal “User” rights will allow you to easily perform all Windows functions. You can create and delete a folder on behalf of an ordinary user, change its name, assign access rights, or assign a password to the folder.

    If you log into the system under a “Guest” account, then your capabilities will be sharply limited. You will only be able to view files, but not manage them.

    Operations that can only be performed as an administrator

    If you are just starting to learn Windows 7 or 8, it will be useful to know what actions can only be performed as an administrator:

    • installing operating system updates;
    • exercising account control;
    • setting and managing parental restrictions;
    • Setting up the Start menu;
    • restoring system files.

    These are the main privileges, however, they are not an exhaustive list. Therefore, if you need to make any changes to the settings, it is important to know how you can perform actions as an administrator.

    How to get the right to act as an administrator?

    For safe operation of the operating system, the Administrator account is usually disabled in the system and a new user with privileged rights is created. However, all the main work is carried out on behalf of the average user.

    If you need to perform some operation as an administrator, or the dialog box requires access to special rights, then you need to log in under an administrator account.

    Click “Start”, then open the “Shutdown” list, and highlight the line “Change user”. When the Windows Welcome window appears, enter the user name "Administrator", if this account is not disabled, or another privileged user.

    In addition, you can use the function to disable User Account Control. To do this, go to “Control Panel” -> “Accounts...” -> “Changing control settings...”. Move the slider to the lowest position. Now access to all system functions will be open to everyone.

    Attention! Changing User Account Control settings is not recommended because This can lead to damage to the system by third-party programs, or make it easier for outsiders to penetrate the system.

    Objects that require special rights: how to delete?

    First of all, change your account to administrator (see how to do this above). Now you can try to delete the folder in the usual way.

    When you delete a folder you don't need, don't forget to log out and log in as your user, without Administrator privileges. This will help you in some cases avoid damage to system files.

    But sometimes it happens that the described actions are not enough. Then hover over the folder that is important to delete, call up the context menu and go to the “Properties” of the folder. For your user, set the “Full Control” and “Edit” rights by checking the appropriate boxes (if they are missing). Click the Apply button and try deleting the folder again.

    Launching Explorer with administrative rights

    If you are not afraid of the Windows command line, then to perform actions on folders as an administrator, you can run Explorer with elevated privileges. To do this, use the following command:

    runas /user:%userdomain%\administrator "explorer /separate"

    In Windows 7, you can run Explorer as Administrator by right-clicking on the Explorer shortcut and selecting the “Run as Administrator” menu item. The Explorer shortcut is located in: Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Explorer.

    As you can see, there are no complicated steps to delete a folder that requests special rights. With these tips, you can easily delete any folder and configure the necessary access rights, if necessary. But you need to know the nuances described above so that later you do not have difficulties working with the latest operating systems.


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