Delete .exe files

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Guest

I have downloaded a program and when I try to delete the EXE file, I get the
answer; that I’ am not allowed to do this.
I’ am single user and administrator of my computer.
I have disabled User account control.
I have changed the ovnership of the file and I already have full
access/privileges to the file.
I can rename and move the file, but I can’t delete the file.
Is there any easy way to disable this security? Or how can I delete my files?
 
Translated from Danish, the message is something like: Access to destination
folder was refused. You must have permission to do this.
 
Maybe it would be easier if you gave it to me in Danish. :-)

There should only be three possible messages you can get. In English, they
are:
* You must give permission to complete this action - This is a UAC message
and indicates that only administrators can take this action. In this case
there is a Continue button with a shield on it and you can click that to give
permission.
* You do not have permission to <do something> - In this case the
permissions on the file do not permit you to delete it. If this is what you
see right-click the file, select properties, click the Security tab (assuming
you are using a SKU that shows it to you), and grant yourself permission. If
you are an administrator you can do that.
* The file <somefile> could not be deleted because it is locked or in use -
In this case something is holding the file open and you cannot delete it
while it is open. The simplest fix is usually to reboot the computer. As long
as the program does not launch on boot this will release the lock and you can
delete the file. There are other methods as well, but they require more
tools.

Does your message fall into one of those categories?
 
If it somehow helps You, the Danish text is: Adgang til destinationsmappe
blev nægtet. Du skal have tilladelse til at udføre denne handling.
The message is similar to: “You do not have permission to…â€. But I already
have changed the ownership and all permissions: Full control, Changing,
Reading, Delete and all others, are check marked in the “allowed†field.
I have also tried to start in safe mode, but somehow the computer reboots
before windows is finished with starting up, in safe mode, so this is somehow
impossible and this is the next problem I must solve.
I’m running Vista Business preinstalled on a Hewlett-Packard computer and
all MS updates are installed.
 
OK, that seems like the standard access denied message. It is the second
thing I mentioned.

Can you open a command prompt and type:
icacls <full path of file>

Then take the output from that command and copy and paste it into a response
post.
 
OK. I typed:
Icacls c:\cant_delete.exe
And output:
c:\cant_delete.exe Alle (I)(F)
“Alle†is the Danish word for: “All usersâ€
If I do the same with a word document, that I can delete, the output is the
same:
c:\word.docx Alle (I)(F)
 
It can't possibly say
c:\cant_delete.exe Alle (I)(F)

The (I) means that the Alle ACE is inherited from C:\. The only way that
could happen is if you have modified the propagating permissions on C:\. If
you have done that your system is completely and irrevokably broken and the
only supported way to fix it is to reformat and reinstall (see KB 885409 for
more details).

More than likely what is happening is that the integrity label is getting in
the way. I can't tell for sure though because you truncated the output
without telling me what the label is. To change it, run this command from an
elevated command prompt:
icacls cant_delete.exe /setintegritylevel L

I'm just hoping you have not completely destroyed the ACLs on the system.
 
First: somehow the Admin user and my own user account were removed from the
list of users for this file.
So I added the users and typed: icacls c:\cant_delete.exe
And system respond: c:\cant_delete.exe BUILTIN\Administratorer:(F)
MyPC\Jaungyde:(F)
Alle:(I)(F)
I reboot my computer, but still I can’t delete my file.

Then as you wrote, I typed: icacls cant_delete.exe /setintegritylevel L
And system respond: c:\cant_delete.exe BUILTIN\Administratorer:(F)
MyPC\Jaungyde:(F)
Alle:(I)(F)
Obligatorisk navn\Lavt Obligatorisk niveau:(NW)

(Translated from Danish: obligatory name\ low obligatory level)
I reboot my computer, but still I can’t delete my file.

Note: until now, UAC was disabled. I disabled it, because I wanted to delete
another .EXE file, and by disable the UAC I was able to delete the file.

So now I Enabled UAC and the file could be deleted.

So I thought: this is the way to do it with the 3 other copy’s, I have made
of the file.
So I run the “icacls†on all 3 files, so they are identical with the first
file and I reboots my computer, I enable UAC, I disable UAC, I enable UAC,
but these copy’s I still can’t delete. I don’t get it?
 
OP: Enabling and disabling UAC has absolutely nothing to do with it. UAC is
not the universal "make my computer not work properly" feature. It is simply
removing some permissions from your token, but gives you a relatively easy
way to add them back when needed. You also do not need to reboot the computer
to get the permissions to take effect.

Peter is possibly right. However, it is not as simple as a file locking
itself when executed. The OS locks all executables open when they execute,
but if that were the problem you should be getting a different error. Unless
I am translating incorrectly from Danish, you are getting an error that
indicates lack of permissions, and as ruined as the ACLs on this system
appear to be, you have all the permission you need.

Start by doing a malware scan on this computer. You can use the OneCare live
scanner. Go to http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/whatsnew.htm and
run it from there. If that finds anything that you can't clean, or even if it
does not, you may want to call Microsoft's free security support line. They
can walk you through testing that we cannot do efficiently in the newsgroups.
The number in Denmark is 44 89 01 11.
 
First: I checked the computer by scanning online with the onecare.live.com.
This scanning did find something in the registry database, but no viruses or
spyware.
To be sure of that the file not is malware, I tried to download a Microsoft
trial program: Windows live onecare: WLinstaller.exe, and as many other .EXE
on my desktop I can’t delete the file. Note: I haven’t installed the program,
just downloaded it to my desktop.

Next: I previously have discovered that disabling of UAC can help me, so
that I did. And after that I was able to delete WLinstaller.exe. So perhaps
UAC don’t have anything to do with the rights of my files, but somehow it
helps me anyway.
But still some of the other files can’t be removed, so something is wrong.

I discovered that if I move the files to my memory stick which uses FAT
allocating table instead of NTFS, I have no problem deleting the file. Also
if I move the files to my other computer (with XP on NTFS) using network, I
still have no problem with deleting the files, so something is very wrong
with my Vista PC.

As previously mentioned My Vista is PreInstalled on my computer. I have
firstly installed my Antivirus program, and after that my office programs and
other trusted software so I doubt that my troubles should come from software
I have installed. I have also copied my documents and music to the computer,
but also that should not course the trouble.

So, is this a Vista error or is it an error in HP’s preinstalled software?
And what can course, that I can’t start in safe mode? - Any connection?
 
You can move the file but not delete it? That makes no sense. Moving is
equivalent to copy+delete.

I think you have a sick computer. I'd say call HP and ask them to walk you
through it. You need someone that can walk you through scenarios.
 
Now I have contacted MS, and the reason that I can’t delete my files is
because my antivirus software is blocking my access to *.exe files.
I have now upgraded the software and suddenly my troubles are gone.
I can even start my computer in safe mode.
Thanks for trying to help me, and now my experience with vista and not vista
compatible software is shared to any other.
For information I used Panda IS 2007 and upgraded to Panda IS 2008
 
As dzomlija said, you had malware on your computer. :-)

I'm glad it worked out for you. That's incredibly bad behavior for
anti-malware software but at least now we know.
 
I have the exact same problem. Turning off Panda didn't help. I can move and
rename the file, but not delete it.
 
You must disable Panda and reboot your computer.
I did only have the trouble with panda internet security 2007 and after
upgrade to 2008 my troubles was solved.
 
If it somehow helps You, the Danish text is: Adgang til destinationsmappe
blev nægtet. Du skal have tilladelse til at udføre denne handling.
The message is similar to: "You do not have permission to...". But I already
have changed the ownership and all permissions: Full control, Changing,
Reading, Delete and all others, are check marked in the "allowed" field.
I have also tried to start in safe mode, but somehow the computer reboots
before windows is finished with starting up, in safe mode, so this is somehow
impossible and this is the next problem I must solve.
I'm running Vista Business preinstalled on a Hewlett-Packard computer and
Click to expand...

If you have panda anti-virus + firewall 07, upgrade it to 08... i
think that fixed it for me
 
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