How do I delete Program Files and Windows folders??

  • Thread starter Thread starter John V.
  • Start date Start date
J

John V.

1. Was running XP on C:.
2. Vista installed on D:
3. Dual boot (which surprised me!)
4. A lesson learned (do not upgrade older PC's to Vista)
5. Wanted to go back to just XP.
6. So, I successfully re-imaged C: with XP (no more Vista).
7. PC now boots XP and C: drive is working great.

Problem: Vista still has leftover folders in my D: drive.
I've changed the ownership on the two folders above
but I still can't get rid of them on my D: drive (which if it didn't
contain other files I'd just format).

I really need your help on this one. Please help. Thanks.
 
1. Ok
2. Ok
3. As one would expect when you do what you did
4. What happened has nothing to do with the age of the PC, it has to do with
it's configuration and how you installed Vista
5. Ok
6. Backups are wonderful aren't they?
7. A job well done

As my ESP isn't working today, could you provide the names of the folders?
 
John said:
1. Was running XP on C:.
2. Vista installed on D:
3. Dual boot (which surprised me!)
4. A lesson learned (do not upgrade older PC's to Vista)
5. Wanted to go back to just XP.
6. So, I successfully re-imaged C: with XP (no more Vista).
7. PC now boots XP and C: drive is working great.

Problem: Vista still has leftover folders in my D: drive.
I've changed the ownership on the two folders above
but I still can't get rid of them on my D: drive (which if it didn't
contain other files I'd just format).

I really need your help on this one. Please help. Thanks.
Click to expand...
=============================
Maybe you could delete the files from Safe Mode.

And...maybe these articles will offer some ideas:

Delete The Undeletable File
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_undeletable_file.htm

(320081) You Cannot Delete a File or a Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=320081

Can't delete a file in Windows?
http://www.softwarepatch.com/tips/howto-delete-xp.html

Unlocker
http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/


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Curiosity killed the cat oi...

I really, really appreciate the info (honestly) but isn't there just a
simple way to delete these folders? Perhaps in a paragraph or two? Five
minutes or less?

Our company has no plans to upgrade to Vista anytime soon, and so I have
personally resolved to stop spending any more time than I already have
(about 3 hours) to Vista. Part of the reason for that is because I've had
my lifetime quota of new OS'es already (I started with VM/SP 370, DOS 2.11,
Desqview etc etc for what it's worth). Henceforth, I will stop thinking,
reading, or talking about the V word until January 2009 or about 18 months
from now.

I need your help. Please help. Thanks!
 
dean-dean said:
Re: How do I delete Program Files and Windows folders?? Try this:

How to take ownership of a folder protected on an second hard drive in
Windows XP:
http://mralan.blogspot.com/2005/04/how-to-take-ownership-of-folder.html
Click to expand...

An old well used trick that doesn't work. Really. Try it.

Again, these were originally Vista folders. All I want to do is to simply
be done with it. It's not like I'm trying to make something work or repair
something which would be orders of magnitude for what I'm very simply
wanting to do which is: be done with it. Over. Kaput. No more. Nyet. Gone.
Buh bye. Nein. Nada. Kaput.

Thanks.
 
John V. said:
I really, really appreciate the info (honestly) but isn't there just a
simple way to delete these folders? Perhaps in a paragraph or two? Five
Click to expand...

In Vista, these folders are owned by the "TrustedInstaller" user, not by the
Administrator.

This is a security feature, to prevent viruses etc impersonating the
Administrator and messing with your system. For anyone who keeps running
Vista (which was the principal design scenario :-) it's actually a Good
Thing, these folders canot be deleted.

To delete them is easy (well, okay, that's a subjective term ... but, it's
not conceptually complex). You need to take ownership of the folders first.
Then delete them. Even as an administrator, you cannot delete them, without
taking ownership first; that's the unusual bit.

I think that's what dean-dean already suggested in a separate post, with a
pointer to Alan Levin's blog. If the steps didn't work, try them again
being very carefully to follow them exactly.
 
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