Can't delete files

[WildHorse]

Can anyone please help me delete some files? (on Windows XP Pro SP2 )

Not warez, not viruses.

I used Acronis True Image to rebuild the software environment on 2 logical drives, selecting specific files for restoration rather than the entire partitions.

Files selected from the backup archive were several levels down into the tree structure.

In each instance where Acronis sent a selected file FROM the backup drive F: TO the "live" drives C: and E:, it also included all the folders above the selected file, all the way up to the root level.

One example of many similar cases:
C:\Documents and Settings\Scott\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\Drive(C)\Documents and Settings\Scott\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles

I only wanted to restore the contents of "Profiles" to C: but Acronis restored the whole redundant set of underlined files. Request help deleting them.

Tried all the suggestions I could find in other threads on AT including:
chkdsk w/ repair options,
regular Windows "delete" commands,
command prompt "DOS" commands to remove directories and to delete files,
Unlocker v. 1.8.5 with lots of reboots along the way,
Process Explorer for Windows v10.21

Also, in the above example re: Thunderbird, it's uninstalled, but I still can't kill it's App Data files. Remember, this is only one example of many similar instances.

I've repeatedly done all the above from within my own user profile and also did all again from Adminstrator profile

 

[Slikkster]

Tried something like making a "BartPe" disc and deleting from it instead of inside a Windows environment?

Or, try "Moveonboot" freeware, that allows you to move/copy/delete files at boot up before Windows locks the files.

http://www.softwarepatch.com/software/moveonboot.html

 

[WildHorse]

The purpose of this post is to provide helpful clues to the next guy fighting this exasperating problem on a Windows XP system. Maybe no one will ever read this, but maybe it'll help somebody someday.

There might be some more elegant solution, but I thrashed my way to this alone the hard way, the very hard way, & it works.

Incidentally, these additional things did not solve the problem:
- the Dial-A-Fix application,
- the SFC /scannow system file checker command to find & fix any corrupt system files.
- the Move on Boot application suggested by Slikkster.

*** (THANK YOU Slikkster) ****

Ultimately, the solution had to do with the Security permissions for the "undeletable" files at issue.

1) In order to make the Securities properties of each file visible, go into Start / Control Panel / Folder Options / View tab / uncheck the box that says "Use simple file sharing (recommended)."

2) In Windows Explorer, right click on the file.
Select "Properties" from the popup menu.
Go to Properties /Security tab/ be sure the upper "Group or user names" box shows the person having the problem.
In the lower "Permissions for Administrators" box be sure all the boxes in the left ?Allow" column are checked.

But that wasn't enough.
Now still on the Properties / Security tab, below the lower "Permissions for Administrators" box hit the "Advanced" button, then the "Owner" tab.

In the "Change owner to" box, click on the person's name to select it. Check the box to "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects" and hit the Apply button.

Now you can delete the file.

What a hassle! But it worked.

 

[andy04]

Its a very common thing. While creating a USER/Profile if you make the owner's docs private then... well... good luck! Files in the documents and settings folder are very commonly not deletable coz of windows complicated and messed up "security" features.
Generally if evrything fails then there is one more thing that u can do - works like a charm everytime...
Boot ur comp from a LINUX live cd and ... BINGO!!