Here are some possible solutions that can help you get rid of the error and copy, move, or delete a file or folder that just won’t let you take any action on it in Windows.ġ. The solution depends on many different factors.
When you experience this error, you won’t be able to copy, move, or delete some or all of the files.
Go back to your file location and you can now delete the file or folder normally.The title of the error message is Folder in Use, because I wasn’t able to move the wp-content folder. If that doesn’t work, click on More Details, and select the process from the list, and click on “End Task.”. Now select the software that is using your file, and click the “End Task” button. Alternatively, you can also right-click on the Taskbar, and click on the Task Manager option. Click on Start and type in “Task Manager,” and press the Enter key on your keyboard. In other cases, if your file or the file in the folder is open in another window or by software, then you will need to close them as well.įollow these steps below to end the programs or services which is using the files you wish to delete. If your file or folder is being used by a running program, you will have to close that program before you delete the file. Force deleting might not bring the file back without using distinct recovery software to perform the task. However, make sure that it is the right file or folder that you want to delete. Regardless of the reason, you can’t delete a file or folder on Windows, you can try these methods below to fix the problem. In rare cases, you may see “file location not found” error, which needs to be treated differently.ĥ Ways to Force Delete a File or Folder in Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7. File or folder is infected with a virus or malware. Trying to Delete System File(s) that you’re not supposed to delete. File is set to Read-Only and can’t be modified. 
Hard Disk or Storage device unmounted when you were deleting the file. Lack of proper permissions, might lead to “Access Denied” error. The file is in use performing a process or multiple processes in background. The file is open in a window or by other programs in background. There could be multiple reasons for this, but here are few common reasons why you might be having this issue on Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, or 7. Possible Reasons Why You Can’t Delete a File or Folderīefore proceeding to force delete a file or folder, you need to understand why you’re facing this issue in the first place. 
In this guide, we’ll show you the possible causes when you can’t delete a file or folder and how to force delete a file or folder that won’t delete.
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