Can t delete shortcuts from desktop Windows 10

Cannot delete files, folders or icons in Windows 10 [Solved]

by Ivan Jenic Troubleshooting Expert   Passionate about all elements related to Windows and combined with his innate curiosity, Ivan has delved deep into understanding this operating system, with a specialization in drivers and driver troubleshooting. When he's not tackling... Read more Posted: May 18, 2021 Affiliate Disclosure 682 Share     X

• If you can't delete files, folders, and icons in Windows 10, the problem is pretty hard to pinpoint.
• In this article, you will learn how to force delete a folder in Windows 10 and many more.
• When you're not allowed to delete a folder, a possible solution is just to restart your system.
• Another fix for this annoying issue is to use a third-party tool to solve the problem.

One of the problems users are noticing in Windows 10 is that theyre unable to delete some files or folders. And if youre facing the same issue, well show you a few solutions to this problem.

We frequently remove files from our PCs, but sometimes you cannot delete a folder, file, or icon in Windows 10.

This can be an annoying problem, and speaking of file removal, many Windows 10 users reported the following issues:

• How to delete a folder that wont delete
• Sometimes you might encounter a folder that youre unable to delete.
• This can be a big problem, but you should be able to fix it using one of our solutions.
• Cant delete folder in use
• In some cases, you might get a message that the folder youre trying to delete is in use.
• To fix the problem, you need to close all applications that might be using this directory.
• We covered a similar problem in our File in use error article, so be sure to check it out for more information.
• Cannot delete file access denied
• This error message can appear if you dont have the necessary privileges to delete a certain file or folder.
• Simply change your security permissions and youll be able to delete the file.
• Cant delete folder open in another program
• By default, Windows prevents you from deleting files that are currently used by other applications.
• To fix this error, make sure that other applications arent using that file.
• Cant delete files with long names
• Windows cant work well with files that exceed a certain character limit.
• If thats the problem, the best solution is to rename the problematic file
• We explained how to do that in our The filename or extension is too long article, so be sure to check it out for more information.
• Cant delete files need permission
• This is just a variation of this error, but in most cases, you can fix it simply by changing your security permissions.
• Force delete folder windows 10
• These solutions act by overwriting any protocols so that the data is forcefully deleted.

How can I delete files, folders or icons on Windows 10?

1. Reboot your system

Sometimes, all you need to do is to restart your machine and the problem will be gone.

Unresponsiveness doesnt just happen in this case,for example, a lot of people reported that theyre unable to open the start menu sometimes, but when they restart their computer, everything works fine.

But if restarting your PC didnt solve the problem, you can try one of the following solutions.

2. Use a dedicated third-party cleaner

1. The third-party software recommended by us can unlock and remove locked files from your PC. You can choose specific files, file types, and folders to be included in Cleaner operations.

1. To include files and folders in the cleaning process, you must select the Custom Files and Folders check the box on the list of options screen.
2. You can then add separate Include statements (as many as necessary) by following these steps each time:

• Click the Options icon from the left sidebar.
• Hit the Include button.
• Add a new include statement by clicking Add.
• Complete details in the Include dialog box.

IObit Uninstaller

Fix your PC so that you can finally delete files, folders and icons with the help of the worlds #1 PC cleaner.Free trialVisit website

3. Delete the file/folder using Command Prompt

1. Go to Search and type cmd.
2. Click on Run as administrator to open Command Prompt with full permissions.

1. In the Command Prompt, enter del, followed by the path of the folder or file you want to delete, and press Enter (for example del c:usersJohnDoeDesktoptext.txt).

4. Check your antivirus

Antivirus software is a necessity, and many antivirus tools have a useful feature that can protect your files. Thanks to this feature, malicious applications and users wont be able to delete your files.

Even though this feature is useful, it can also prevent you from removing certain files.

To fix this problem, you need to check your antivirus settings and see if this feature is enabled. If so, disable it for the files that you want to delete and check if that solves the issue.

If you cant find this feature, you can remove your antivirus and check if that helps.

If removing the antivirus solves the problem, you should consider switching to a different antivirus solution. There are many great tools available, but you should always choose the best.

Get Bitdefender

5. Change the Ownership of the file/folder

1. Right-click on the file you want to delete and choose Properties.
   

1. Under Security tab, click the Advanced button.
   

1. The Advanced Security Settings window will appear, and youll spot Owner.
2. In some cases, SYSTEM is listed as the owner, and in some it is

1. Enter the username you want to become the owner of the file, press Check Names to make sure if its okay, and press OK.
   

1. Youll notice that the name of the Owner has changed, and youll also notice a checkbox called Replace owner on subcontainers and objects, check that checkbox and click Apply.
2. Close Windows Security Properties (Windows will require a restart).
3. Open the Properties again, by right-clicking on the file, click on Security, and then on Advanced.
4. Under Permission tab, check Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object.
5. After that, click Edit.
   

1. In Permission Entry window check Full Control and hit OK.
   

1. Try to delete the file/folder again.

If you need further guidance on how to take full ownership of a file or folder, check out this comprehensive guide.

5. Enable the hidden administrator account

If you cant delete certain files, the problem might be the lack of security privileges. However, you can always try removing those files by using a hidden administrator account.

Windows 10 comes with a hidden administrator account, and you can use it to fix various problems.

We already wrote about this account in the past, and if you need more information, be sure to check our article on how to enable the hidden administrator account for more information.

6. Remove AMD Uninstall Utility

Sometimes, third-party applications can cause this problem to appear. If you cant delete files or folders on your PC, the issue might be caused by the AMD Uninstall Utility.

To fix this problem, find this application on your PC and remove it. There are several ways to do that, but the best way is to use an uninstaller software.

These tools are specially designed for removing applications, and they will remove all files and registry entries associated with the desired application.

There are many great uninstaller tools and you can see a selection with the best of them in our guide.

After completely removing the problematic application, the issue should be resolved and youll be able to delete files once again.

7. Use Microsofts Troubleshooter

1. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the troubleshooting process.

After the troubleshooter is finished, check if the problem still persists.

8. Use Safe Mode

1. Open the Start Menu.
2. Click the Power button, press and hold the Shift key and choose Restart from the menu.
   

1. A list of options will now appear. Select Troubleshoot, select Advanced options, click on Startup Settings, and select the Restart button.
2. You should now see the list of options. Select any version of Safe Mode by pressing the appropriate keyboard key.

Once you enter Safe Mode, try to delete the problematic file or directory again.

Keep in mind that this is just a workaround, but it can be useful if you need to remove just a couple of files or folders from a specific directory.

If you cant boot into Safe Mode, here are the best tips to solve this issue quickly.

9. Use the chkdsk command

1. Run Command Prompt as administrator as shown in solution 3.
2. Type the following command and press Enter to run: chkdsk /f

1. Click YES when prompted if you want to run it at the next start.
2. Restart your PC.
3. After the restart, open File Explorer, look for the folder that wouldnt delete. This time you will be able to delete it.

The chkdsk scan will fix any potential errors and some users reported fixing this problem after performing it so make sure you try it.

If you have some alternate solution for this problem, and youd like to share it with us, please write it down in the comments below, our readers would love to read it.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I delete a folder that won't delete?

You should start deleting its content files first. Then, you can delete the empty folder.

• How can I delete desktop icons that Cannot be deleted?

If you cant delete an icon from the desktop you can use the personalization settings in Windows. We have a complete guide on removing stubborn files folders and icons.

• How do I force delete a folder?

Try deleting the folder contents or use dedicated software to force remove it. This article covers:Topics:

• delete folder
• System Errors Was this page helpful? Review MyWOT Trustpilot  Thank you! View all comments     Share   Copy link

Newsletter  Software deals Friday round-up   I agree with the Privacy Policy regarding my personal data

{{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}Your submission failed. The server responded with {{status_text}} (code {{status_code}}). Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. Learn More{{/message}}

{{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}It appears your submission was successful. Even though the server responded OK, it is possible the submission was not processed. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. Learn More{{/message}}

Submitting

Video liên quan