Cannot delete file or folder in Windows explorer of XP, Vista, 2000 or 2003? Is it because the access is denied? Or because Windows cannot read from source file or disk? The source or destination file may be in use? Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use?
Sometimes you just cannot delete files and Windows keeps throwing out error messages without any specific solution. There is no further information on how the access is denied, or why Windows cannot read from the source file, or what application that is using or accessing the file so that it cannot be deleted.
In other words, the file is locked without any clear explanation of what is happening and any clear solution to unlock the file.
If you don’t want to install any software, there are two standard solutions for this.
How to delete undeletable files without installing software…
First option:
- make sure that you have closed all of the running applications.
- open the Windows Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del.
- In the “Process” tab, find the “explorer.exe”.
- Right click it and select “End process”.
- Ignore the warning message and click “Yes”.
Second option, if the first doesn’t work, you should restart Windows. They try to delete it again. There should be no problem in deleting the file.
However, would you spend time to restart Windows everytime you find a locked file? What about your current task? Do you have to leave them just to delete a locked file? There are times when you just can’t avoid the necessity of an additional application to make things right in a faster way. In this case, Unlocker would be the perfect answer.
Unlocker doesn’t only let you to delete a locked file without restarting Windows, but it also lets you know which programs that are locking the file. Moreover, it also enables you to rename or move the locked file. All is done right inside your Windows explorer.
How to delete locked file with Unlocker
- Download and install Unlocker.
- Right-click the undeleted file and select Unlocker from the menu.
- If the file is locked by other programs, Unlocker will show you which ones.
- Select the delete option from the drop-down menu.
- Hit “Unlock All” button.
- That’s all. The file is deleted directly.
There is a faster way to do it. You can bypass the necessity to right-click the file everytime you find a locked one by letting Unlocker assistant running in the background. This assistant will automatically launch Unlocker once you close the error message that pops up when you cannot delete a file.
For me, Unlocker has done very well so far. I can delete every locked file without having to restart Windows. However, the maker warns there could be times when you have to restart Windows or even fails in deleting a locked file using Unlocker. I guess it happens once in a blue moon, though.
Another interesting thing you can find from the developer’s site is the list of the alternative programs in case you find Unlocker fails to do a certain deletion job. The alternatives are ranging from Boot Deleter, WhoLockMe, Delete Doctor, Process Explorer, ForceDel, and many others.
Unlocker is a freeware supporting Windows Vista, XP, 2000 and 2003.
