Can't wipe old image before using Macrium

My C partition doesn't change too often, so I image only every few months, and I keep only one image. I keep my Data Partition(D) updated on another computer between imaging sessions.

I have an exterior HD on which the images are

(E) SYSPROGcopy --image of C,
(F) DATAcopy --image of D

I'm trying to wipe the old image before I create a new image, so I figured I would just delete E and F. I'm having a lot of problems with permissions. I got around some of them by changing the permission for my user name to "Full Control," and it's been an agonizing 1-1/2 hours. I'm down to just one folder Windows\winsxs which has about 36,000 files, and I can't delete it. I gave full control to SYSTEM, USERS and ADMINS.

So I tried switching to the Built-In Administrator, which I use sparingly only if all else fails. It opened to a totally black screen with just the cursor.

Can Macrium delete the last portion of the image, or am I doing something wrong?

I'm a bit confused. I may have missed something.

Your full partition Macrium images should take the form eg. 0E4179CDF016AD28-00-00.mrimg. They are just very large files. You simply shift del to delete them. I do this all the time to remove images as the backup drive fills. I also certainly keep more than one OS image.

I wouldn't rename the Macrium file image names but certainly put them in folders that may be more meaningful to you. Also when backing up your OS I suggest choose "Create a system image of the partitions required to backup and restore Windows". Other partition just point the images to an appropriate folder (eg. "My D data").

You aren't confused. They're not named like 0E4179CDF016AD28-00-00.mrimg. They're E and F. Does that make them a clone instead of an image? Maybe I did the backup wrong. How can I finish wiping the drive so I can do my image properly? I don't want it confusing my new image.

And do you know how I can get back my Built-In Admin? It was fine last time I used it.

If you are talking about standard administrator privileges then operate from an account that has these privileges and accept ok if required.
If you are talking about the hidden elevated administrator account then look at this tutorial
Built-in Administrator Account - Enable or Disable

But you don't need this to delete Macrium (or Windows inbuilt) images. I would use the hidden elevated admin account cautiously. Generally you don't need it.

The cloning option is a drive/partition to drive/partition operation.

Hi, yes it seems you have Cloned and not Imaged.
The system see's an OS and won't let you delete.
If you are just trying to wipe it clean then Format the drive, you will get a warning but if you are sure you have selected the correct drive then just say yes.
As with your Administrator account you could try a System File Check.

Yes, it is the Hidden Elevated Admin, and I do use it sparingly, only once before. I had a program I need for work, Inquisit Player, that absolutely would not install because of permissions problems on a single file. After trying for months on and off, I finally got it in with the Hidden Admin. However, in lusmgr, it's not disabled. Can't account for the black screen

I'll try formatting the drive.

Before I image again, I need this cleared up:
Now I remember back in June I cloned because sometimes I need to restore just 1 file or 1 folder. I was under the impression that if I image, I can't extract just portions of it, since I'll have just 2 huge files. Am i wrong?

The other thing is that when my regular HD dies, (and it's not IF, but WHEN,), I could just pop in the backup one. My entire HD uses only 57 GB of space, so I chose to clone
.

(Hello, Alfred E Neuman.)

"...I keep my Data Partition(D) updated on another computer between imaging sessions...." Are these computers networked all day and all night?

RolandJS said:

"...I keep my Data Partition(D) updated on another computer between imaging sessions...."

Are these computers networked all day and all night?

No, unhooked. That's my emergency computer, to use if this one needs fixing. It has a basic set of programs and my data.