protected files - how to delete..

Here is my situation. I installed Win7 RC a year or so ago on my second drive while running Vista on my main drive, just to test Win7. Since then, I have of course upgraded my main drive to Win7, and no longer need Win7RC on my second drive.

I have removed it from startup options, and deleted all the files I could, from the following folders: program files, program files (x86), users, programdata and windows.

However, in all of these folders, there remain other folders and files that I cannot delete, no matter what I try.

So far, I have tried safe mode, I have tried to load PELoader and access the drive completely without any OS, I have tried the attrib command, and even with the attrib command, it says ACCESS DENIED.

There are about 10GB of folders/files in the Windows folder, so that is quite a bit, and about 1GB in the other folders I mentioned.

If everything else fails, I will format the drive, but I would really like to do this properly so I know how to proceed in the future. I can't believe even attrib won't work, these files are seriously protected, somehow, even tho they have nothing to do with the OS that is currently running. How is that even possible?!?!?!

Can anyone help?

In properties under security tab, click advanced, then change ownership/permissions to your liking

You should then be able to do with files as you please

Thanx for the info, I'll get on it and let you know if I succeeded.

/off topic
does your name have any relation to salvia divinorum??

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Just to let you know, nothing worked, not even changing ownership (it was owned by trustedinstaller, i changed it to myself).

I'll try third party software, but really, that shouldn't be an option, there has to be a way.

How is it even possible for these files to be so locked that I can't even delete them when I go to DOS via a third party OS, that has nothing to do with Windows? Unbelievable.

Oh, and I just tried three different programs, including lockhunter and unlocker, and they couldnt' delete my files/folders.

First they say that nothing is locking the files/folders, but when I try to delete them using the program, the program says it couldnt' delete the files in question even tho they are not locked.

Maybe I'm missing something, but why wouldn't you just back up your important data from the second drive, and format it through Disk Management?

Upon further reading, you mention wanting to do this the proper way. Formatting it through Disk management is the proper way. You are dealing with a former system volume, with all it's inherent permissions and such. There's no reason to do this by the method you are attempting, unless you have soo much data on the drive, that it can't be copied off anywhere else. If you want to do it properly, back up any important data, clear the drive, format at to be a data drive, and copy your data back.