Nothing on my C: Drive will delete

[BPC]

Hi! I can't delete anything from my C: drive. I want to delete everything on C: drive. It goes through the usual 'are you sure you want to delete, then asks for permission (which is new), then when I give it permission, the bar up the top of the Windows box goes green like it's loading something, but never does anything. I've tried taking ownership, and cutting and pasting into another drive and deleting it from there. Also, I've read you can do it through command prompt, but you have to put in individual file names, and I have 442GB of individual files to delete!
PLEASE HELP! Thanks so much

 

[Ranger4]

Hi BPC, welcome to the Forum.

I can't understand what you are trying to achieve. You say you have reformatted your C: drive, which is normally the one that has the Windows Operating System on it, then you have used a file recovery program to recover lost files.

If you reformat a drive it wipes all the information from it, so why do you need to recover files that have already been deleted with the reformat, then from what you say to delete them again.

Could you please explain exactly what you want to do. If Windows 7 was on your C: drive it will have been deleted with the reformat.

 

[AddRAM]

Exactly, just format it.

With your install DVD or...

Partition Wizard.

Bootable Partition Manager| MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable Edition

Or, are you saying you`ve reinstalled windows, used a file recovery program to recover files, and can`t delete them, and you do not want to reinstall windows again ?????

:huh:

 

[BPC]

Hi BPC, welcome to the Forum.

I can't understand what you are trying to achieve. You say you have reformatted your C: drive, which is normally the one that has the Windows Operating System on it, then you have used a file recovery program to recover lost files.

If you reformat a drive it wipes all the information from it, so why do you need to recover files that have already been deleted with the reformat, then from what you say to delete them again.

Could you please explain exactly what you want to do. If Windows 7 was on your C: drive it will have been deleted with the reformat.

Hi Ranger4, thanks for your reply. Sorry, that was worded confusingly! Before the format, I saved all of my files to another drive, then after format lost some of them, so I used a recovery program to recover them and save them on C drive. But the files it found are not the ones I lost, so I want to delete them. I want to delete everything on it. I have edited my original post so it's not confusing anymore! Thanks

 

[AddRAM]

Are you the only user on the computer ?

Are you the Administrator ?

 

[BPC]

Exactly, just format it.

With your install DVD or...

Partition Wizard.

Bootable Partition Manager| MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable Edition

Or, are you saying you`ve reinstalled windows, used a file recovery program to recover files, and can`t delete them, and you do not want to reinstall windows again ?????

:huh:

Hi, I am kind of regretting even mentioning that I formatted and used a recovery tool now, as it seems to be the main focus of the replies so far and it isn't the real problem. I just thought I should mention it, just so people have a background on what has happened with the computer recently. It really isn't the problem, though. The problem is that I can't delete files off my C drive. Sorry to be confusing

 

[BPC]

Are you the only user on the computer ?

Are you the Administrator ?

Yup I'm the only user, and I thought I was the administrator, but maybe I'm not, cos it asks for permission from the administrator. But when I say yes you can have permission, it lets me, so maybe I am? Not sure. Sorry I can't be more helpful

 

[torchwood]

Hi BPC,
Sounds like the recovery media you used has changed the permission.
Are the files/folders all personnel, (some MS core files/folders cannot be removed).
What type of files are they.

The hammer approach which i DO NOT advocate unless you know what your doing.
Program files select xxxx > expand >> delete the files within the folders from the Bottom up.
Even then it might not delete them.

Roy

 

[RolandJS]

Where, in what directory, on C are the files you wish to delete? If all else fails, you can boot a usb or dvd Puppy Linux, use its file manager to delete those pesky files. I assume you have already tried Safe Mode?

 

[jumanji]

Hi BPC,

I have a few questions but not related to your problem - which honestly I can't digest or understand ( the problem) and just puzzled how such a thing can happen unless you had meddled with permissions. So I am curiously following this thread.

The off-topic questions:

You say you own the computer but you don't know who is the manufacturer/model number(as per your system specs). Is that even possible?

And you mention the OS as Victoria. Don't you even know which operating system is in use in your system and specify it correctly?

If I remember correct, there was another OP here sometime back who mentioned his OS as Victoria. Are you the same person in a new avatar? ( I don't remember which and on what topic that thread was, but clearly remember OS Victoria mentioned in it. )

 

[Layback Bear]

In your system specs (I don't know) isn't enough.
Not knowing something is fine. Members here can and will with your help how to know things.

Use this tutorial by Brink to display your system specs.

System Info - See Your System Specs

If you want to know more about your hardware this little free program by Speccy is a great thing.

Speccy - System Information - Free Download

If you do the above you and the members will know.
This will help us help you.

Just a little note.
You are getting into things like formatting, deleting things, moving things that some basic knowledge is needed. Things like recovery of lost things is another deep subject that jumanji is quite good at.
All the above mentioned are not a starting place for learning the computer and operating system.
So bear with us and are many questions. We need to know information so we can do our best to guide you.

Jack.

 

[Layback Bear]

I also remember the OS Victoria from another member. It was as puzzling then as it is now.
Hopefully with BPC help we can get the needed information.

 

[BPC]

Hi BPC,
Sounds like the recovery media you used has changed the permission.
Are the files/folders all personnel, (some MS core files/folders cannot be removed).
What type of files are they.

The hammer approach which i DO NOT advocate unless you know what your doing.
Program files select xxxx > expand >> delete the files within the folders from the Bottom up.
Even then it might not delete them.

Roy

Thanks Roy, I don't know what personnel files means. They are just random files, such as media files, doc files, etc.

 

[BPC]

Where, in what directory, on C are the files you wish to delete? If all else fails, you can boot a usb or dvd Puppy Linux, use its file manager to delete those pesky files. I assume you have already tried Safe Mode?

Hi Roland, I don't know what you mean by what directory, sorry. I'm not very tech savvy when it gets past the basics! I tried safe mode, then tried chkdsk /f because some of the files looked like they were deleting, but didn't disappear and when I tried to delete them again, they said couldn't find location. So, that didn't work.

 

[BPC]

Hi BPC,

I have a few questions but not related to your problem - which honestly I can't digest or understand ( the problem) and just puzzled how such a thing can happen unless you had meddled with permissions. So I am curiously following this thread.

The off-topic questions:

You say you own the computer but you don't know who is the manufacturer/model number(as per your system specs). Is that even possible?

And you mention the OS as Victoria. Don't you even know which operating system is in use in your system and specify it correctly?

If I remember correct, there was another OP here sometime back who mentioned his OS as Victoria. Are you the same person in a new avatar? ( I don't remember which and on what topic that thread was, but clearly remember OS Victoria mentioned in it. )

Hi! I bought this computer from a company on ebay and it wasn't a well known brand - I think it's kind of like having a 'no-name brand' computer. I don't know about operating system. Do you mean windows 7? I'm not an IT person. No I'm not a new avatar. I'm brand new to computer forums.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Media files and doc files are examples of personal files.

"Directory" is another word for "folder". Files reside in folders or directories.

Windows 7 is an operating system.

 

[BPC]

Media files and doc files are examples of personal files.

"Directory" is another word for "folder". Files reside in folders or directories.

Windows 7 is an operating system.

OK great thanks

 

[BPC]

In your system specs (I don't know) isn't enough.
Not knowing something is fine. Members here can and will with your help how to know things.

Use this tutorial by Brink to display your system specs.

System Info - See Your System Specs

If you want to know more about your hardware this little free program by Speccy is a great thing.

Speccy - System Information - Free Download

If you do the above you and the members will know.
This will help us help you.

Just a little note.
You are getting into things like formatting, deleting things, moving things that some basic knowledge is needed. Things like recovery of lost things is another deep subject that jumanji is quite good at.
All the above mentioned are not a starting place for learning the computer and operating system.
So bear with us and are many questions. We need to know information so we can do our best to guide you.

Jack.

Hi Jack, I couldn't download your files, as C drive is full and won't let me download anything! I did, however, track down some help via Google to fill in some more details. I hope that's what you needed. I totally understand and am very grateful for anyone's help!

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Is there ANYTHING currently on your C drive that you want to keep? Personal files, Windows, anything at all?

In your first post, you implied that you had more than one drive. Do you know if these are separate drives? Or do you have just one drive that happens to have more than 1 partition, each of which appears to be "a drive"?

 

[BPC]

Is there ANYTHING currently on your C drive that you want to keep? Personal files, Windows, anything at all?

In your first post, you implied that you had more than one drive. Do you know if these are separate drives? Or do you have just one drive that happens to have more than 1 partition, each of which appears to be "a drive"?

Hi I don't want to keep anything at all on the C drive. I have C and Drive internally and an external drive also.