00:00Welcome. In today's tutorial, we will address a common yet frustrating issue in Windows, the file and use error that
00:07prevents you from deleting a file or folder.
00:09This happens when a process has locked the file, and even if you've closed all visible applications, the lock can
00:16persists.
00:16We will walk through a robust command line solution to forcefully remove these stubborn files.
00:22Please proceed with caution, as these commands are powerful.
00:25Ensure you are absolutely certain you want to delete the file in question.
00:30As this process is irreversible.
00:32First, identify the full path of the file you wish to delete.
00:36For this demonstration, let's assume the file is on the desktop, and named stubborn underscore file, txt.
00:42To get the full path, you can right-click the file while holding the shift key, then select copy as
00:48path.
00:48This copies the exact location to your clipboard.
00:51For example, see, users, your ascernum, desktop, stubborn underscore file, txt.
00:58Next, we need to open the command prompt with administrative privileges.
01:02Go to your start menu, type cmd, and you will see command prompt appear.
01:07Right-click on it, and select run as administrator.
01:10You must confirm the user account control prompt to proceed.
01:14The window title should now indicate that it is running in administrator mode.
01:18This elevated access is crucial for the commands we are about to use.
01:22Now, navigate to the directory containing the file.
01:25Although we can use the full path for the deletion command, changing the directory simplifies the process and confirms you
01:32are in the correct location.
01:33Type cd followed by a space, then paste the path to the folder, not the file itself.
01:39For our example, if the file is on the desktop, you would type cdc, users, your ascernum desktop, and press
01:46enter.
01:47The prompt should now reflect this new directory.
01:49The most common culprit for holding a file lock is Windows Explorer itself.
01:54To resolve this, we will temporarily terminate the Explorer process.
01:58This will cause your taskbar and desktop icons to disappear, which is normal.
02:03Do not be alarmed.
02:04We will restart it shortly.
02:06At the command prompt, type taskkill, per f per im, Explorer, exe, and press enter.
02:12The f flag forcefully terminates the process, and im specifies the image name, which is Explorer, exs.
02:20You should see a success message confirming the process has been terminated.
02:24Your screen will look bare, but the command prompt window will remain.
02:28With Explorer out of the way, the file lock should be released.
02:31Now, we can proceed with the deletion.
02:34We will use the del command with specific flags to force the deletion.
02:38Type del f per q followed by the file name.
02:41The f flag forces the deletion of redonary files, and q enables quiet mode, which prevents it from asking for
02:48confirmation.
02:49So, for our example, the command would be del fq, stubborn underscore file.
02:54If you are deleting a folder, you would use rmdir per second, per q folder, underscore name.
03:01The s flag removes all directories and files within the specified folder, while q again means quiet mode.
03:09After typing your command, press enter.
03:11Since we are in quiet mode, you won't see a confirmation, but if there are no error messages, the file
03:17has been successfully deleted.
03:18Finally, we need to bring back our desktop and taskbar by restarting the Explorer process.
03:24In the same command prompt window, simply type, explorer, exs, and press enter.
03:30Within a few seconds, your familiar desktop environment will reappear, but the stubborn file will be gone.
03:36This method is highly effective for files locked by system processors that are not easily identifiable.
03:42It provides a direct and powerful way to manage your files when standard methods fail.
03:47Remember to use these commands with precision, and only when necessary.
03:51Thank you for watching.
03:52If you found this tutorial helpful, please subscribe for more advanced technical guides.
Comentarios