The problem of being unable to delete File or Folder in Windows 10 has been reported by users. You can find the steps to fix this issue.
Why Can’t I Delete File or Folder in Windows 10?
The problem of being unable to delete a file or folder on a Windows 10 computer can occur, even if that File was created by the User and the User has the rights or permission to edit the file/folder.
In general, the most common reason for this problem is due to the requested file or folder being open and locked for editing by another user or occupied by an ongoing process on the computer.
In most cases, the problem gets fixed when the computer is restarted, but in certain cases, you may find the need to change file permissions.
1. Restart the Computer
The simplest way to fix the problem of a file or folder not deleting is to Restart the computer. This helps in closing the process that was keeping the file/folder busy and preventing it from being deleted.
If this does not work, completely Power OFF the computer by pressing the Power button > Wait for 60 seconds and Restart the computer.
2. Stop the Process
In case you do not want to reboot the computer, you can use the Task Manager to terminate Tasks that are keeping the File occupied and preventing it from being deleted.
1. Right-click on the Start button and click on Task Manager.
2. On the Task Manager screen, switch to Processes Tab and locate the App or Desktop Program that is keeping the File or Folder busy.
Once the App is located, right-click on the App/Program or Process that you want to stop and click on End Task.
3. Change Permissions
If you are unable to delete File/Folder due to lack of permissions, you need to change the permission levels for the File/Folder.
1. Right-click the File/Folder that you are unable to delete and select Properties in the right-click menu.
2. On the Properties screen, switch to Security tab and click on Advanced.
3. On the next screen, click on the Permissions tab and see if there is any permission entry that contains “Deny”.
If you find any entry containing “Deny”, select the Entry and click on the Remove button.
4. Click on OK to save changes and exit the permissions screen.
After this, you should be able to delete the file or folder that you were unable to delete on the computer.