How to really force delete a file / folder in Windows 10



When it comes to working with files and folders on a Windows 10 computer, there may come a time when you need to delete a file or folder that, for some reason, can’t be deleted using the standard methods. This could be due to the file or folder being locked or having the wrong permissions. In these cases, you may need to force delete the file or folder in order to get rid of it.

The first thing you need to do is to open an elevated Command Prompt. This is a version of the command prompt that runs with elevated privileges, which means it has access to more system resources and can perform tasks that a regular command prompt can’t. To open an elevated command prompt, press the Windows key + X and select “Command Prompt (Admin)” from the menu that appears.

Once you’re in the elevated command prompt, you can use the “del” command to delete the file or folder you’re trying to get rid of. The syntax for the command is “del ”. For example, if you’re trying to delete the file “example.txt”, you would use the command “del example.txt”.

If the file or folder is locked or has the wrong permissions, you may get an error message when you try to delete it using the “del” command. In this case, you can use the “del /F” command to force delete the file or folder. The syntax for this command is “del /F ”. For example, if you’re trying to delete the file “example.txt”, you would use the command “del /F example.txt”.

The “del /F” command will attempt to delete the file or folder regardless of any locks or permissions that may be set on it. It should be noted, however, that this will only work if you have the appropriate privileges. If you don’t, then the command will simply fail.

Finally, if you’re having trouble deleting a folder, you can use the “rd /S /Q” command to delete the folder and all of its contents. The syntax for this command is “rd /S /Q ”. For example, if you’re trying to delete the folder “example”, you would use the command “rd /S /Q example”.

In conclusion, if you’re having trouble deleting a file or folder on your Windows 10 computer, you can use the “del” or “del /F” command to force delete the file or folder. If you’re trying to delete a folder, you can use the “rd /S /Q” command to delete the folder and all of its contents. It should be noted, however, that these commands will only work if you have the appropriate privileges.

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