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[DamageX]

A failed Windows 7 RC install left behind multiple GBs of crap on my HDD that can't be deleted. How do I get rid of this $#!t?

[bloodline]

Format it.

[Karlos]

It's probably down to the fact that your current administrator account has a different uid to the one that was in the process of being created during the install. Windows idea of file ACLs are strange like that.

Back in the day I would have suggested Winternals ERD Commander to deal with this sort of gripe but it got bought up by MS at some point. Probably won't work with Vista/Win7.

However, if the NTFS version is at least Vista compatible, shove the drive into a "current" linux box that has ntfs3g installed and you can delete anything from it, as long as you are root (probably works even if you aren't, provided the drive was mounted under your user).

Failing that, format the bugger.

[Retro_71]

If you want to wipe the drives and you have a windows Xp CD.Boot off the CD and go to the screen that has what drive you can pick to install xp on and just delete all the partitions and then format one ntfs, if you don't want to install xp just reset the pc and put whatever os u want on there.
OR if u have another pc take the hard drive out and pigback it to another computer and wipe it.
OR if you already have a OS and you were going to dual boot windows7 then right click on my computer then click on manage then disk mangement and from there you can delete, repartition and format what you want that is ofcourse if you are using windows.......

[amiga_3k]

Under Windows XP I would normally open a DOS box and use the old DOS DEL command to remove un-removable files.

[Bazzaq]

Apparently the 32bit windows7 rc has a problem with fresh install regarding the access rights to the root of the hard disk, there is an update via windows update to restore access rights.

[InTheSand]

Karlos wrote:
... shove the drive into a "current" linux box that has ntfs3g installed and you can delete anything from it, as long as you are root...

Or leave the drive in place and boot the machine with a Linux-based live/rescue CD with a recent ntfs3g preinstalled, such as SystemRescueCD. Very useful to have a copy of that around.

- Ali

[mingle]

Hi,

As others have said, a rescue CD is the way to go.

I recommend the latest Hiren Boot CD, which is Windows/DOS based.

Then you can use one of the file-managers (ie: Volkov Commander) in conjunction with NTFSDOS to easily delete any offending files...

Cheers,

Mike.

[stevil2k]

Or leave the drive in place and boot the machine with a Linux-based live/rescue CD with a recent ntfs3g preinstalled, such as SystemRescueCD. Very useful to have a copy of that around.

- Ali

This is definatly the best advice, I have rescued lots of machines in my workplace using this method with very high success.

One thing to note is that the NTFS filesystem will protect itself (if you have shut down incorrectly) and refuse to mount under linux.You can override this easy enough then use the MC file manager to delete the files.

System Rescue CD

Unet Bootin This is a great tool for making Live USB linux disks.

[pjhutch]

You can sometimes take ownership of the folder with the files in it and then you can gain full access to the files to delete them.

1. Open explorer and browse to the folder in question
2. Open properties of folder and select Security tab
3. Click on Advanced button
4. Select the Owner tab
5. Select a new Owner from the list
6. Tick box for 'Replace owner on subcontainers and objects
7. Click ok twice.

[fryguy]

Get Unlocker

[Thomas]

pjhutch wrote:
2. Open properties of folder and select Security tab
3. Click on Advanced button

XP Home does not have these options.

Bye,
Thomas

[ferrellsl]

pjhutch's instructions are spot on. The files aren't being deleted because you don't own them any longer. The admin user account IDs have changed. After you take ownership of the files under your new admin account you will have full rights to delete these files.

[DamageX]

Thanks for the tips, you guys rock. I tried to take ownership of the files while logged in as admin under win2k (my main OS) but it came back with an "access denied." Same thing with the cacl command. I booted Ubuntu and deleted the stuff and it was moved to a trash directory. So I deleted the trash directory and now most of it is gone, there were about a dozen files that still refused to budge. I haven't tried unlocker yet.

[Karlos]

DamageX wrote:
Thanks for the tips, you guys rock. I tried to take ownership of the files while logged in as admin under win2k (my main OS) but it came back with an "access denied." Same thing with the cacl command. I booted Ubuntu and deleted the stuff and it was moved to a trash directory. So I deleted the trash directory and now most of it is gone, there were about a dozen files that still refused to budge. I haven't tried unlocker yet.

If you delete from a shell, as root, using rm -rf on a directory will delete it for sure.

Be very careful with that command. Make absolutely sure you are about to remove the directory you mean to.