Deleting Corrupt Files in Vista

Is there a way to delete corrupt files in Vista? I can't replace them, move them, delete them with Unlocker or anything...

 

These are the things I've done to try to delete the file...

Clean install windows - it's nice having a clean system now, but I can't delete the file out of windows.old!

Run in safe mode - still won't let me.

Take full permission of the file - under the security tab of properties, there is something about the file being corrupt.

Use Unlocker - nope.

End explorer.exe and use the CMD command "del" to take care of it - nope!

Rename, zip, move, copy, replace... nothing.

And disk check comes up with nothing... and it happens during every startup for some reason!

 

The one thing you haven't tried is to run disc cleanup. Start system tools and run disc cleanup on the drive with windows.old on it.
This will then give you the option of removing an old installation (which is what windows.old is, it's all the old files from XP)

 

I just tried that... excited that it might actually work... but it didn't. It went though with no error or anything, but my windows.old folder is still there with the corrupted file in it.

I've also tried the delete command in CMD...

I've also tried the takeown command, but I don't think ownership has much to do with it...

Since my copy of Windows Vista is an upgrade copy, reformatting my HD isn't an option.

 

Why not? I did a fresh install of Vista with an upgrade disk. Worked like a charm.

 

Have you tried disabling the UAC?

I noticed that I could not delete and/or move old files without first doing this, reguardless of permission settings.

 

I've had UAC disabled since day one... I hate that crap!

Thanks anyways.

 

Microsoft apparently spent a great deal of effort to prevent users from modifying softwares and files. I tried to format during an installation and Vista wouldn't let me because there were some stuff left over from a previous Vista installation. I even tried to format with g-parted, but it just hung. Finally, I had to nuke the entire hard drive with DBAN.

I asked for help here when Vista didn't let me edit some text files in a game called Wordzap. I followed the suggestions, but still run into the same problem today. Disabling UAC didn't help.

I installed XP shortly after and have been dual-booting since. I can't dump Vista yet because my laptop was designed for Vista and some of the features can not be enabled with XP.

I hear you and wish I could help, but I am having problems with Vista myself.

 

Did you select files from all users in disc cleanup? If not then I found this in another forum:


restart Vista
at the boot screen hit the f8 key
boot into "safe mode with command prompt"
rename windows.old to windows.old1

use the following command to delete the folder and it's contents

del windows.old1\*.* /F /S /Q

/F : force delete on read-only files
/S : include subfolders
/Q : suppress confirmation prompts

 

Urg, Kedo's idea didn't work at all.

I have a feeling nothing is ever going to work...