File Wont Delete or Modify in Vista!!! HELP!

Ok guys...
I have been working on this for... gosh... a long time, most of the day. I've googled just about every word variation of "how to delete files vista" that I could think of, i've checked tons of forums.

I've given up.

All I'm trying to do is delete a file in the System 32 folder. It says that I dont have permission to do so. Yes, I have UAC OFF. I really thought that it would fix the problem... but it didn't. How do I get permission, please help!!!

You will be my new best friend if you figure this out...

Thanks.

 

Have you tried Safe Mode(F8 when computer boots up)?

Also deleting stuff from the system32 folder may cause errors/have an adverse reaction(one reason why "they" restrict access to the folder).

 

Could be some process is running that file, and as such, you won't be able to delete that file until you kill that particular process.

Another possibility (I'm guessing here, don't actually have my new Vista laptop yet) is that the file has read-only or system attributes set on it. You might have luck opening a DOS window, cd into your System32 folder, and run the "attrib" command on the file in question.

hope that helps!

 

A lot of Mal/Spyware installs in System 32 Folder.(If thats what your trying to get rid of).

Safe Mode as Kdawgca suggested is the first thing you should try. If Safe Mode doesn't allow delete, you will most likely be able to Rename the file, reboot and then delete.

 

or kill explore.exe process, desktop will go blank, call up a file manager and zap the file in question - worth a try

cheers ...

 

I'm not sure if this would work but you could try running cmd.exe from the run dialogue then kill the explorer process, leave task manager open and use it to switch to cmd.exe then navigate to the correct folder (use cd\ to get to the root folder then cd windows\folder\folder etc etc to get to the right place) then delete it via the command prompt? I could be talking through my hat here but I vaguely remember doing something like this in the past with an NTFS drive in XP Pro.

(if you can't find the correct command to use just type help at the command prompt)

 

Make sure that you take ownership of the file and have permission to delete/modify it. You can use the takeown and cacls commands in the command prompt (read this).

 

Haha, this was another reason I went back to XP. I couldn't replace notepad.exe with Notepad2, which I had renamed to notepad.exe and wanted to use as my default text editor. Decided I was tired of an operating system that thought it knew more than I did about how to run my own software.

 

You went back to XP because of Notepad? lol

 

if you use the cmd prompt in administrator mode you can edit del files in system32 no problem when click shoutcut to open command prompt

hit run as administrator

and you have no problay rename stuff in system folders

 

Yes, I have tried Safe Mode, no go, it still gives me the same message.

That is possible... Any way to figure out if anything is using the file I'm trying to delete? Because I don't think anything should be using it.

Could you possibly explain what process you're talking about...?

No, actually I am trying to get rid of an audio codec because it improperly got installed. The codec is for a game (No One Lives Forever 2), and of course, Vista simply isnt doing well with it because it's an older game. If I had had a choice as to which OS came with this laptop I wouldnt have chosen Vista, but I had no choice. Anyway, the game installer seems to have a bug that only partially installs the voice codec for the game and so what I'm trying to do is to manually take the full codec from the install folder on the game disk and copy it into the System 32 folder where it is read, replacing the broken file.

huh... that's interesting, I've never done that before.

Yes... I'm getting a dual-boot with Linux as I type this, I've only had Vista for about two weeks now and I can honestly say it is an incredibly frustrating OS at times. I have complete faith that Vista will eventually be just as beautiful as XP is now, but untill then, I'm going to use something else. And as for gaming, the University I'm going to sells XP for $35, so I'll just set that up on this computer as well.


Thank you everyone for your help! Hopefully one of these options will work, if they dont, oh well. I've kinda just decided to give up on Vista, I dont really like doing these puzzles just to do something so simple as renaming a file or deleting it. I'll pass.

 

I would suggest System restore OR MSCONFIG and under General do a Selective Start up. Uncheck any combination or all and try to Modify file when you reboot.


Also try making a new folder and new files in it with the exact same names and extensions and copy to the System 32 folder and when it asks to replace click yes. If that works, you can easily delete the newly replaced bogus files.

 

Give this a shot, I'm certain it will work:

1) open up a DOS window ( in XP, it would be Start -> Run -> type in CMD )
2) cd into your System32 directory (most likely: cd \windows\system32)
3) rename the offending file (ren YOUR-FILE.EXT YOUR-FILE.EXT-bogus)
4) reboot

at this point, whatever was loading that file won't be able to find it anymore, so it won't get locked.

Now you should be able to delete the 'YOUR-FILE.EXT-bogus' without issue.

Disclaimer: that's worked under NT4, Win2k, WinXP, and Win2003, it *oughta* work under Vista!

 

To modify system files and atleast some stuff in System32 you will need to use the takeown command referenced earlier in the thread to "take ownership" of the file before you can do anything with it, as Windows file protection is most likely what's preventing you from modifying or deleting it. After taking owership, you shouldn't have any problems as long as there isn't another process using the file when you try to modify it.

 

Thanks to the both of you, problem SOLVED.