Aug 16,2019 • Filed to: File Recovery Solutions • Proven solutions
How do I delete corrupted files on Windows 10?
Feb 19, 2003 It's actually a Folder, not a file. Upon requesting a Trash emptying, it says that the file is 'in use'. The Folder is not in use, I have rebooted, etc. This 'stuck' file was the result of a wicked and very scary event in which a whole bunch of files on the external FW drive suddenly decided to.
While deleting some junk files, few were deleted successfully. I got the message saying 'The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable'. How could I remove the corrupted files in Windows 10? Thanks.
A corrupted file is a damaged computer file that fails to open or shows some errors when you try to open it. A corrupted file on your computer can crash your hard drive or, even worse, lead to the loss of valuable data. That's why you need to get rid of them from your computer.
Sometimes, even though your files get corrupted, unreadable or damaged, you can delete them by clicking the 'Delete' button, holding the 'Shift+Delete' buttons, or even dragging them to the recycle bin. That's easy and simple, right? But oftentimes, it needs some special methods to help you do that.
How do you force delete a file? To help users who meet corrupted files, we will illustrate how to force delete corrupted files completely as well as recover corrupted files.
Solution 1. Delete Files as an Administrator
When you search for the answer to 'How do I force delete a file', don't worry. There are a number of options that can help you do away with corrupted data. The simplest way is to reboot your computer and try to delete corrupted content. Restarting your computer can help you fix many simple issues with your hard drive or data.
The deletion of some system files entails the administrator permission. How do you sign in as administrator on Windows 10? Here are 3 options offering to help you.
Option 1. Switch users
- Simultaneously hold on the 'Ctrl + Alt + Delete' buttons.
- Click 'Switch user' to change the user name and password.
- Choose the admin user account, type the password and press Enter.
Option 2. Restart computer
- Restart your computer and go to the Welcome screen.
- Type in the admin user name and account in the screen.
- Input the admin user password and open the computer.
Option 3. Manage User Accounts Administrator permission
- Open the Control Panel by searching it in the search box beside the Start menu.
- Navigate the 'User Accounts' and go to manage the administrator permissions.
- Confirm the process by typing in the administrator password.
The 3 options can aid you logging on the computer as an administrator. Then, you're able to delete corrupted and unreadable files that needs the administrator permissions.
Solution 2. Can't Delete Corrupted Files? Close Windows Explorer
If a corrupted file can't be deleted through the above-mentioned method, it is the issue which many users are faced with - Can't delete a corrupted file. To remove files that can't be deleted, you can take the following measure: Close Windows Explorer and reboot the computer to delete files.
Windows Explorer is now known as File Explorer. File Explorer is a native file management application on Windows-based computer. It helps users access the file systems and open the wanted files easily. Without it, the computer keeps running, but novice users will be confused. The computer screen will go black, and many user interface items on the monitor, especially the Desktop, are not visible enough.
Remove Corrupted Files and Delete the Folder
Close Windows Explorer to Erase Corrupted Files
End the Task to Get Rid of Corrupted Files
Restart Your Computer
Move all the corrupted files in the folder with the locked file. Now, you should manually delete the folder containing the immovable files after you have moved the other files. The immovable files are the corrupted files.
This method of deleting corrupted files requires you to close 'Windows Explorer' through 'Task Manager'. You can open the Task Manager by 2 options.
Option 1: Type 'task' in the search box beside the Start menu, and press Enter when you see the 'Task Manager' app.
Option 2: Simultaneously hold 'Ctrl+Alt+Delete' shortcuts, and choose 'Task Manager' in the pop-up interface.
Option 2: Simultaneously hold 'Ctrl+Alt+Delete' shortcuts, and choose 'Task Manager' in the pop-up interface.
Preview through the list of programs running in Windows Explorer. Right click on Windows Explorer and select 'End Task' from the given options.
After you have closed Windows Explorer, restart your computer and check whether the corrupted files have been deleted.
Another scenario of deleting corrupted files is that you find them undeletable. 'How do I get rid of a file that won't delete?' You must want the answer to this question. Move on to the next solution: use Command Prompt to get rid of corrupted files that can't be deleted.
Solution 3. How to Force Delete Files Using CMD
Command Prompt, also known as CMD or 'cmd.exe', is the command line interpreter based on the Windows computer. Computer users can use it to meet different needs when using the computer, for example, check and repair the hard drive problems, force remove files using command lines, fix and recover 0 bytes files, etc. Here shows you how to permanently delete corrupted, unreadable and undeletable files.
- Click the magnifier icon in the taskbar and type in 'CMD'.
- Open the Command Prompt by clicking 'Run as administrator'.
- In the CMD window, type in the command line - del /F /Q /A 'File Path' and press Enter. You should change the 'File Path' with the location characters of corrupted files. For example, 'del /F /Q /A C:UserswsDownloadsrecoverit_setup_full4134.exe' (without quotation marks).
- /F: Force delete files that you want to get rid of.
- /Q: Queirt mode. Don't ask if it is okay to delete files.
- /A: Use attributes to select files to be deleted.
- When you get the message of 'Could Not Find 'The File Path', it means that your files have been removed. Exit the Command prompt.
The above steps are about how to remove files using CMD, especially those undeletable files. Please note that some corrupted files can be restored.
Solution 4. Recover Corrupted Files and Accidentally Deleted Data
Some of the corrupt files can be fixed or recovered. The computer will give you two possible options to open your corrupted file. These two options are Open and Repair the file and open with Text Recovery Converter. First try these two options before you use other methods.
Always check whether you can rescue your precious files before you consider deleting them. Here we will give you an example product, Recoverit Data Recovery, to tell you how to recover corrupted files.
Recoverit is a professional data recovery utility that can be used to recover deleted, lost and inaccessible files. You're able to retrieve 1000 kinds of your files from all your devices. Besides, you can preview different sorts of data before clicking the 'Recover' button to get all back. Photo, video, audio and document are available.
Video: How can I recover deleted files in Windows?
Video tutorial: Transfer WhatsApp from iPhone to Android
How to Recover Deleted Files in Windows
To recover your corrupted files using Recoverit Data Recovery, follow the step-by-step guide below. For Mac users, please turn to this page to get the solution: Recover Deleted Files on Mac.
Specify a location
Scan for corrupted files
Preview and recover corrupted files
Recoverit will lists all detected devices on your computer. To get back deleted files, select the specific location where you deleted files and click 'Start'.
Next, a deep scan will be initiated immediately on your computer. It will help you dig out all deleted files that are inaccessible to you.
From the scan results, go through the files detected and preview the files before recovery. You can also filter the results for a quick seach of the files. Click the Recover button and restore them back.
Recoverit Data Recovery is great file recovery software and, therefore, there is high probability that your corrupted files will be recovered. But please do not install the program on the same partition or continue writing data in the same location, it will overwrite your deleted files and make the chance of deleted file recovery slim.
Bonus Time: FAQs and Tips on File Corruption
In this section, we would like to fix some of your puzzles about file corruption and also offer a few helpful tips that can help you avoid file corruption and handle it easily.
1. What can cause file corruption?
Knowing the causes of file corruption is very important for us to deal with our data in a more proper way. There are a varity of reasons why a file may become corrupted:
- Presence of malware or defect in the software used to manipulate or create the file.
- Power loss or other power related issues.
- Improper shutdown such as force shut down or due to power outages.
- Ejecting the hard drives and other storage media before properly disconnecting them.
- Bad programming especially if it results in a hard restart.
2. What to do when file corruption happens?
When you're faced with the file corruption, you need to handle it immediately, as corrupted files can further damage your computer and all data inside it. Here are some things that you should remember when handling the corrupted files.
- When data is corrupted, it behaves in a way so that there is a low probability of being modified. Deleing corrupted data with harsh sum or checksum mainly used for deleting errors. You can also try to correct it by using error correcting codes.
- When the corrupted files are very important, you don’t have to immediately do away with the files, try fixing the issue and see if you can recover the data.
- Backup the rest of the data to avoid further corruption, especially if the cause of corrupted files is due to a bug in the computer.(Learn how to backup data)
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One way to avoid keeping DMG files after installation | 7 comments | Create New Account
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![File File](/uploads/1/2/5/8/125850767/647478638.png)
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One way to avoid keeping DMG files after installation
Easier solution:
Move the DMG to /tmp/ before opening it. Then forget about it.
Files in /tmp/ get deleted on reboot.
If you decide you want to keep it, move it back to your Downloads directory or wherever you want it.
Move the DMG to /tmp/ before opening it. Then forget about it.
Files in /tmp/ get deleted on reboot.
If you decide you want to keep it, move it back to your Downloads directory or wherever you want it.
One way to avoid keeping DMG files after installation
![Dmg File Stuck On Desktop Will Not Move Or Delete History Dmg File Stuck On Desktop Will Not Move Or Delete History](/uploads/1/2/5/8/125850767/419341599.png)
Great Idea!
So the cmd whould be:
mv '/Users/MyShortUsername/Path/To/MyDownloaded.dmg' '/private/tmp/'
Obviously, you must replace 'MyShortUserName' with your correct username , replace 'Path/To/' with the correct path to your dmg file and finally replace 'MyDownloaded.dmg' with the correct name of your dmg file.
If you don't use the quotes for the source path and the destination path, just remember to escape the spaces in the paths with backslash! (')
So the cmd whould be:
mv '/Users/MyShortUsername/Path/To/MyDownloaded.dmg' '/private/tmp/'
Obviously, you must replace 'MyShortUserName' with your correct username , replace 'Path/To/' with the correct path to your dmg file and finally replace 'MyDownloaded.dmg' with the correct name of your dmg file.
If you don't use the quotes for the source path and the destination path, just remember to escape the spaces in the paths with backslash! (')
You know, you don't have to use /private/tmp. Just /tmp will do. In fact, it's preferred to use /tmp.
One way to avoid keeping DMG files after installation
I go the other way. I keep ALL dmg files.
Every so often I move them to an 'Installers' folder, thus keeping the downloads folder clear. Less often I check the total size of the Installers folder and back up to CD/DVD and then clear it.
Every so often I move them to an 'Installers' folder, thus keeping the downloads folder clear. Less often I check the total size of the Installers folder and back up to CD/DVD and then clear it.
One way to avoid keeping DMG files after installation
Or you could use a crontab:
0 20 * * * /Path/To/Script/clean.sh
With something like the following:
This will move any files in the ~/Downloads/ folder, to a child folder called 'archive' on a daily basis... then after 30 days, delete it.
Although, run at your own risk... its job is to actually delete data.
Wait wait, let me get this straight… if I have files I don't want to keep, I can put them in the trash to get rid of them?
God bless Mac OS X Hints.
God bless Mac OS X Hints.
Good luck USING them after you put them in the trash. This hint was about continuing to use DMGs that are in the trash. You know you aren't going to want to use it, so always throw it in the trash, then continue using it.
Personally, I download to the Desktop so everything I download is extremely obvious to me. I also have it sorted by 'Last Modified' so DMG downloads appear in the upper right. Can't forget those!
Personally, I download to the Desktop so everything I download is extremely obvious to me. I also have it sorted by 'Last Modified' so DMG downloads appear in the upper right. Can't forget those!