Data is not deleted from the flash drive. Files are not deleted from the flash drive, what to do. Possible solutions to the problem

It's a shame and annoying when there is a flash drive, but it's impossible to transfer information from a computer to it. When you try to perform this action, the operating system calmly says: "No." And of course, “dark thoughts” immediately creep into my head: they say, the data is not loaded, which means that the USB drive is broken, as they say, ordered to live long. However, such statements should not be rushed. A file or folder may not be transferred to a USB flash drive due to the fact that it is write-protected. Only and everything!

Security is divided into hardware and software. Accordingly, for each type of write lock, various ways shutdowns. Let's learn how to use them. Do not lie idle with a removable drive, especially if it is brand new, just bought.

Hardware protection

On flash drives of a new type, in order to remove write protection, sometimes it is enough just to change the position of a special latch installed on the case. It is he who completely disables / enables the write lock. So inspect your device, if it has such a switch, slide it in the opposite direction and try again to move the necessary folders from the computer.

Software protection

With software blocking, the situation is a little more complicated. You will need to perform some manipulations with system options and directly with a secure flash drive. The direction of the effort will depend on the shutdown method used. Let's consider separately how to perform them correctly.

Note. If the guide of your choice fails to remove the write lock, try another one. The effectiveness of the "recipe" depends on the specifics of the defense mechanisms.

Method #1: Unlock by Formatting

If you do not have valuable information in the drive, do the following:

• click on its icon in the system window right click. And then in context menu click "Format ...";
• in the options set the file NTFS system, and the size of the allocation unit (cluster) is 4096 bytes;
• click "Start";
• at the end of the procedure, move the files to the drive from the computer's memory.

Advice! If you don’t know how to quickly clear a flash drive of all data, or files are not deleted from a flash drive (selectively), also use the format function.

Method #2: Eliminate Viruses

Some computer malware is especially harmful. By infecting a flash drive, they make sure that nothing is deleted on it and nothing is written to it. That is, completely block access. Therefore, before diving into the wilds Windows settings and go into painful research like “why it’s impossible to delete and write”, check the USB drive with an antivirus and, if necessary, destroy the blocker viruses found.

Method #3: Disabling Denial in Windows

Prohibition of recording external drive can be included directly in Windows. Check the status of this add-on. If it is enabled, disable:

1. Press "Win+R".

2. In the "Run" panel, type - gpedit.msc, click "OK".

3. In the Local Group Policy Editor, in the "Computer Configuration" section, open: Administrative Templates → System.

4. Click on the "Removable Storage Access" folder. In the next block, double-click on the option “Removable drives. Deny recording.

5. Click the "Disable" radio button, then "Apply" and "OK".

Note. If this add-in was disabled, then the record is blocked for another reason. Follow method #4 or #5.

Method #4: Unlock via command line

1. Click the "Start" button. Type in the line "Search" - cmd.

2. Right-click on the icon of the same name that appears at the top of the panel.

3. In the list of functions, click "Run as administrator".

4. In the console command line enter the -diskpart directive. Press "Enter".

5. In the utility line, type - list disk and press "Enter" again.

6. In the list of connected drives, find the flash drive (it's easy to find by size; see the "Size" column). Remember its serial number (for example, Disk 2).

7. Execute the following list of commands (enter them into the line, and then press "Enter"):

• select disk
• clean
• create partition primary
• format fs=ntfs

Wait until the protection disabling operation is completed (the execution progress is displayed in the line … percent completed).

Method # 5: registering a key in the registry

1. In the "Start" window, type - regedit. Click on the editor icon.

2. Open the section:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE → SYSTEM → CurrentControlSet → Control

3. If there is no "StorageDevicePolicies" section in the "Control" branch, create it:

• right-click on the "Control" folder;
• select: Create → Section;
• name the section - StorageDevicePolicies.

4. In the StorageDevicePolicies branch, create an entry:

• in the adjacent block (on the right side of the directories), right-click;
• click: New → DWORD Value (32 bits);
• name the parameter - WriteProtect.

5. Set the value - 0 in the created key (click on the entry 2 times, enter a number in the "Value" column, click "OK").

6. Restart your operating system. Plug in your flash drive.

Method #6: unlocking with special utilities

If you are not familiar with a computer or prefer automated ways to change settings, then it is better to use the services of special assistant programs. Here are some solutions that have proven themselves in practice:

The utility removes write protection on Transcend, JetFlash, A-Data flash drives (only on them!). After launch, it detects the media and fixes the problem. To download the Recovery Tool, go to the brand's offsite - http://ru.transcend-info.com/. IN search line type Recovery. In the search results, click on the JetFlash Online Recovery link.

Apacer Repair V2.9.1.1 is a powerful tool. Helps users out when standard means blocking cannot be removed. The utility supports removable media from Apacer.

Good luck unlocking your flash drive!

Why files are not deleted from the computer and flash drive? Methods for deleting undeletable files.

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Almost all users personal computers sooner or later they encounter a problem when, when trying to delete a certain file from a computer or flash drive, an error window pops up on the screen. Often such files cannot be deleted due to residual software processes, but there are a number of other reasons why this problem can occur.

From our article you will learn why files from a computer, flash drive or SD card may not be deleted and learn several ways how to delete them.

Why are files not deleted from a flash drive, SD card, Windows computer?

As mentioned earlier, the inability to delete a file from a computer can be due to a number of reasons:

• At the time of deletion, the file is being used by some program or process;
• The file is in use by a network user;
• The user does not have the right to perform this action;
• The drive on which the file is located is write-protected;
• The file is corrupted or infected with a virus;

Obviously, before proceeding to drastic measures, you need to close all programs and processes that may be using the file, make sure that the file is not open in any of the computer accounts and that you have administrator rights necessary to delete the file. You also need to check your computer for viruses.

In addition, on the hulls of such removable media Like USB flash drives and SD cards, there are special switches that block the possibility of any change of information on them. If you are trying to delete a file from a flash drive or SD card, then try moving the switch to another position and try to delete the file. If this does not help, proceed to the next section of our article.

How to delete a corrupted file that cannot be deleted from a computer, SD card or flash drive using standard Windows tools?

• It often happens that it is difficult for the user to independently determine the program or process that uses the file and prevents it from being deleted. In such a situation, booting the operating system in safe mode can help.
• The point is that when you start Windows in safe mode, the operating system blocks automatic start non-system processes and starts only the services that are important for its operation. Therefore, if a file cannot be deleted due to some third party program, then you need to boot the computer in safe mode and try to delete the file again.
• In order to load the operating system in safe mode, restart the computer and, almost at the very beginning of its loading, press the "" key on the keyboard several times. F8". You will see a list of download methods. Windows. Use the arrows to select the line Safe mode " and press " Enter" to continue.

• After loading the operating system, go to your flash drive or open the directory on your hard drive where the file is located and try to delete it. If this way could not help you, then proceed to the next section of our article.

How to remove a corrupted file that is not removed from a computer, SD card or flash drive: virus scan

As stated earlier, possible cause, according to which the file does not want to be deleted from the information carrier, there may be a virus. To exclude this option, use the free program Dr. Web CureIt to scan a directory with a file. You can download the program from this link .

Scanning goes like this:

Step 1.

• Download and run the program Dr.Web CureIt.
• In the main window of the program, under the button " Start verification» click on the link « Select objects to check».

Step 2.

• In order not to conduct a full check system disk computer, in the window that opens, click on the link " Click to select files and folders", then mark your flash drive or directory with the file with a marker and click" OK».

Step 3.

• After selecting a directory, click the " Run check” and wait for the verification process to complete.
• If the program detects threats, it will prompt you to choose the action that you want to apply to them. If the threat is not in a file that is important to you, you should select the action " Delete».

How to delete a corrupted file that cannot be deleted from a computer, SD card or flash drive: a program for deleting files that cannot be deleted, forced deletion of files

In the event that all programs and processes that could use the file are closed, and the antivirus did not detect any threats, but the file still does not want to be deleted, it will come to the rescue special utility Unlocker. You can download it from this link.

The program takes almost no space on your hard drive and allows you to delete damaged and locked files in just a few clicks. The process of deleting a file using this program is as follows:

Step 1.

• Download and install the program.
• After installation, open the directory with the file you want to delete and right-click on it to bring up the context menu.
• The menu has a line " Unlocker". Click on it.

Step 2.

• A small window will open showing the processes blocking the deletion of the file. Finish them off with the " Finish everything».
• If no blocking processes were found, then immediately select an action for the file " Delete" and press " OK».
• If the file is not deleted immediately, then restart your computer and check the directory.

VIDEO: How to delete a folder or file that is not deleted?

Currently, a flash drive is a common and necessary storage device for information. Even a novice PC user can easily write or delete data from a flash drive. But since this equipment works in conjunction with sophisticated computing technology, there are situations when information cannot be saved or erased. And the question arises of what to do if files are not deleted from the flash drive or, conversely, it is impossible to restore them.

How to clean up the drive if applications and documents are not deleted.

You should be aware that when information is deleted from the drive, not the file itself is erased, but only the record about it. For example, like in a library, a book is lost, but a card stating that it is there remains. And therefore, knowing how to delete everything from a flash drive, you can either restore information, or completely get rid of it.

IMPORTANT. All formatted data in these ways can be easily accessed by typing "Recover deleted file" in the search box.

Why can't you delete files from a flash drive?

If, after all the above manipulations, files are not deleted from the flash drive, this may mean the following:

• Hardware protection.
• Software protection.
• The folder is being used by another program.
• The presence of errors.

If you don’t understand why you can’t delete files from the USB flash drive, you can try restarting your computer in safe mode and logging in as an administrator. In the folder properties, find the "Security" tab, where click on the "Advanced" button. Select the "Owner" item and assign yourself to it. Then, using the task manager (Ctrl + Alt + Del), close all processes and try to delete the information again.

Possible solutions to the problem

When you enter the question “I can’t delete a folder from a flash drive” into a search engine, the browser usually gives out a bunch of information from which you have to choose a suitable problem and solve it. In fact, it is not very difficult to do even for a beginner.

If files are not deleted from a flash drive, what to do with hardware protection

Modern drives on the device case have a special lock. It is he who enables or disables the lock. It is enough to switch it, as it will be possible to save or remove information from the media.

If the folder is not deleted from the flash drive, what to do with software protection

For an experienced programmer, there are many options on how to delete non-removable files with software lock from a flash drive, but a simple layman can try simpler methods:

• Formatting. If there is no valuable information on the drive, then you can do this with the right mouse button and set the file system (NTFS) and the size of the cluster unit (4096 bytes) in the options.
• Virus elimination. If the system perceives a removable disk as a virus and blocks the entire process of working with it, you should check the USB with any antivirus and, if possible, destroy it.

IMPORTANT. If after all the manipulations an empty folder remains on the USB, you need to restart the PC and delete it again.

How to delete all data from a flash drive if it is being used by another process

This is a fairly common problem and you just need to close this mysterious program if it is known or use a third-party utility (Unlocker, LockHunter, Iobit Unlocker, etc.). Unlocker is one of the best programs to delete non-removable files.

IMPORTANT. All of these applications have a huge disadvantage, they will not be able to warn about the erroneous deletion of system files.

Presence of errors

It may be that the disk is damaged or the contents are not written correctly, then the system gives an error. In this case, you can remove it. In the USB root folder, right-click to select "Properties", "Service", "Check for Errors".

When formatting a flash drive, you need to understand that there can be many common ways to delete information, but in the case of non-removable data, the Unlocker file manager can become a good helper.

Probably, it is not necessary to say that many of us have encountered a situation where, when working with removable storage drives, the selected folder is not deleted from the flash drive. What to do in this case? Unprepared users, no matter how hard they try, do not succeed, as a result of which they are inclined to make a decision on formatting the media.

Yes indeed it is the most radical way deleting the entire contents of the flash drive. However, in some cases, when you need to delete not everything, but only some selected directories, and also if established protection device from carrying out any actions, such a method is inapplicable. However, let's look at what can be done and how to get out of this situation.

Why the folder is not deleted from the flash drive (writes: “The disk is write-protected” or “The folder is not empty”, etc.)

To begin with, it is worth paying attention to finding out the reasons for this phenomenon.

And the first step is to look at the content of the message that is issued when trying to delete the selected directory:

• If the folder is not deleted from the flash drive, and the notification mentions write protection, this indicates that protection is enabled on the device itself (mechanical, cryptographic, etc.).
• Sometimes there are messages that there are some files in the selected directory, but they are protected from deletion.
• Sometimes nested objects can be occupied by some processes, in this moment flowing in the system. A very common reason for this phenomenon can be called some categories of viruses that block access to both the directories themselves and their contents. In this case, a notification is also issued that the folder is not empty, the folder is not deleted from the flash drive, and it is impossible to perform any actions with attached files.

So what actions can be taken to perform the necessary operations to remove directories from removable media or their contents (partially or completely)? You can offer several solutions, which will be discussed further in as much detail as possible and in relation to the most common situations that do not include problems associated with damage to the removable drives themselves.

The folder from the flash drive is not deleted: what to do with protection?

So, to begin with, a few words about protection. First of all, pay attention to the presence of a special switch on the flash drive itself. It can be located under the lid or directly on the body. Most often, next to it there is a designation like Write-protect or Lock. Just move the slider to the off position and try to delete the desired directory again.

However, it also happens that even after that the folder on the flash drive is not deleted. What to do in such a situation? Here you will have to check the attributes of the most undeletable directory or its nested files.

Through the RMB menu on the selected object, go to the properties and check that the box for setting the Read Only attribute is not checked. If it is, remove it, and then repeat the removal. But protection can be installed not only in this form. Sometimes it is activated in the operating system settings. We will dwell on this separately, but for now we will continue to consider the most simple solutions.

The simplest actions with undeletable directories

Here you can use one of classical methods, which consists in first renaming the selected directory (if possible) or moving it to another location on the drive by cutting, and then try to delete it.

In some cases, you can do it even easier by first deleting all its contents from the folder, and then the folder itself. If for some reason this does not work, then at least it will be possible to determine the file that cannot be deleted, and then proceed to unlock it.

Removing protection from a flash drive through group policies

Now let's take a closer look at the protection parameters installed directly in the operating room settings. Windows systems. There are two sections for this: group policies and system registry. By and large, they duplicate each other in some settings, but the priority of registry settings is higher.

To begin with, if the folder is not deleted from the flash drive, consider the actions in It is called through the Run console with the gpedit.msc command.

In its parameters, you need to find the section for accessing removable storage devices, enter the options for the write prohibition parameter on removable drives and disable it, then save the changes.

Deactivating removable media protection through the registry

For cases when some folder from the flash drive is not deleted due to blocking access to the device itself, it is more advisable to use the system registry (regedit).

In the editor, through the HKLM branch and the SYSTEM, CurrentControlSet and Control sections, you need to go to the StorageDevicePolicies directory. On the right, a key named WriteProtect will be shown, for which the value "0" should be set. If desired section missing, you need to create it, then create a DWORD value in the partition itself, and then assign it above specified name and meaning.

Setting the necessary access rights and permissions to directories

Finally, let's look at situations where a folder is not deleted from a flash drive due to the lack of access rights to it or some special permissions. To install all necessary rights you need to enter the properties of the undeletable directory and on the settings tab public access set the full set of rights for all users and groups.

Note: The security tab in the properties section for directories stored on a hard drive or logical partition may not be present.

Removing content using the Unlocker utility

Why the folder is not deleted from the flash drive, and what can be done to correct the situation, is in general a little clear. Finally, a few words about using the universal Unlocker utility. With its help, you can either restore access to files and get rid of them individually, or apply similar measures to the entire directory.

Select the desired directory and through the RMB menu go to the Unlocker program item. From the list of actions, set the deletion and confirm the operation.

Using Command Line Tools

Finally, any folder from the flash drive can be deleted via the command line. In this case, you first need to find out the drive letter using and list disk, then go to the removable device with the cd:\ command, and then delete the directory by executing the commands "rmdir \Directory name" or "RD \\.\Drive letter:\ Path\Directory Name".

What to do with viruses?

In conclusion, it remains to consider only computer security issues related to viruses blocking access to information stored on removable devices, or to flash drives themselves.

In the very simple case it is recommended to check with portable scanners like KVRT or Dr. Web CureIt!, and if it is impossible to neutralize threats with their help, use disk utilities with the general name Rescue Disk, which allow you to load your own environment even before the operating system starts and perform a deep scan of everything that is there, including removable drives and operational memory.

Very often on flash drives you can also find autorun.inf files, which can be either infected objects or components virus programs. Removing them is not difficult even in manual mode through the command line using the "del \Filename" command (in our case, del \autorun.inf) after entering the root of the media.

A few last words

Above, only the most common situations and methods for correcting them were considered. In fact, there may be many more. However, if none of the above methods work, the media will have to be formatted. To get started, it will be enough to clean up the contents of the disk (quick format). If this does not have an effect, you will have to do full formatting, for which it is best suited HDD utility Low Level Format Tool (and not operating system tools, which may not always work).

It happens that you just need to delete a folder or file, but Windows does not allow you to do this and writes about errors like "this process is busy" or "folder is not empty" or something else. Maybe you found some folder or file that you "didn't like" and want to delete it. Maybe you know for sure that this is "unnecessary trash" that only takes up space, and Windows swears and does not allow it. In general, not so important Why can't you delete, How many How to delete and in this article you will find answers to this question.

Most often, such situations occur due to the fact that the deleted files are occupied by other programs. But it also happens that it is impossible to delete a file even after closing all applications that can use this file. For example, a file or folder may become locked due to incorrect user actions and cannot be deleted in any way. These folders (files) remain "hanging" on the hard disk, take up space, are not opened and are not deleted.

The file may not be deleted due to a failure that occurred during its recording or overwriting. If you interrupted the recording process, the file was not completely saved, resulting in invalid entries in file system. And our beloved Winda, not knowing how to handle it, simply simply closes access to it, such as for security purposes.

So, let's start dancing with a tambourine!

Why is the file not being deleted?

1) The file was blocked by an antivirus program. Often this happens when the antivirus quarantines the file. Or the antivirus detected malware, but the treatment was delayed (waiting to update its databases). In this case, in order to avoid infecting the computer, the user is blocked from accessing this file. Check Quarantine antivirus program and delete the file using the antivirus itself, or disable the antivirus and delete the file manually.

2) The file is being used by another program. Consider what programs can be used given file. Close them and try deleting the file again. If this does not help, use the Task Manager to check the list of processes, the program may still be running.

3) Administrator rights are required to delete a file. If you are working under account user log in again as an administrator and try to delete the file.

4) The file is being used by another user local network . Please wait and try deleting the file later.

5) The file is in use by the system. Try deleting the file after restarting your computer or in safe mode.

6) The device is write protected. For example, SD memory cards and some USB flash drives have a special switch to lock the device.

There are several ways to remove, I will start with the simplest and most effective and gradually move on to more complex ones.

1. Method:

Reboot

We programmers have a saying - "7 troubles - one reset". What does it mean you can guess

But the meaning of the method is that you need to restart your computer and try to delete the file / folder again.

2. Method:

Safe mode

You need to log in in safe mode.

What is the advantage of booting the system in safe mode? The thing is that Windows does not load its libraries to execute dialogs. To put it simply, if you have a virus on your computer (and this is not excluded), then in this safe mode it will not perform any actions. In this mode, there is nothing superfluous, only a clean AXIS and a person.

In order to enter this mode, when you turn on the computer and after loading the BIOS (or in general, you can press the key intensively from the very beginning of loading the "black screen") F8(no need to press and hold!!!). A black screen will appear, in which you need to select Advanced boot options using the keys on the keyboard, and there is already Safe Mode (well, or just Safe Mode, you don’t need to select all sorts of there With command line support and so on. And so it will do) and press Enter. If you did everything correctly, the system will boot up and in the lower right corner there will be an inscription Safe mode (it can still be in all corners). Do not be afraid of the black screen that will appear) without wallpaper and beauty.

Now you need to find the file that you just could not delete and try to delete it. In any case (it turned out or not), reboot.

3. Method:

Through the program Unlocker

That's it for such purposes, good uncles wrote such a program, called Unlocker. It's very small free program to unlock files running in Windows. This utility allows you to close open file locks, thus making it possible to perform further actions on these files. Those. the program shows all processes blocking a file (folder) and can delete it despite all blockers.

In addition, the program allows you to rename files and their extensions or move a locked file to another location. This is also very convenient, because. Windows does not always allow you to do this quickly and calmly.

During installation, DO NOT agree to the proposed toolbar (well, or you really need it, then click Next) and uncheck Install Babylon Toolbar - RECOMMENDED. And the rest of the installation is normal - everywhere Further I accept Install and everything)

Just right-click on a file that is not deleted (not moved / renamed) in the usual way and select the program icon from the menu. A window should appear in which you select Delete from the list and press the button OK.

If the file or folder is locked, another window will appear. In it, you must first click on the button Unlock everything, and then Delete.

For those who do not know what bit depth is on the system - we read

4. Method:

Through file managers

Of all the most popular and commonly used file managers the most popular is Total Commander.

File managers have the ability to bypass some Windows restrictions, which we will use.

To delete a non-removable file, we need to download one of these file managers, FAR or Total Commander (I use Total Commander Podarok Edition). After downloading and installing, find your file in the list of directories and delete it by either pressing the right mouse button and selecting the Delete item, or by pressing the Delete key on the keyboard.

Also, these managers have good opportunity- see everything that is hidden and encrypted (especially in different colors, like mine). If you do not delete the folder, then go into it through the manager and see what's there. If you see hidden file, which means he interferes. Then launch Task Manager ctrl+shift+esc), go to the Processes tab and look for this file in the list (it’s good to click on the button at the bottom left of the dispatcher Display processes of all users), find and complete (del or RMB -> End process or end process button in the lower right corner). With files, the same application, we are looking for the file name and "kill".

5. Method:

Another option with Unlocker

If the folder is not deleted from you, it writes something like "the folder is not empty", then we create new folder on the same disk, transfer non-deleted folders to a new folder, delete the new folder using Unlocker

6. Method:

With autoload

Click Start => Run => In the Run box, type msconfig => Click OK. You will see the System Setup window. Go to the "Startup" tab and in the list of downloaded items, find a name similar to your "non-removable" file.

If there is no such file in the list, then click on the "Disable all" button. Click on the "Apply" => "Close" button. The operating system will issue a warning that all changes made by the system setup program will only take effect after the computer is restarted. Click the "Reboot" button. The computer will restart. After downloading, try deleting the "non-removable" file again.

7. Method:

Using System Restore

In the "System Settings" window (which was the same as in the previous paragraph), select the "General" item. Click on the "Start System Restore" button. In the window that appears, select the item "Restore an earlier state of the computer", click "Next". In a new window, you will see a calendar where you can select the date for system restore. Select a date when the "non-removable" file was not on the computer. Click "Next". Don't worry, System Restore won't affect your personal files.

8. Method:

Lack of permissions to delete files

Right-click on the problematic object and select "Properties" from the drop-down list

In the window that opens, select the "Security" tab

Highlight your name in the list and select "Full Control"

- "Apply" and "OK"

Trying to delete

9. Way:

Use a different operating system.

Try booting from a removable drive (or CD/DVD) (LiveCD or LiveUSB) from another operating system. Then delete the file/folder.

10. Method:

Move somewhere.

Sometimes it helps to move (cut) the folder to an empty flash drive and format it later.

11. Way:

In the window we type chkdsk command c: /f/r and press Enter, while keeping in mind that c: is the name of the drive to be checked. If the disk being checked has a different letter, then write it.

If the checked drive is C:, then when you click Enter You will be prompted to check it the next time you reboot. When asked whether to check or not on the next reboot, type Y and press Enter.

If the disk name is different, then the check will start immediately. At the end of the test, the result of the test will appear. Type exit and click Enter.

Now you can delete the file that you didn't want to delete. In the case of drive C, just restart the computer and after checking, delete the non-removable file.

12. Way:

In the case of opening the command line through Start - All Programs ... run the process as an administrator (RMB and Run as Administrator) and move to the folder with the file (or folder) that cannot be deleted using the cd \ command in order to end up in the root directory drive, and then cd folder_name to go to the desired folder.