There could be at least 4 reasons you cannot remove those stubborn files or folders.<\/p>\n
- \n
- The file or folder is currently in use by some program<\/a>\n
- \n
- Option 1: Restart the Explorer Shell<\/a><\/li>\n
- Option 2: Use IOBit Unlocker<\/a><\/li>\n
- Option 3: Use Process Explorer to close the handle<\/a><\/li>\n
- Option 4: Use MoveFile.exe to delete or rename file\/folder on reboot<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Can’t delete files or folders having invalid character in their names<\/a>\n
- \n
- Using WinRAR to delete an invalid file or folder<\/a> Easiest option!!<\/span><\/li>\n
- Manually deleting a file or folder containing an invalid name<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- You don’t have the required NTFS permissions<\/a><\/li>\n
- File system corruption<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n
How to Delete a Stubborn Undeletable File or Folder in Windows<\/h2>\n
<\/a>“File in Use” Scenario<\/h3>\n
There are umpteen software programs that help you release the lock on a file\/folder by some application. Utilities like Unlocker and Process Explorer will help you forcibly close the file or folder handle and then delete the file or folder.<\/p>\n
Before resorting to using those programs, first see if you can delete the stubborn file after logging off and logging in again, or after a restart cycle. It helps in most cases. Even better, start Windows in Safe mode and delete the stubborn file or folder. See how to\u00a0Start your PC in safe mode<\/a> in Windows 10 or 11.<\/p>\n
If you want to delete the file or folder without having to restart Windows, you can use tools like Process Explorer<\/strong> or Unlocker<\/strong>. These tools help you find the program\/executable is causing the problem, release the lock and delete the file.<\/p>\n
![\"tips](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/icotip.gif\")
<\/strong>You can also use the built-in Resource Monitor<\/strong> to view the offending program, but Resource Monitor can’t be used to close the file handle. For more information, see the post Find Which Process Has Locked a File Without 3rd Party Tools<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a>Restart Explorer Shell<\/h4>\n
File Explorer<\/strong> may sometimes have a lock on media files hooked up by its shell extensions generally. If that’s the case, cleanly exiting the Explorer shell will help. Here is how to cleanly terminate and restart the Explorer shell<\/a> in Windows 7 through 10.<\/p>\n
![\"cleanly](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/exit-restart-explorer-task-manager.png\")
<\/p>\nNote that in Windows 7 and above, the Windows “File in use” dialog will show you the name of the program using the file. All you need to do is first close the program.<\/p>\n
![\"file](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/file-in-use-program-name.png\")
<\/p>\nHowever, the program name may not be displayed in some cases, and that’s why we need tools like Unlocker, Process Explorer or Resource Monitor.<\/p>\n
<\/a>IObit Unlocker<\/h4>\n
IObit Unlocker<\/a> setup adds a context menu extension for files and folders. When you right-click on a file or folder and click IObit Unlocker, it shows which program is using the target file or folder.<\/p>\n
![\"IObit](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/iobit-unlocker.png\")
<\/p>\nUnlocker also offers you these options, which are self-explanatory even for end-users:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Unlock<\/li>\n
- Unlock & Delete<\/li>\n
- Unlock & Rename<\/li>\n
- Unlock & Move<\/li>\n
- Unlock & Copy<\/li>\n
- Forced mode<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
You can try “Forced mode” if unlock fails in normal mode. It’s an aggressive mode wherein it terminates the related processes rather than just closing the file\/folder handle.<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Process Explorer<\/h3>\n
Process Explorer is an excellent tool that needs no introduction. We’ve covered Process Explorer many times<\/a> in the past.<\/p>\n
Launch Process Explorer as administrator<\/strong>. Use the Find<\/strong> option (Ctrl<\/kbd> + F<\/kbd>), type in the part of the file name, and press Enter.<\/kbd><\/p>\n
![\"process](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/file-in-use-name-process-explorer.png\")
<\/p>\nYou’ll see the process which is using that file.\u00a0All you need to do is close the program manually, and then delete the stubborn file.<\/p>\n
Also, Process Explorer lets you close the file handle via the lower pane view. However, exiting the program is the most preferred way.<\/p>\n
![\"process](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/file-in-use-close-handle-process-explorer.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/a>MoveFile.exe from Windows SysInternals<\/h4>\n
MoveFile<\/a> utility (to be run from administrator Command Prompt<\/a> window) allows you to schedule move and delete commands for the next reboot.<\/p>\n
Usage:<\/strong><\/p>\n
movefile.exe [source] [dest]<\/pre>\n
Specifying an empty destination (“”) deletes the source at boot. An example that deletes
stubborn.pdf<\/code> is:<\/p>\nExample<\/strong><\/p>\n
movefile d:\\tools\\stubborn.pdf \"\"<\/pre>\n
![\"movefile](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/movefile-example-delete-on-reboot.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"arrow](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/hand-arrow.png\")
The MoveFile utility works not just for files, but for folders as well!<\/strong><\/p>\nTo delete (on reboot) a folder named “1” located on my desktop, I used this command:<\/p>\n
movefile C:\\Users\\ramesh\\desktop\\1 \"\"<\/pre>\n
The job was perfectly completed after a restart!\u00a0The MoveFile utility uses MoveFileEx API to rename or delete a file. It registers the delete or rename operation in a
MULTI_STRING<\/code> registry value namedPendingFileRenameOperations<\/code>, under the following branch:<\/p>\nHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\System\\CurrentControlSet\\Control\\Session Manager<\/pre>\n
![\"movefile](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/movefile-pendingfilerenameoperations.png\")
<\/p>\nDuring the next restart, the Session Manager performs the delete or rename task by reading the registered rename and delete commands from the
PendingFileRenameOperations<\/code> registry value. As you can see in the above screenshot, Windows Defender seems to have scheduled a delete operation (to get rid of a superseded driver file) after a signature update.<\/p>\nDownload MoveFile<\/strong><\/a> from Windows Sysinternals.<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Files or folders having reserved names or invalid characters in their names<\/h3>\n
Sample scenario:\u00a0 Can’t empty Windows.old<\/a> using Disk Cleanup or Storage Settings as the files in Cortana “LocalState” folder remains undeletable<\/strong><\/p>\n
IOBit Unlocker is also helpful when you’re unable to clear out the
Windows.old<\/code> folder (which stores the previous Windows installation<\/a> files) after installing the latest Feature Update. Windows.old may sometimes be undeletable due to a problem (invalid characters<\/strong> in the file name) with files under theMicrosoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy<\/code> folder underC:\\Windows.old<\/code>. The complete path for the problematic folder is below:<\/p>\nC:\\Windows.old\\Users\\{username}\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy<\/pre>\n![\"cannot](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/cortana-inaccessible-folder-2.png\")
<\/p>\nAs you can see, the folder
LocalState<\/code> has a couple of dots (..) after its name, which could be preventing the folder from being deleted or accessed. Attempts to delete the folder result in the following error:<\/p>\nAn unexpected error is keeping you from deleting the folder. If you continue to receive this error, you can use the error code to search for help with this problem.\r\n\r\nError 0x80004005: Unspecified error\r\n<\/pre>\n
with options to
Try Again<\/code>,Skip<\/code> orCancel<\/code> the operation.<\/p>\n(or)<\/p>\n
Location is not available<\/strong>\r\n\r\nC:\\Windows.old\\Users..\\AppData\\Local\\packages\\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\\LocalState is unavailable. If the location is on this PC, make sure the device or drive is connected or the disc is inserted, and then try again. If the location is on a network, make sure you're connected to the network or Internet, and then try again. If the location still can't be found, it might have been moved or deleted.<\/pre>\n
![\"cannot](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/cortana-inaccessible-folder-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"hand](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/hand.png\")
Easy fix: In IOBit Unlocker<\/strong>, choose the option Unlock & Delete<\/strong> after selecting the Cortana<\/code> folder (or the entireWindows.old<\/code> folder). This\u00a0will help you completely wipe out Windows.old folder<\/a> easily.<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Using WinRAR to delete an invalid file or folder (easiest option)<\/h4>\n
WinRAR’s file manager can handle files and folders that have Unicode or hidden characters in the file name. Using WinRAR, you can rename or delete files or folders containing invalid characters, trailing spaces, or dots.<\/p>\n
![\"winrar](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/del-stubborn-file-winrar-1.png\")
<\/p>\nYou can easily rename or delete a problematic file using WinRAR’s file manager user interface.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Download WinRAR and run it.<\/li>\n
- In WinRAR, browse the parent folder that has the problematic file or subfolder.<\/li>\n
- Right-click on the item and choose Rename<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- Assign a valid name that the Windows Operating System will support.
\n![\"winrar](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/del-stubborn-file-winrar-4.png\")
<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nTo delete<\/strong> a file (instead of renaming it), press Shift<\/kbd> + Del<\/kbd> (for permanent deletion) or Del<\/kbd> (to send it to Recycle Bin).<\/p>\n
Note that the Del<\/kbd> command may not work in some cases — e.g., the file name contains invalid characters, or the file name is too long. It would ask you to use Shift<\/kbd> + Del<\/kbd> to delete the file.<\/p>\n
![\"winrar](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/del-stubborn-file-winrar-2.png\")
<\/p>\nSo, press Shift<\/kbd> + Del<\/kbd> for permanent deletion, and click Yes to proceed.<\/p>\n
![\"winrar](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/del-stubborn-file-winrar-3.png\")
<\/p>\nvoil\u00e0! The stubborn file\/folder is now gone. Thanks to WinRAR for making the job very easy!<\/p>\n
The case of the duplicate Windows directory<\/strong><\/p>\n
Here’s another case where a duplicate “Windows ” directory (with a trailing space) appeared after updating Windows.<\/p>\n
Attempting to access the folder contents caused the error “Location is not available”.<\/p>\n
![\"duplicate](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/duplicate-windows-dir.png\")
<\/p>\nAttempting to delete the item via Safe mode caused the following error:<\/p>\n
The action can't be completed because the folder or the file in it is open in another program.<\/pre>\n
![\"duplicate](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/duplicate-windows-dir-2.png\")
<\/p>\nLooking at the timestamp in the error message, it appears as if the delete command was being executed on the real “Windows” folder instead of the duplicate “Windows ” folder, even though the user selected the duplicate Windows folder and pressed the Del key. This is a strange situation where the File ID returned by FsUtil.exe (and the Inode ID returned by WSL) were exactly the same for both folders.<\/em><\/p>\n
A Windows user named Angelo<\/a> indicated that WinRAR helped her nuke the stubborn and inaccessible “Windows ” folder. Note that the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) was unable to see the duplicate Windows directory. WSL returned the same INODE for both “Windows” and “Windows ” directories.<\/em><\/p>\n
Fortunately, the WinRAR method worked!<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Deleting file names (with reserved characters) manually<\/h4>\n
If you want to wipe off those invalid files and folders manually, you can use the internal syntax “
\\\\?\\<\/code>” for file or folder paths. See examples and screenshots below:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<\/a>Invalid or reserved characters in the filename<\/h4>\n
You may not be able to delete a file if the file name includes an invalid name (for example, the file name has a trailing space or a trailing period or the file name is made up of a space only). To resolve this issue, use a tool that uses the appropriate internal syntax to delete the file. You can use the “\\\\?\\” syntax with some tools to operate on these files, for example:<\/em><\/p>\n
del \"\\\\?\\c:\\path_to_file_that contains a trailing space.txt \"<\/pre>\n
Src: Excerpt from Microsoft KB You cannot delete a file or a folder on an NTFS file system volume<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
Here’s an example where a file had a trailing space and the usual
del *.*<\/code> command didn’t work out. It returned the error “The system cannot find the file specified”:<\/p>\n![\"stubborn](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/stubborn-file-1.png\")
<\/p>\nHowever, using the internal syntax (“
\\\\?\\<\/code>“) and including the trailing space made deletion of the file possible.<\/p>\n![\"stubborn](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/stubborn-file-3.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/div>\nEXAMPLE: Deleting folders with reserved names or having invalid characters (such as dots and spaces) in the name.<\/h4>\n
To delete the
LocalState..<\/code> folder under the Cortana Package folder, here is the path and command-line you use:<\/p>\nrd \/s \\\\?\\C:\\Windows.old\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\\LocalState..\\<\/pre>\n
Run that command from an administrator Command Prompt<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Another example:<\/strong><\/p>\n
Let’s say we have some invalid folders, namely
Con<\/code>,Conduct.<\/code> andLocalState..<\/code><\/p>\n![\"delete](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/delete-invalid-handle-folder-1.png\")
<\/p>\n(Note that the word
con<\/code> is a reserved name<\/a>, and shouldn’t be used in file or folder names.)<\/p>\nAttempting to access the folder with a reserved name normally (e.g.,
con<\/code>) causes the following error:<\/p>\nLocation is not available\r\n\r\npath:\\con is not accessible.\r\n\r\nThe handle is invalid.\r\n<\/pre>\n
![\"the](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/delete-invalid-handle-folder-0.png\")
<\/p>\nTo delete the folder, we’ll now run the following command from the admin Command Prompt<\/a>:<\/p>\n
rd \/s \"\\\\?\\C:\\con\"<\/pre>\n
The other two folders namely
conduct.<\/code> andLocalState..<\/code> have invalid characters (.) in the file name. Let’s run the following commands to delete those folders:<\/p>\nrd \/s \"\\\\?\\C:\\conduct.\"\r\nrd \/s \"\\\\?\\C:\\LocalState..\"<\/pre>\n
![\"delete](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/delete-invalid-handle-folder-2.png\")
<\/p>\nVoila! The three folders are now removed.<\/p>\n
![\"delete](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/delete-invalid-handle-folder-3.png\")
<\/p>\nFor more information on dealing with files containing reserved or invalid characters, see Microsoft article You cannot delete a file or a folder on an NTFS file system volume<\/a>.<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Incorrect NTFS Permissions<\/h3>\n
If your user account control lacks the permissions to modify a file or folder, you’ll see the “permission denied” dialog when attempting to delete it. All you need to do is take ownership of the file or folder, assign your account full control permissions before deleting the file.<\/p>\n
You can take ownership of files\/folders and assign permissions via Properties, Security tab. But some users prefer the command-line method using
Takeown.exe<\/code>\u00a0and\u00a0ICacls.exe<\/code>.<\/p>\n![\"Take](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/05\/takeown-cmd.png\")
<\/p>\nFor detailed information, see our illustrative article\u00a0how to take ownership of the file(s) and folder(s)<\/a>\u00a0(using Takeown.exe<\/code>, even recursively across sub-folders). It also describes how to assign permissions usingicacls.exe<\/code>.\u00a0Alternately, you can launch Command Prompt under System<\/a> or TrustedInstaller<\/a> privileges to force delete an undeletable file or folder.<\/p>\nRelated Tip:<\/strong> For easier access, you can even add “Take Ownership & Assign Full permissions” option to the right-click menu<\/a>, especially if you’re going to use the option more frequently. This registry tweak does the Takeown.exe<\/code> andICacls.exe<\/code> operations in one go. No need to type those commands manually!<\/p>\n![\"take](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/take_ownership_context_menu.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/a>File system corruption<\/h3>\n
File system corruption causes errors such as “The File or Directory is Corrupted and Unreadable<\/strong><\/em>” when accessing or deleting a file or folder. Running disk Error Checking or
Chkdsk<\/code> command ought to fix the problem.<\/p>\nError Checking<\/h4>\n
Open This PC (my Computer), right-click on the drive which contains the stubborn file, and click Properties. Select the Tools menu, and click “Check”.<\/p>\n
![\"disk](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/w10-error-checking-1.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"disk](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/w10-error-checking-4.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"disk](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/w10-error-checking-3.png\")
<\/p>\nClicking the\u00a0Show Details<\/strong> link opens the relevant Event Viewer entry in the Application Log. It tells you what the problem is.<\/p>\n
![\"error](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/error-checking-event-log.png\")
<\/p>\nThen proceed to repair the drive now, or on the next restart as you so prefer.<\/p>\n
![\"disk](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/w10-error-checking-5.png\")
<\/p>\nChkdsk<\/h4>\n
Alternately, you can run
Chkdsk <driveletter:> \/R<\/code> from an elevated Command Prompt. It asks for your consent to dismount the drive and run a scan. If you choose “N<\/code>” (No), it’ll prompt for scheduling a scan at the next reboot. ClickY<\/code> to continue.<\/p>\n![\"chkdsk](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/w10-chkdsk.png\")
<\/p>\nAfter fixing the file system errors using disk Error checking or Chkdsk, see if you can delete the stubborn file or folder.<\/p>\n
If you know any other interesting methods to delete files that are otherwise “undeletable”, post them in the Comments section below.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Many of you would have come across situations where you can’t delete a file or folder no matter how you try. This article discusses the ways to delete files or folders that are stubborn or undeletable using normal methods.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6,7],"tags":[412],"class_list":["post-6319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-utilities","category-windows","tag-process-explorer"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8402,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/could-not-find-this-item-when-deleting-file-folder-windows\/","url_meta":{"origin":6319,"position":0},"title":"[Fix] “Could not find this item” When Deleting a File or Folder in Windows","author":"Ramesh","date":"March 31, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"When you attempt to delete a file or folder on your Windows computer, the \"Item not found\" error may appear. Here is the full error message: Could not find this item. This is no longer located in [folder path]. Verify the item's location and try again. This article explains how\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows"","block_context":{"text":"Windows","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"delete folder reserved or invalid characters in name","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/delete-invalid-handle-folder-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/delete-invalid-handle-folder-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/delete-invalid-handle-folder-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/delete-invalid-handle-folder-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1590,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/delete-windows-old-folder-previous-versions\/","url_meta":{"origin":6319,"position":1},"title":"How to Delete Windows.old folder [Previous versions of Windows]","author":"Ramesh","date":"February 6, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Windows Operating System upgrades and version updates would leave plenty of files behind in the system drive. This is because Windows keeps the files from the previous versions of Windows in a separate folder in case the user wants to roll back the major update (or OS upgrade). For instance,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows 10"","block_context":{"text":"Windows 10","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-10\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"how to delete windows.old folder","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/cortana-localstate-folder-delete.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/cortana-localstate-folder-delete.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/cortana-localstate-folder-delete.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19688,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/compressed-zip-folder-error-file-not-found-no-read-permission\/","url_meta":{"origin":6319,"position":2},"title":"Compressed (Zipped) Folder Error “File not found or no read permission”","author":"Ramesh","date":"November 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"When you try to create a compressed (zipped) folder in Windows 10, the following error occurs: Compressed (zipped) Folders Error File not found or no read permission. You may have noticed that this error doesn't happen on drives formatted as FAT32.\u00a0This article explains why this problem occurs and how to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows"","block_context":{"text":"Windows","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"compressed folder create error - no read permissions - process explorer","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/procexp-find-locked-files.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/procexp-find-locked-files.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/procexp-find-locked-files.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1561,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/quick-access-home-stuck-pinned-items-reset\/","url_meta":{"origin":6319,"position":3},"title":"[Fix] Quick Access Pinned Shortcuts Stuck or Not Working","author":"Ramesh","date":"February 3, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Quick access (Home) in Windows 10 and 11 provides a convenient way to access folders you frequently use by pinning them. However, in some situations, the pinned shortcuts in Quick access get stuck, and you cannot remove or unpin them. 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Each tab contains a set of commands such as Cut, Copy, Paste, etc. Ribbon UI was first introduced in Office 2007. Then it was included in File Explorer in Windows 8 and Windows 10. 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- Assign a valid name that the Windows Operating System will support.
- Manually deleting a file or folder containing an invalid name<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Option 2: Use IOBit Unlocker<\/a><\/li>\n
- Option 1: Restart the Explorer Shell<\/a><\/li>\n