Can't delete folder

Hi Michele,

If you are trying to delete a system file or a folder under the root C drive, you will have to take ownership of the files and folders in order to make modifications. This is because system files and folders are owned by the TrustedInstaller.

By default, almost all system files, system folders and even registry keys in Windows 10 are owned by a special built-in user account called TrustedInstaller.

To take ownership of the files and folders:

1. Right-click on the file or folder and go to Properties window. Under Properties, click on Security tab.
2. In the next window, you will see that you don’t have any permission to change it. In such cases, you need to take ownership of the file or folder. To do so click on Advanced.
3. Click on Change and enter the object name. You should type your Windows username as the object name, then click OK. You should then be able to see that the owner has changed.
4. Click on Replace owner on subcontainers and object and click Apply.
5. Once you click on Apply, you’ll see a warning message. Just click on Yes to proceed. Then, you will need to click OK twice.
6. Now, under the Advanced permissions, you will see a change, and you will see the option to add Multiple Objects. To add multiple objects and to inherit permission you can click on Change Permissions.
7. To inherit permissions, click on Enable inheritance. To add a new object, click on Add, and click on Select a Principal and type in the object name.
8. Now,  you can enable the Basic Permission. If you want to enable advanced permission, click on Show advanced permissions.
9. Once you complete everything, click OK and close the window. You should be able to delete the particular folder or file.

Let us know how it goes.