Delete large files

Question

Damn you!! I have large files to delete. WHY does it take HOURS to do this. I hate you!!

Answer 1

You've never even met me and know nothing about me. Why do you hate me?

Please note that this isn't Microsoft you're addressing here; this is a peer support forum. We are all just users of this version of Windows here, helping each other if and when we can. We are not Microsoft employees (not even those of us with "Microsoft MVP" behind our names; that's an honorary title for having provided consistently helpful advice) except for an occasional Microsoft contractor or employee.

If you want to complain to Microsoft about something, please contact them directly. Trying to do it here is just a waste of (figurative) breath, and clutters up the forum.

Answer 2

Well try a default disk clean-up,in run or cmd type: %Temp%  in new window,organize/select all/R.click on any file/delete all,exit.Next return to run,type:

C:\Windows\Temp  do same,some will not as they are in use (5-8) once thru,return to

run type: CLEANMGR /SAGESET  select all,exit,return to run,type: CLEANMGR /SAGERUN  The amount to clean is much more,Win explorer disk clean up,R. click on it,run as Administrator,chk all,click on more options/click on restore & win components button,delete...Also,no Win service(s) take more than 6-10 minutes Max,

the above settings will help,but several hours mean youre pc hardware/or OS need reconfiguration,quit blaming Microsoft ...

Answer 3

It shouldn't -- and normally doesn't -- take hours to delete a file, even a large file.

What sort of storage media are the large files on (regular hard drive, external USB drive, network drive, etc.)?

What is the size of the drive where the large files are located and how much free space does it have (before deleting the files)?  Right-click on the drive, select Properties, and look at the pie chart.

If you first run Disk Cleanup, including deleting the files in the Recycle Bin, does it still take a long time to delete large files?

If you press the SHIFT key while pressing the DELete key, a file will be permanently deleted without being moved to the Recycle Bin.  This may be faster for large files (attempting to delete very large files may result in the message that the "File is too large for Recycle Bin" and the file will be permanently deleted when you select "Yes").