How do I delete a corrupted file

Question

I have a file on an external hard drive which is corrupted and I would like to delete it. I have tried using Powershell (as administrator) and the delete command did not work.

Any suggestions would be appreciated

Answer 1

Try these approaches in order on Windows 11.

1. Make sure the file isn’t in use A file that’s open by any process can’t be deleted.

• Close all apps that might be using the file.
• Safely eject and reconnect the external drive.
• Try deleting again in File Explorer:
  • Press Windows key + E to open File Explorer.
  • Browse to the file on the external drive.
  • Select it and press Delete.

If it still won’t delete, a background process may be holding it open. Close any software that might be indexing, backing up, or scanning that drive, then try again.

2. Check for file system corruption on the external drive If the file system is corrupted, Windows may not be able to delete the file until errors are fixed.

Run chkdsk on the external drive:

1. Note the drive letter of the external disk (for example, E:).
2. Open an elevated Command Prompt (Run as administrator).
3. Run:

      chkdsk E: /f
   

4. Let it complete and fix any errors it finds.
5. After it finishes, safely remove and reconnect the drive, then try deleting the file again in File Explorer or with PowerShell.
6. Try deleting in Safe Mode If some process on the normal desktop keeps the file locked, booting into Safe Mode can help:
7. Restart into Safe Mode.
8. Open File Explorer and navigate to the file on the external drive.
9. Delete the file.
10. If multiple causes are involved In more complex cases (for example, permissions issues plus corruption or odd file names), standard tools may fail. After running chkdsk and ensuring the file isn’t in use, advanced tools like subinacl and special path syntax (for example, \\?\E:\path\to\file) can be used to take ownership and then delete, but these are typically needed only when there are unusual name/ACL issues on NTFS volumes.

If the external drive continues to show corruption or more files become inaccessible, back up any important data and consider reformatting the drive.

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References:

• You can't delete a file or a folder on an NTFS file system volume
• Delete a file
• File system corrupts when you delete a file that has 4 GB-1 bytes of size on FAT32 system in Windows

Answer 2

Hi, I'm Rodrigo and I will help you.
Try a third-party tool to delete the file; here is a free portable (no installation) option:

https://www.majorgeeks.com/mg/getmirror/unlocker_portable,2.html

Standard Disclaimer: This is a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.

Download, extract the file, and open Unlocker Portable.exe. Browser to the file and select OK, on the dropdown menu, select "Delete"