How to delete locked files and folders that won’t delete
The most common errors we get are:
Cannot delete file: Access is deniedThere has been a sharing violation.The source or destination file may be in use.The file is in use by another program or userThe file or directory is corrupted and unreadable.Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use.
Windows sometimes deny deleting a file or a folder to avoid an application crash, thus, make sure you know what you are deleting. Before using any third-party software, try deleting the locked files/folders in Safe Mode. Also, it is highly recommended to create a system restore point before making any changes to your system.
Free File Deleter software for Windows 11/10
If you face such errors and you need to delete the items you can make use of these free file deleter software to delete locked files and folders in Windows 11/10 that won’t delete:
1. Free File Unlocker
Free File Unlocker is a free software which helps users unlock and delete the undeletable files and folders from their Windows PC. Like most of such tools, Free File Unlocker comes with a clean and intuitive interface. The main overview includes a menu bar, a few shortcut buttons, and a panel where you can see the selected files and folders. Users can either select the locked files manually or let the tool display the locked files automatically. The display panel displays a list of locked files along with the details like file path, files, etc. The tool helps you deleting, renaming, or moving the selected files from the PC. Furthermore, the tool also can terminate the running processes on your PC. To sum up the features, this tool is the right choice to get rid of the errors we face while removing a program from the PC.
2. Tizer Unlocker
Tizer UnLocker is again a simple and lightweight tool that comes with a minimal interface. With very few buttons and options this tool can be used even by beginners and novice computer users. It takes hardly a minute to download and install Tizer Unlocker on your PC. In just a few clicks you can unlock the corrupted files and delete them permanently from your PC, specifically the files which are undeletable for some reason. Tizer Unlocker can also kill the process. You can select the desired locked file using the integrated file browser of the tool. Download it here.
3. Emco Unlock It
EMCO UnLock IT earlier called MoveOnBoot is a free tool for handling files and folders, locked by Windows, system services, or other applications. With the help of this tool, you can rename, move or delete any locked file or folder at the next system restart. The tool helps you rename, move, or delete the locked files on your PC. The software brings the changes into effect with your next system reboot. Again, this tool comes with the inbuilt browser button as well as the drag and drop option. All you have to have to do is to drag the selected files on the program interface and select the required action. You can Delete, Rename or Move the files and configure it by setting the required parameters. The software comes with an additional feature where you can bypass the prompt and select the same action for multiple files. Remember that the program requires a system boot for the changes to take effect. The interface of this tool is a bit intricate as compared to other such tools.
4. Delete Doctor
This is a free tool that helps users deleting the leftover files of spyware or trojans or the corrupted and undeletable files from the PC. Like most of such tools, Delete Doctor also comes with browsing and drag-and-drop options. Users can either browse and select the files using the built-in file browser or can drag and drop them in the tool. Delete Doctor can also schedule the delete of index.dat files that store all your internet history. This is again a very simple and lightweight tool idle for removing the locked and corrupted files from your PC. Download it here.
5. Wise Force Deleter
Wise Force Deleter, as named deletes the locked files forcefully from your PC. Like the other tools mentioned above, Wise Force Deleter lets you delete the files even if your Windows PC shows the errors like ‘file being used by another program’ or ‘access denied’ etc. It is free simple software and comes with a plain interface. This tool lets you delete multiple files in one go. While there is no specific button to delete all files, you can press Ctrl+A to select all files and click on ‘Unlock& Delete‘ button in the bottom right corner. Download and install the tool on your PC and get rid of those locked files.
6. Unlocker
As the name signifies, this tool unlocks the files somehow locked for some or the another reason. It unlocks and deletes the files and folders which otherwise are undeletable. Unlocker is a free and fast working tool. You can either browse and delete the file or use the drag-and-drop option. With very few menu options, this tool is plain and simple to use. The Unlocker is an ideal tool for errors like “Cannot delete folder: It is being used” or “Cannot delete file: Access is denied”. The tool is compatible with almost every version of Windows. While installing the tool might try to install some shopping toolbars, be watchful and uncheck the box if you don’t want to install these toolbars. Download Unlocker here.
7. Malwarebytes FileASSASSIN
FileASSASIN is also a free utility that helps you deleting the locked files from your PC. The tool comes with a plain and simple interface useful for novice computer users too. Just like the other tools, FileASSASIN also has the built-in browser button and the drag-and-drop option. Download the freeware, install it on your PC, and use either of the options to delete the locked files from your PC. While the program deletes most of the files normally, some files and folder might require a system reboot too.
8. LockHunter
LockHunter is a foolproof file unlocker to delete locked files. Unlike other similar tools, it deletes files into the Recycle Bin so you may restore them if deleted by mistake. It is available here. So, this is our list of free software that helps you unlock the corrupted files, rename, move or delete them easily. Do let us know if you know of such free utilities. These posts may interest you too:
