When Windows refuses to remove a file, the frustration is immediate — but the reasons are usually diagnosable and fixable. This in-depth guide walks through every practical method to force delete a file that won't delete on Windows 10 and Windows 11, explains why files become stubborn in the...
chkdsk
command line
external drives
file in use
force delete
icacls
long paths
malware removal
ntfs permissions
ownership
process explorer
reservednames
safe mode
takeown
third-party tools
trustedinstaller
windows 10
windows 11
winre
People at various times run into mysterious problems that have no apparent source but are eventually found out to be caused by the innocent use of a file named "aux.txt" or any one of the other reserved file names. It isn't realistic to expect that all users of such an ubiquitous system as...