deleting folders that refuse to die on windows xp

Computer Help and Discussions The Lounge
1

i have the following folders in C:\Program Files that i would love to delete but they refuse to die. im using windows xp.

xerox

outlook express

netmeeting

msn gaming zone

microsoft frontpage

when i attempt to delete, they say "cannot delete, being used by another person or program" but i know this is false because of the context of the folders or they are just plain empty all the time. for example i never play the games from msn but they always claim they are in use, its not true, its a lie!

i have tried booting off a different harddisk and deleting the folders, but when i boot again they are back!

i have a program called MoveOnBoot but that only works with files.

is there anyway to permanently delete these folders?

thanks you!

2

You have to turn off windows file protection in order to delete those folders which I have done by using Bold Fortune's slimming XP guide.

The first thing I do is download the "Preview Version of XPLite." It's really makes it easy to disable Windows File Protection.

Go to this page. In the upper right-hand corner click on "Download Preview".

http://www.litepc.com/xppreview.html

Open its zip folder and copy the "XPLite_TRIAL.exe" to your Desktop or a folder of your choice.

Open it and go to its "Windows File Protection" tab. Select "Disabled" and then "Apply". Close the program and reboot your compute

Bold Fortune's slimming XP guide?

Might add that I would not attempt slimming XP without a decent backup system such as Norton Ghost or True Image with Bold Fortune recommending as such.

3
You have to turn off windows file protection in order to delete those folders which I have done by using Bold Fortune's slimming XP guide.

Be alot simpler just to use Unlocker (I just tried it on one of those folders and unlocker did its stuff and let me delete it no problem)

4

Several of the folders (all of them perhaps) will be regenerated each time you restart your computer.

5
Be alot simpler just to use Unlocker (I just tried it on one of those folders and unlocker did its stuff and let me delete it no problem)

I was going to say the same thing, its always worked for me....

6
I was going to say the same thing, its always worked for me....

The only problem though is some of the folders may come back after using Windows Update.

7

Isn't unlocker only a trial app? its been a long while since i used it but i seem to remember it only being good for 30 days or so, if this has changed can you confirm.

8

No unlocker is totally free. :)

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/Unlocker.html

9

it's always been free

homepage: http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/

10
i have the following folders in C:\Program Files that i would love to delete but they refuse to die. im using windows xp.

xerox

outlook express

netmeeting

msn gaming zone

microsoft frontpage

when i attempt to delete, they say "cannot delete, being used by another person or program" but i know this is false because of the context of the folders or they are just plain empty all the time. for example i never play the games from msn but they always claim they are in use, its not true, its a lie!

i have tried booting off a different harddisk and deleting the folders, but when i boot again they are back!

i have a program called MoveOnBoot but that only works with files.

is there anyway to permanently delete these folders?

thanks you!

I think you are using the free version of MoveOnBoot. If you download the 30 trial of the 2.9 version of MoveOnBoot, it should delete the files. I used it on the Eeye Security Blink Software files that remained after uninstall and it worked. It took me 6 weeks to find it. Hope this helps and also saves you alot of time. GiPo@FileUtilities 2.9 (English) EXE-Setup (0.9 Mb)

11

Every time I delete them with Unlocker, that stupid WGALOGON process always revives them =\.

12

using Unlocker i was able to delete all of the folders i had mentioned previously.

thank you guys very much for helping me! and thank you for the link to the Bold Fortune forum, i loved reading all the research about the thousands of useless windows xp files.