Can't delete windows.old folder after Vista upgrade

[Pixelsmack]

Says it's not there even though I can see it and get properties on it. I can't even make it hidden as when I try to do that it tells me it's not there!

I also can't format my backup drive because there's a text file on it that I cannot gain permissions on no matter what I do. It's left over from te upgrade as well. The pop up warning displays a bunch of ascii characters for it's name.

I love beta testing! [oh wait....]

[Absolution]

if you cant set the permissions while in administration mode (turn UAC off temp) use the utility called either icacls.exe (vista) from command prompt or cacls (xp, deprecated in vista but still works probably)

icacls file /grant Administrator:(D,WDAC)
- Will grant the user Administrator Delete and Write DAC
  permissions to file

is what i used to delete my safe disk files
short file names work for the utility if you have lame arabic named files (you can't set the permissions then) - ex A~0F3035.dll would be like A<trashhere>.dll
use the syntax dir /X


ex

09/18/2006  03:43 PM                24 autoexec.bat
09/18/2006  03:43 PM                10 config.sys
02/05/2007  09:01 PM    <DIR>          Data
02/05/2007  10:19 PM               599 DrvInst (1).log
02/05/2007  10:19 PM               286 DrvInst (2).log
02/05/2007  10:21 PM            50,587 DrvInst.log
01/17/2007  03:26 PM                15 evga.txt
02/05/2007  10:22 PM             1,151 Install.log
01/16/2007  02:04 PM    <DIR>          kevin
02/06/2007  12:00 AM    <DIR>          LG Electronics
02/06/2007  02:43 PM    <DIR>          NVIDIA
01/24/2007  07:22 PM    <DIR>          Perl
01/30/2007  03:07 AM               781 prog1.pl
01/30/2007  03:07 AM               955 prog2.pl
02/09/2007  02:21 AM    <DIR>          Program Files
02/05/2007  12:37 AM    <DIR>          SQLEXPRESS
01/30/2007  04:43 PM    <DIR>          Temp
01/30/2007  06:41 PM    <DIR>          test
01/17/2007  03:18 PM    <DIR>          Users
02/06/2007  08:14 PM    <DIR>          Windows
              10 File(s)         55,310 bytes
              13 Dir(s)  72,656,215,040 bytes free

becomes

09/18/2006  03:43 PM                24              autoexec.bat
09/18/2006  03:43 PM                10              config.sys
02/05/2007  09:01 PM    <DIR>                       Data
02/05/2007  10:19 PM               599 DRVINS~1.LOG DrvInst (1).log
02/05/2007  10:19 PM               286 DRVINS~2.LOG DrvInst (2).log
02/05/2007  10:21 PM            50,587              DrvInst.log
01/17/2007  03:26 PM                15              evga.txt
02/05/2007  10:22 PM             1,151              Install.log
01/16/2007  02:04 PM    <DIR>                       kevin
02/06/2007  12:00 AM    <DIR>          LGELEC~1     LG Electronics
02/06/2007  02:43 PM    <DIR>                       NVIDIA
01/24/2007  07:22 PM    <DIR>                       Perl
01/30/2007  03:07 AM               781              prog1.pl
01/30/2007  03:07 AM               955              prog2.pl
02/09/2007  02:21 AM    <DIR>          PROGRA~1     Program Files
02/05/2007  12:37 AM    <DIR>          SQLEXP~1     SQLEXPRESS
01/30/2007  04:43 PM    <DIR>                       Temp
01/30/2007  06:41 PM    <DIR>                       test
01/17/2007  03:18 PM    <DIR>                       Users
02/06/2007  08:14 PM    <DIR>                       Windows
              10 File(s)         55,310 bytes
              13 Dir(s)  72,656,215,040 bytes free

[nekrosoft13]

i have excact same problem, and thas because of securom

securom creates two files with illegal characters that contains some keys or some other bull****, its part of securom driver

those files can't be deleted by normla means

[LycosV]

Originally Posted by nekrosoft13

i have excact same problem, and thas because of securom

securom creates two files with illegal characters that contains some keys or some other bull****, its part of securom driver

those files can't be deleted by normla means

I had the exact same problem as well, I've always hated secuROM.
To fix it just navigate to the folder the weird file names are in using a command prompt. Once you're in that folder just "del *.*" and it'll fry the two offending files, bizzare filenames or not. Then you can kill the folders normally in Windows.

[nekrosoft13]

for reference, here is the securom crap

[nekrosoft13]

del *.*

didn;t work

[XP_GUN]

Try using the Disk Cleanup to delete the old windows, thats how I did it

[Pixelsmack]

disk cleanup said it deleted it, but it didn't. The issue is windows doesn't think the folder exists. As for the other one, poof via cmd, then normal del.

in the cmd prompt those securom files dont show up to be deleted. they only show up in windows.

[Absolution]

for everyone using secure rom - read my post!

you can change the owner via icacls.exe and then delete them with the short dos name!

dont use wildcards because securerom files are hidden and i dont believe wildcards will pick them up, you must use the short dos name

[LycosV]

Did you run your command prompt as an administrator? I am positive that I was able to delete the files using the command prompt. To run it as an admin you have to find command promt in the start menu and right click it to run as an admin, going start->run->cmd never gives you one with admin rights (In Vista anyway).

[Pixelsmack]

I've done that. The issue is those files don't list when you do a dir and del *.*, even though it says it did, doesn't remove them.

Thanks for the info, but this sucks. I am going to blow torch my PC.

[nekrosoft13]

anyone one remmember how to remove these files?

i done it before, but i forgot now