Can you not delete some files on your Windows PC? We often face this error while removing an unwanted program from your PC, particularly spyware. If you do, then these free file deleter software will help you delete undeletable locked files & folders.
How to delete locked files and folders that won’t delete
The most common errors we get are:
- Cannot delete file: Access is denied
- There has been a sharing violation.
- The source or destination file may be in use.
- The file is in use by another program or user
- The 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:
- Free File Unlocker
- Tizer Unlocker
- Emco Unlock It
- Delete Doctor
- Wise Force Deleter
- Unlocker
- Malwarebytes FileASSASSIN
- LockHunter
- Emco Unlock It.
1] Free File Unlocker
Free File Unlocker is a free software that helps users unlock and delete undeletable files and folders from their Windows PCs. Like most such tools, Free File Unlocker has a clean and intuitive interface. The main overview includes a menu bar, shortcut buttons, and a panel to see the selected files and folders. Users can select the locked files manually or let the tool display them automatically. The display panel lists locked files and details such as file path, file name, etc. The tool helps you delete, rename, or move the selected files from the PC. Furthermore, the tool can also terminate the running processes on your PC. To summarize, this tool is the right choice for eliminating the errors we encounter when removing a program from the PC.
Read: Deleting files stuck at 99 on Windows 11
2] Tizer Unlocker
Tizer UnLocker is, again, a simple, lightweight tool with a minimal interface. With 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 undeletable files 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.
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 applies the changes during your next system reboot. Again, this tool comes with the inbuilt browser button and the drag and drop option. All you have to do is drag the selected files on the program interface and select the required action. Delete, Rename or Move the files and configure it by setting the required parameters. The software has 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 delete 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 drag and drop them into the tool. Delete Doctor can also schedule the deletion of index.dat files that store all your internet history. This is, again, a very simple, lightweight tool for removing locked or 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 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 at once. 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 suggests, this tool unlocks files that are somehow locked. It unlocks and deletes files and folders that are otherwise 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 easy 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 a free utility that helps you delete locked files from your PC. The tool comes with a plain and simple interface that is useful for novice computer users, too. Just like the other tools, FileASSASIN also has a built-in browser button and a drag-and-drop option. Download the freeware, install it on your PC, and use either option to delete the locked files. While the program normally deletes most files, some files and folders might require a system reboot as well.
Note: Take a look at File Locksmith PowerToy.
8] LockHunter
LockHunter is a foolproof file unlocker that deletes locked files. Unlike similar tools, it places deleted files in the Recycle Bin, so you can restore them if you accidentally delete them. It is available here.
Also read: Delete Files & Folders that cannot be deleted using ForceDelete
Here’s our list of free software that helps you unlock corrupted files and rename, move, or delete them easily. Do let us know if you know of such free utilities.
These posts may interest you too:
- Unblock or delete locked or protected files on Windows using ThisIsMyFile
- How to delete undeletable icons, files or folders on Windows desktop
- Fix problems with Locked Files and File Is Locked error
- How to fix The file name(s) would be too long for the destination folder error message.
