Some users are experiencing an Error 0x80070050, The file exists, when deleting a file on their Windows 11/10 PC. In this guide, we provide several working solutions that can resolve the issue permanently.
What is Error 0x80070050, The file exists
We typically encounter this error when attempting to delete a file that has already been deleted on our Windows PC. The file was already deleted, but we still see it in our folders due to cache or file corruption. Not only does it occur due to cache or corrupted files, but it may also happen due to malware, hard disk failures, and other issues. Let’s see how we can fix Error 0x80070050, The file exists on Windows 11/10.
Fix Error 0x80070050, The file exists when deleting a file
Error 0x80070050, The file exists can be fixed in the following ways-
- Restart Explorer and then try again
- Restart PC and then try again
- Boot in Safe Mode or Clean Boot and then try again
- Use Command Prompt to delete the file.
- Run ChkDsk and then try again.
- Reset Recycle Bin.
Let’s see each way in a detailed manner and use them to fix the error.
1] Restart Explorer and then try again
The ‘File exists’ error might have occurred because File Explorer was not updating the files. You can restart File Explorer and resolve it. After restarting Explorer, try deleting the files again.
2] Restart PC and then try again
There may be some unexpected issues that have occurred on your PC, which might be resolved by restarting your PC. Do restart your PC and try deleting the files again. If the issue remains unresolved, try the following methods.
3] Boot in Safe Mode or Clean Boot and then try again
Booting in Safe Mode starts your PC with a minimal set of drivers and programs that are essential to run the PC.
The easiest way to boot Windows into Safe Mode, would be to press Shift and then click on Restart. This will reboot your Windows computer into Advanced Startup Options.
After booting in Safe Mode, try to delete the files that were causing the error. If the error is not resolved, continue with a Clean Boot, which is used to resolve issues.
When you run your PC in Clean Boot mode, only the essential components of the Windows and drivers run. All the third-party software will be disabled. Check if the error still occurs in Clean Boot mode. If not, it might have occurred due to a third-party application that you have installed or updated recently. You need to uninstall it and see if that resolves the error.
4] Use Command Prompt to delete the file
Microsoft writes various commands to do various things on Windows using Command Prompt. You can use Command Prompt even to delete files. It gives you the possibility to delete files, entire folders, and also force delete them.
5] Run CHKDSK and then try again
There is a possibility that the error might have occurred due to the failure or bad health of the hard disk. You need to make sure the hard disk is okay by running CHKDSK and rectify the errors (if any) on your hard disk. Then try deleting the files.
6] Reset Recycle Bin
There is a chance that you are not able to delete files and see the error due to corruption of the Recycle Bin or any other issue with it. You can reset Recycle Bin to fix the issues with it. It will resolve the file exists error and let you delete files.
Read: Cannot delete items from Recycle Bin.
How do you delete a file that is still running?
We encounter situations where we cannot close or view a file to prevent it from running. You can restart your PC and then try again or you can delete those files using a command to force delete them using Command Prompt.
Can’t delete file because it does not exist?
Sometimes, you may see a file in the Explorer but cannot delete it, and you receive an ‘File does not exist’ error. You can use the methods, such as restarting Explorer, deleting through the command prompt, resetting the Recycle Bin, etc.
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