Windows 7, Deleting Large files is extremely slow. (Not going to recycle bin, permanent delete)

That is excessive for sure, and as said, the estimated time remaining can be all over the chart. I would suggest placing all the files to be deleted in one folder, and then  and then installing Unlocker,  but make sure that you deselect the Bing toolbar and other add on option when that window comes up during installation. 

Then open up the location of your files, right click on the folder and choose Unlocker, and then delete.

Hi

Thanks for your reply.  I will have a look at that application you posted a link for.

As it happens, I finally waited it out - all 17 hours of it! I have set the File History to  a 1 month period now so I am hopeful that it is more manageable now. If it still proves to be of a silly size I will just do without File History completely. It would be much more sensible if MS had allowed a 'keep X number of files' instead of just a time period.

"You can boot the system into Safe Mode and [run] some tests."

So, what you are saying is, "You need to reboot your system to delete large files." Is this a new feature or an enhancement? (Maybe we should patch this?) 

I run into this very frequently. I do not believe that this is an acceptable performance behavior.  

I hope no one is holding their breath. This has been a problem for Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and currently I'm "enjoying" watching Windows 10 do the same thing.

Microsoft, let me try to explain this to you in a very simple manner, perhaps then you can muster the three IQ points required to understand. When delete is selected the file(s) should be immediately deleted. No discovering, no calculating, nothing except DELETING THE FILES AS INSTRUCTED.

Is any of that unclear?

Just use the command line - works for me every time: always did - right back to the original windows when the command line was all we had.

Left pane in explorer,

right click on the folder containing the file you want to delete

click on 'open command window here'

command window opens

type "del <filename>" 

gone

And if you want to copy files quicker and simpler than the windows copy function, use Ice Mirror (google it).  I've used it for years to do backups/block copy.  

Tried Tera Copy years ago, pretty good too.

I have not had this issue since Windows 7.  Windows 8, 8.1, and 10 work fine.  No issues deleting large files or any files for that matter. 

Tried all of the above.

Was even about to reboot into safe Mode, when I typed Window+X and noticed the "Compand Prompt (Admin)" item.

I had previously tried to delete the huge file from cmd prompt, but it just stuck.

Worked from "Administrator: Command Prompt" immediately. File gone! No progress dialogs, no waiting.