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External hard drive issue (Can't delete files)

I have an external hard drive that I was using under Windows XP  and am now on Vista 64-bit. I have no problem accessing files on the drive or adding new folders or moving files onto the hard drive. However, I can not delete the files that are on the hard drive. If I right click on the folder or file, the option to delete *literally* does not show in the menu. I am on the administrator account (only account that has been created).

The problem may lie somewhere around this: if I right click on a folder and goto properties, read-only is checked. If I unchecked it and save, it acts like it's applying it to the directory and all sub-directories. When I go back to the properties, it is again as read-only. I'm assuming somewhere herein lies the problem.

Any suggestions?? This has been an incredible pain for many months.

Thanks
Answer
Answer
yuhatn,
If you use your favorite search engine and search for "add take ownership to vista right click" you will  find plenty of third party software downloads that will allow you to change permissions on multiple files and / or folders at once.  I know there is one called TakeControlOf.zip and one called own.zip that you can download for free.

Using Third Party Software, including hardware drivers can cause serious problems that may prevent your computer from booting properly. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Third Party Software can be solved. Using Third Party Software is at your own risk.

Let us know if this informaiton helped resolve your issue or if you still need our assistance.
Thank you,
Gloria
Microsoft Answers Support Engineer
Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.

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Hello Yuhatn,

Thank you for posting.  Your problem is related to file ownership.   You will have to change the permissions of the file/folder to be able to delete it.  You can do this by right clicking on the file/folder and selecting the Security tab.  Once there, you can change the permissions for your account in regards to this file/folder.  You might have to do this for all files in a folder to be able to delete the folder.  There are some 3rd party tools that will allow you to add this function in the right click menu.

Please let me know if this helps you.
Zack
Microsoft Answers Support Engineer Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.

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Last updated March 11, 2024 Views 54,433 Applies to: