How to Force Delete a File (Files) in Windows 10?

How to Force Delete a File (Files) in Windows 10?

Geeks - To force delete a file in Windows 10, you can use the Command Prompt to do so. Here's how:

Open the Start menu and search for "Command Prompt".

Right-click on the "Command Prompt" result and select "Run as administrator".

In the Command Prompt, type the following command to delete the file, replacing "FILE_NAME" with the name of the file you want to delete:

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del /F /Q "FILE_NAME"

Press Enter to run the command. This will force delete the file, even if it is currently in use by another program or process.

Note: Be very careful when using the del command, as it will permanently delete the file and it cannot be undone. It's always a good idea to make a backup of your important files before deleting them.

If you want to force delete a folder (instead of a file), you can use the rd command instead of the del command. Here's how:

Open the Start menu and search for "Command Prompt".

Right-click on the "Command Prompt" result and select "Run as administrator".

In the Command Prompt, type the following command to delete the folder, replacing "FOLDER_NAME" with the name of the folder you want to delete:

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rd /S /Q "FOLDER_NAME"

Press Enter to run the command. This will force delete the folder and all of its contents, even if it contains files that are currently in use by another program or process.

Note: As with the del command, be very careful when using the rd command, as it will permanently delete the folder and its contents, and this cannot be undone. It's always a good idea to make a backup of your important files before deleting them.