A Windows Vista forum. Vista Banter

Welcome to Vista Banter.

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions, articles and access our other FREE features. By joining our free community you will have access to ask questions and reply to others posts, upload your own photos and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact support.

Go Back   Home » Vista Banter forum » Microsoft Windows Vista » Windows Vista File Management
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Windows Vista File Management Issues or questions in relation to Vista's file management. (microsoft.public.windows.vista.file_management)

How to delete folders from previous install?



 
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #11 (permalink)  
Old December 19th 06, 12:47 AM posted to microsoft.public.windows.vista.file_management
Jimmy Brush
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 827
Default How to delete folders from previous install?

Hello,

Taking ownership of files does not automatically grant you "complete
control" over the files. The only thing ownership of an object entitles you
to do is to be able to add/remove permissions, even if the object does not
explicitly give you that privilege.

The problem you are running into is that even though you have ownership of
the files, you are not granted full control over the files, as you have
noticed; or, there are files that are explicitly denying you permission,
which take precendence over allow permissions.

As long as there are no deny permissions blocking you (which should be the
case unless you upgraded from another version of Vista), the following steps
should work:

1) open admin command prompt

- Click start
- Type: cmd
- right-click it under programs
- click Run As Administrator

2) take ownership of everything

In the command prompt:
cd ..\..\windows.old
takeown /F . /A /R /D Y

3) grant yourself permission to everything

In the command prompt:
icacls . /grant:r AdministratorsF) /T /L /Q

4) Delete everything

- Make sure you close any explorer or command windows that are looking at or
inside windows.old. If you don't, you will receive an error while performing
this step.

In the command prompt:
cd ..
rmdir /S /Q windows.old

That should do it

--
- JB

Windows Vista Support Faq
http://www.jimmah.com/vista/

  #12 (permalink)  
Old December 19th 06, 02:15 AM posted to microsoft.public.windows.vista.file_management
Jimmy Brush
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 827
Default How to delete folders from previous install?

I should also point out ... if windows.old contains a previous installation
of Windows Vista, things are a lot trickier due to any application
compatability junctions that may be in there.

If you look at the permissions on these junctions (such as All Users inside
the users folder), they have an entry on them that denies everyone access to
them. DO NOT remove this deny permission and perform the steps listed in my
previous post, or you may end up corrupting your current installation of
Vista.

The correct way to delete junctions is with the fsutil command-line tool:

fsutil reparsepoint delete filename

In any case, letting the cleanup wizard take care of things in this scenario
is much easier

- JB
  #13 (permalink)  
Old December 19th 06, 02:34 AM posted to microsoft.public.windows.vista.file_management
Richard Hay
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 59
Default How to delete folders from previous install?

Sorry I forgot the link:

http://forums.microsoft.com/WindowsO...55393&SiteID=2


--
Richard Hay
Windows Live Butterfly
Windows Beta Tester
http://WindowsObserver.com

"Richard Hay" wrote in message
...
Try this - although it says for Windows One Care - same concept applies -
just change the directory - just make sure you do this in an elevated
command prompt.


--
Richard Hay
Windows Live Butterfly
Windows Beta Tester
http://WindowsObserver.com

"Piotr Wozniacki" wrote in message
...
Hi,

This has been asked and answered many times, but none of the answers
semms to work here. I started installing Vista from the XP, but for some
reaosn interupted and installed from the DVD boot. Unfortunately, the old
installation files were renamed "windows.old" and I can't get rid of
them! Tried from both OS'es (XP and Vista); tried taking ownership; tried
running a command prompt as administrator - still no rights to delete.
What gives, besides re-formatting?!!

Piotr




  #14 (permalink)  
Old December 19th 06, 10:57 AM posted to microsoft.public.windows.vista.file_management
koze
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 207
Default How to delete folders from previous install?

Go to the security tab from the folders (as administrator!) and remove the
everyone account first.
It has a deny everyone setting that rules all other settings out!

Ko.

"Ray " schreef in bericht
...
Try opening the folders and then deleting the individual folders/files, I
found that I had to do it this way. It seems that the permissions don't
carry down all the way.
There must be a better way of doing it though, I hope someone knows and
answers.

Ray

"Piotr Wozniacki" wrote in message
...
Hi,

This has been asked and answered many times, but none of the answers
semms to work here. I started installing Vista from the XP, but for some
reaosn interupted and installed from the DVD boot. Unfortunately, the old
installation files were renamed "windows.old" and I can't get rid of
them! Tried from both OS'es (XP and Vista); tried taking ownership; tried
running a command prompt as administrator - still no rights to delete.
What gives, besides re-formatting?!!

Piotr




  #15 (permalink)  
Old December 19th 06, 01:20 PM posted to microsoft.public.windows.vista.file_management
Jimmy Brush
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 827
Default How to delete folders from previous install?

snip
Go to the security tab from the folders (as administrator!) and remove the
everyone account first.
It has a deny everyone setting that rules all other settings out!


I would not suggest following this advice.

The only things that have the Deny-Everyone rule on them are application
compatability junctions. These are like shortcuts that point applications
that try to access them to the new vista locations.

If there is an application compatability junction inside of Windows.Old
(which would be the case if you upgraded or installed over an installation
of Windows Vista), it is pointing to the *real* location of the files in
your current windows installation, not your old files.

If you change this permission on an application compatability junction
inside of windows.old and then delete that junction, you may end up deleting
files from your current installation of windows. For example, deleting
c:\windows.old\users\username\documents\my pictures may end up deleting
c:\users\username\pictures\*.*


--
- JB

Windows Vista Support Faq
http://www.jimmah.com/vista/

 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



All times are GMT. The time now is 12:53 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.0.0 RC6
Copyright ©2004-2024 Vista Banter.
The comments are property of their posters.