Can't delete file - padlocked

[Sargan]

I have been running my W7 64 bit install with User profiles moved off default location to separate HDD.

In order to use Windows Repair/Upgrade Disk I need to move them back.
Prepared for move back, by paring down dramatically in size by putting /my pics / my music etc. locations off the C:\

Although I have been using PC with profiles moved off, somehow a couple of files have been created by some apps on C:\

I can live without them (just a few Adobe & wondershare historical)
But I can't delete this profile .. even though logged into to another account as admin.
It shows 'username' with a padlock against it.
I have tried Taking ownership - no change
I have tried using Unlocker - if fails
In properties it shows that I have full permissions ... and for example it will allow me to rename the folder .. but not delete it?

I tried moving my profiles opting to move&merge but it got messy & failed as it could not copy across some files due to permissions.
Therefore having recovered back - obviously need to delete this C:\users\name before I try this again.

How do I 'unlock' this file, so I can delete.

 

[TrainableMan]

I'm not sure why windows repair would care where your data is located. Is this the startup repair from the Windows Installation disk? Is it even a product from Microsoft?

Even if you moved your data off the C: drive there are still numerous folders, including several hidden folders, that stay under C:\Users\{logonID}. The registry is tied to numerous folders under C:\users and moving/deleting them could end up in a corrupted registry and possibly prevent your system from working correctly.

The only way to safely Delete C:\Users\{logonID} is to first logon as another administrator and delete that user through Control Panel > User Accounts. Then you can turn on hidden & system files/folders and delete them. Never delete Admin, All Users, Default, Default User, or Public. But as I said at the beginning I really don't believe that's the problem.

 

[Sargan]

"I'm not sure why windows repair would care where your data is located"

Well it certainly does - Boot off Windows system disk, and when you try upgrade option to get to repair .. it stops advising MS does not support user profiles being on different partition.

I followed correct procedure to move profiles off C:\user including registry changes ..been working fine for about 2 years.
To move back again I followed procedure ... but it fails as after copying a load of files (Appdata mainly) it then throws up a popup theta it can't copy file as it needs administrator permissions.
Even though I'm logged in as Admin.

My thought were that the 'partial profile' on C:\ created by Adobe was the issue (this was created months after I had moved profile off C:\
I tried another route ,, renamed by current profile to a different name, on chance it would then move to C:\ as thee wre no name conflicts .... but again same issue.
So it looks like something 'in' the profile is stopping this, not the locked file.

 

[TrainableMan]

What do you mean "when you try upgrade option" ? What are you upgrading? I thought you were using a Windows 7 Installation DVD (upgrade licensed version) to run System Repair? You get to System Repair by going to the installation option and choosing System Repair (in the corner). System Repair should only be looking at the boot loader and the C:\windows system files, not at data.

But about the folder, appdata is especially volatile because it actually has a recursive pointer back to itself. Do you have your Windows Explorer set to show hidden files/folders & to NOT hide system folders?
See if maybe there are hidden subfolders you must delete first.

Could you post a screenshot of Windows Explorer expanded to show what you are trying to delete.

 

[Sargan]

Yes I am us8ing W7 installation CD and I am following the procedure stated here http://www.pcworld.com/article/243190/how_to_repair_a_corrupt_windows_7_installation.html

Which specifically tells you to select UPGRADE to get to repair option, when I follow it fails with error as explained.

Also I have found I don't 'need' to delete file the issue seems to be with my profile .. even once renamed ... when I try to 'paste' back into C:\users (exactly as per tutorial here following option 1 method 2) it fails with the issue 'need Administrator permissions'
Even though I am logged off the profile and logged in as admin form another account.

 

[TrainableMan]

OK, that's an actual installation. Most people try the "System Repair" option from the installation menu, but it wouldn't be what you are attempting.

My personal opinion is that if a system is that damaged that you need to reinstall then you are better off backing up all your data to an external drive, backing up your drivers, formatting the hard drive, reinstalling the OS and software, then copying back the data. That would be my recommendation.

 

[Sargan]

I don't get 'repair' option at any earlier menu .... maybe as it is a pre-licensed disc

 

[TrainableMan]

Do you mean it is an OEM DVD from the manufacturer?

You can download and burn the official Microsoft W7 Installation DVD from the links HERE if you wish. And then the System Repair option only appears if Windows 7 is detected as already installed on the hard drive. Then System Repair appears as a separate link in the lower left of the screen where you normally choose install.

Jump to about 1:05 in this video to see what to expect when you boot to the W7 Installation DVD and want to run repair.

 

[Sargan]

OK ... went and downloaded disk.
Booted .. and got to 'repair' option, clicked on it .... get the first screen 'searching for installs'
Then next screen:
System Recovery ... and it showed only one installation - Windows 7 (E): Local Disk

This is wrong so I did not proceed.
My OS is installed on C:\ only my profiles are installed on E:\

 

[TrainableMan]

Drive letters are technically assigned at boot, not hard-coded to a particular drive, so what your computer sees would not HAVE to match what is assigned depending if you changed the boot order in the BIOS. In fact you can go in and change the drive letters windows assigned to hard drives/flash drives/and DVD-Roms while windows is up and running, but it can cause some major issues because drive letters are often included in the registry entries.

If you only have one installation then it sees it and that's where it will compare and overwrite as needed. I'm 99% sure system repair would operate perfectly with your system right now but if they actually two physically separate drives (rather than two partitions on a single physical hard drive), then just remove the data drive completely and then run repair on the remaining OS drive.

 

[Sargan]

I'll pull the SATA cable off E:\ and try it again.

 

[Sargan]

OK with only C:\ installed .. it still thought OS was on E:\ but it did run ..... assume I should run repair start up .... it only took seconds .. is there a way to get it to repair the whole windows install ?

 

[TrainableMan]

Without the Installation DVD will your computer boot to windows? If so you can open an administrator command prompt and type:
sfc /scannow

That is the System File Checker. The problem is, unless your hard drive is going bad, it is not likely a file problem.

It is more likely a damaged registry and the normal way to fix that is to run System Restore from W7 and go back to a restore point prior to the problems, if you have any restore points that go that far back. If that doesn't work then the best option is a fresh installation. I've never tried the "install W7 right over a damaged W7 installation" so I don't know for certain how it would go but I'm not willing to find out. If I'm messed up then I back up the data to an external drive then I format and start over.

 

[Sargan]

Just to confirm ... computer runs fine.
The issue is that "Give Away of the Day" programs since about a month or so will no longer install ... they download, unzip, then 2 things can happen:
#1 when I click on .exe .. get the "programme wants to make changes" window click to proceed .. and then nothing else happens.
All currently installed apps work fine.
#2 when I click on .exe ... start to run and get "files are corrupted, please obtain new copies"

Not one single program will install anymore.

Give away of the day support asked me to to carry out Windows repair ..... which is when I found having profiles on different partition blocks that.
Tried to move back and some files fail to copy "you need administrator permissions"... so can't move profiles back.,

Run sfc/ scannow ... reported Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them
Details are included in the CBS.log

I can see CBS.log but can't open the file ... get access denied.

If I did a system restore from a previous point will it leave my current profiles untouched ? ...and just work on system files ?

 

[TrainableMan]

I'm not sure you understand how the Giveaway-of-the-day works. Basically there installer is designed to only allow you to install on that very day. So of course it will not install now, you waited too long, it downloads the installer, sees that the day doesn't match and stops. So apparently the version of the program you installed is corrupted, but the problem is you have no way to fix it because you can no longer install. The programs are not system files so reinstalling Windows is not likely to have any effect even if you do get W7 to reinstall. What you really need is to reinstall the program(s), and you can't because it is no longer the right day. In no case will you ever be allowed to rerun the installation from GOTD and have it complete, because the day is passed.

I have given up on the giveaway-of-the-day (GOTD) for that very reason. If you ever reformat and reinstall windows you can never reinstall the GOTD programs because the day has passed. Or if you ever use a restore point prior to the GOTD install then it will be uninstalled during the restore and again you will not be able to reinstall it because the day is passed.

So most everything you have done and I have suggested is for naught. Restoring to a restore point doesn't do anything to system program files (unless they were installed since the restore point), it uninstalls programs you installed since the restore point was taken and it resets things like the registry back to that point in time ... so that won't work because if you uninstall the GOTD you can't reinstall. And if you format and completely reinstall W7 you won't be able to install the GOTD because again the day is passed.

And even if you get W7 to reinstall over your existing install I believe there is little to no chance it will help your situation because it would have nothing to do with the GOTD files ... and again you can't run the installer because "the day has passed".

The only miniscule chance fixing anything in the system files would help is if the current install is having an issue with a system library that is corrupt, but if you ran SFC /scannow and it says your system files are OK then it is unlikely the problem is the system files.

So ....................................

I suspect your problem is the program(s) from GOTD and you have no way to fix them with the GOTD installer. So, as I see it, you have three choices and none of them involve reinstalling W7: 1) uninstall the GOTD and forget about it 2) buy a copy of the program, uninstall the broken one and install the purchased version 3)Go to the programs website and see if they have a free trial of those programs; install the free trial over the existing install and hope that the registration stays intact and you end up with a registered version; if it doesn't work then use the trial till it expires and choose option 1 or 2.

As for CBS.log, see if you can copy it to the desktop and then if you still can't open it try the "Take Ownership" script.

 

[Sargan]

I understand fully how GAOTD works ... been using it for years.
I am talking about them failing to install on the they are illegible for access.
(In fact part of reason for not jumping in and doi9ng a clean install is that I will lose all licensed GAOTD programs as I cannot then re-install them. )

For example today's giveaway .. will downlopad, unzip ... and when I run the .exe starts install, runs eth activate part .. and then after activation completed continues teh install and at that point complains of corrupt files.
For a while GAOTD was stating it was Kaspersky was at fault ... disproved that by removing Kasperky for a test - exactly the same ... can't run in safe mode as it needs internet connection to run the activate program.

Irrespective fo GAOTD ... that was a precursor ..... my issue I am trying to resolve is that I can't move profiles (on E:\users) back to C:\users
Followed process on:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/87555-user-profile-change-default-location.html
and PC been running that way for almost 2 years.

Due to repair/upgrade issues I need to move profiles back to C:\users.

When I follow same procedure Method 2 .... when I get to step #4 copy it starts, copies for several minutes then throws a popup telling me it can't copy file as it needs administrator permissions.

I thought that the 'partial profile' Adobe had created was at fault - but I can't delete it.

Is there such a thing as Superuser Admin ? .... it should allow me as admin to copy the profiles.

 

[TrainableMan]

If your account is an Admin and you run Take Ownership then you have the same rights to that folder as the hidden Admin account. But as I mentioned about there may be many subfolders and you may have to start deleting from deeper down. Still if you want to know how to enable that account, see How-to-Geek.

If you can install everything but GOTD then if the issue is on your end it is likely your firewall, not your anti-virus. Try granting the installer permissions through your Firewall so it can properly download the files.

But have you tried right-clicking on the installer and selecting "run as an administrator". When you simply grant admin rights to the installer when it asks, it doesn't always grant those rights to programs it calls and then they may fail; if you right-click on the installer and choose "run as an administrator" from the context menu then everything that runs related to that authorization will have admin rights.

 

[Sargan]

Trying 'install as admin' makes no difference.
Anyway ... forget GAOTD for now .. the goal is to be able to move profile back to C:\users

I have taken ownership of the profile, am logged in as admin, copy goes for several minutes .. but then hits files that it tells me I need Admin permissions to copy.

 

[TrainableMan]

I thought the problem was you couldn't delete what was already on C: that adobe created and was under the same folder name. If you got rid of the files in the way on C: then you need to be moving the folders back to C: so that the links in the registry move with them.

 

[Sargan]

The issue is I want to move the profiles back to C:\
The documented process (in the url given) states to 'copy'
.. step 4
After which you would use Regedit to update registry