Unhappy Owner of 2 Windows Old Folders I cant Delete

I have reinstalled Vista Ultimate several times , from the 64 Bit Version to the 32 Bit Version , then the 32 Bit again . When i switched from the 64 Bit to the 32 Bit , not only did i get an Windows Old file but a ( x 86 ) also . I could not delete this folder only the contents until I followed the steps to take Ownership of it and 2 Windows Old folders .
The ( x 86 ) Folder was deleted but not the 2 Windows Old Folders . When i try I get this message .
Could not find this item . This is no longer located in C:\. Verify the item's location and try again .
Anyone got a clue what my next step should be ?

tasks already performed
I Open a elevated command prompt and became the administrator .
I downloaded the Add_Take_Ownership.reg file.
Clk show system files and folders also . Thanks John



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Vista Ultimate 32 BIT OS

Just to clarify. Do you know the files location/path?

If you can navigate to the folders you might be able to boot into a Ubuntu
Live CD and use Ubuntu to delete them while Windows is inactive and has
no hooks in the folders.

This tells how to make your own Live CD:

http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=80057980597069475179

It's simply Download > Burn to Image > Boot Up

Ardneh

Try this: How to Delete a System File in Windows Vista :: the How-To Geek

Ardneh said:

Just to clarify. Do you know the files location/path?

If you can navigate to the folders you might be able to boot into a Ubuntu
Live CD and use Ubuntu to delete them while Windows is inactive and has
no hooks in the folders.

This thread tells how to make your own Live CD.

http://www.vistax64.com/general-discussion/239618-vista-home-premium-64bit-boot-loops.html

It's simply Download > Burn to Image > Boot Up

Ardneh

Click to expand...

Thank You for responding so quickly . I'm afraid what your suggesting is way over my head tho . Seams like now that I have all these Permissions as Admin in safe mode to boot , I still don't have special Permissions ( bottom check box ) and as far as I can tell I have not Inherited these folders . Makes me wonder tho why i was able to remove the ( x 86 ) folder that transfered along with the Windows Old and not the Windows Old folder , anyway Researching Inheriting Permissions seams like the only avenue at the moment . Going through the Permissions process there was one thing i didnt understand and that was when selecting a user or group there was an option for PC name Administrator and Administrator's , as if there was another Administrator user besides myself that brings me to this . I used Easeus Partition Master 4.0 Home Edition to Partition my drives , then reinstalled Vista Ultimate on the same Partition it was on and now at bootup my PC hangs until I choose which Windows OS to boot , Both options boot the same OS . besides that I feel I finally Configured This OS instalation that dosn't have any error's to report .That's about all I can add to this post until i research it even more . Thanks Again John

toolman:

There is another Administrator's Account with higher permissions.
Check this link.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/67567-administrator-account.html?filter[11]=User%20Accounts

Ardneh said:

toolman:

There is another Administrator's Account with higher permissions.
Check this link.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/67567-administrator-account.html?filter[11]=User%20Accounts

Click to expand...

Vista Forums has a Great deal of Information , I spent hours researching this issue , Got myself an edgeamacation .
Yes I am aware of that Hidden Built-In Administrator Account .
Thank you for trying . When I log into the Administrator User account and right click on anything I have an option of taking ownership of the folder or file . I have tried to delete them in Safe Mode too , it's no big deal to me to reinstall the OS , 30 Min tops couple of hours to configure . What I am getting at is this . I was told I could format that Drive or in my case Partition while installing Vista Ultimate but I've never seen that option . Another option would be to ignore it completely , between the two Folders it's only 51 bytes but I see it as a lesson to be learned and passed along . Thanks John

toolmanjohn said:

I have reinstalled Vista Ultimate several times , from the 64 Bit Version to the 32 Bit Version , then the 32 Bit again . When i switched from the 64 Bit to the 32 Bit , not only did i get an Windows Old file but a ( x 86 ) also . I could not delete this folder only the contents until I followed the steps to take Ownership of it and 2 Windows Old folders .
The ( x 86 ) Folder was deleted but not the 2 Windows Old Folders . When i try I get this message .
Could not find this item . This is no longer located in C:\. Verify the item's location and try again .
Anyone got a clue what my next step should be ?

tasks already performed
I Open a elevated command prompt and became the administrator .
I downloaded the Add_Take_Ownership.reg file.
Clk show system files and folders also . Thanks John

Click to expand...

Hello John,

You should be able to delete the Windows.old folder by using Disk Cleanup and selecting the Previous Windows installations option.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Brink said:

Hello John,

You should be able to delete the Windows.old folder by using Disk Cleanup and selecting the Previous Windows installations option.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Click to expand...

It amazes me how everyone comes up with these funky fixes for this problem when in fact the correct and MS way is the one Brink suggested. In fact Vista even tells you this when it creates the windows.old folder(s).

At any rate I hope you get it sorted out toolmanjohn

Your Right Disk Cleanup is the first choice and recommended by Microsoft and it works Great removing the most recent Windows Old Folder but plastic explosives cant hurt the remaining 2 Windows Old Folder unless it's coated with Kryptonite .

Ardneh said:

Just to clarify. Do you know the files location/path?

If you can navigate to the folders you might be able to boot into a Ubuntu
Live CD and use Ubuntu to delete them while Windows is inactive and has
no hooks in the folders.

This thread tells how to make your own Live CD.



It's simply Download > Burn to Image > Boot Up

Ardneh

Click to expand...

No I don't know the path , I looked for settings in folders options for a way to have the path or location displayed and could not find it . any ideas ?

toolmanjohn:

Open a new document, say, in Wordpad.
Then go to wherever you are seeing Windows.old

Hold down the Shift key, right-click Windows.old, click Copy as Path.

Then paste into the Wordpad document.

Ardneh

Hello Thanks for Your tip . This is supposed to reveal the path to the actual folder ? here is the results ( "C:\windows old" ) I'm afraid all this does is show the location of the same folder i am trying to delete and cant . Thanks for trying .
Can you tell me how to format this Partition the OS is on before or during the installation of a fresh copy of Vista Ultimate so Windows will not have an OS to copy and create another Windows Old Folder ? Thanks John

toolmanjohn:

If you want to be absolutely certain that Windows.old is gone, use something like this before reinstalling.

Active@ Kill Disk. Hard Drives Eraser. Free Download.

v.5.1

Ardneh

whs said:

Try this: How to Delete a System File in Windows Vista :: the How-To Geek

Click to expand...

I already own them and have all permissions except one and that is special permissions
When I R . Clk on anything one of the options is Take Ownership , same for both user and administrator . When I installed Vista Ultimate 32 bit from the 64 bit Windows created an Windows Old Folder and a x 86 folder that would not delete either until i followed the Take Ownership steps and then only in safe mode was i able to delete the x 86 folder but not the Windows Old Folders yes I have two of them now .

I Open a elevated command prompt and became the administrator .
I downloaded the Add_Take_Ownership.reg file.
thanks for your interest and tip that i am about to try .