Problems deleting files on windows

[willchr2004]

Hey,
I wanted to free up one of my hard drives so a could properly defrag it so i thought i would drag the 'programme files' to my other internal hard drive....this turned out to be a massive error as I cannot delete either programme files as it keeps saying access denied etc...is there anything i can do to delete it from one of my drives?...i need the space!

Thanks,
Chris

[ChuckFickens]

you have to got o the control panel and use add remove programs to remove the programs and then reinstall them.

When you reinstall select custom and change the drive letter on the install path to the letter of the drive you want them on.

[willchr2004]

no i mean the 'programme files', as in the one that you find if you double click your hard drive on my computer, it pops up and one of the files is called 'programme files'

[Buenchico]

Windows obviously (and understandably) seems to be protecting the 'Program Files' folder from deletion but I wonder whether it offers the same protection to individual files inside it? If not, double-click on the 'back-up' copy of the folder, go to Edit > Select All, right-click on any icon and select 'Delete'. If that works, it won't actually delete the back-up folder but it will empty it, so that its size will be insignificant.

Chris

[willchr2004]

if i delete the orignial version, will the fact i have a copied version allow me to run things as normal. or could that be potentially a problem?...maybe a quick defrag to relocate the files would be a possible solution to that?

[ChuckFickens]

programme files is the folder on your hard drive where all installed software is stored...

You can not move this folder and do not attempt to again you will stop your programmes from working (if you haven't already)

You have to uninstall the programme and then reinstall it on the other drive to move them.

if you have a lot of pictures or music or similar then you can safely move those to the other drive.

never attempt to move anything you can see when you first open your C drive unless you know excatly what it is and what it is there for, you will seriously muck up your system in trying to do this sort of thing.

[willchr2004]

crikey...i c

[ChuckFickens]

LOL

I hope i have suitably reprimanded you :)

if you click start and then settings and control panel, then click on add remove programs youo will get a list of all programmes installed on your system, in the little drop down menu at the top select sort by size and it will put the ones taking the most space at the top

as long as you still have the CD that you installed the programme from then click and select remove to delete it from your C drive. You then have to install it again but during the you will see it asks where you want to install which will probably be "C:\programe files\whatever" just change the C at the begining to what ever the letter for you other drive is and it will reinstall it onto your second drive.

P.s. you have emptied your recycle bin recently havent you?

[willchr2004]

most probably yes, y?

[ChuckFickens]

I'm forever shocked at the amount of times people say they are running out of space on the C drive and when I look at the computer the recycle bin has never been emptied so every single file the person thinks they have ever deleted is still taking up space by just sitting in the bin.

BTW defragging your hard drive wont free up any more space (well nothing noticeable anyway) and if your drive is nearly full you probably wont be able to run it anyhow.

[willchr2004]

u a bit of a speed guru? iv been lookin into ways of resurecting my sony s5xp to an acceptable grade...things are just not workin out haha.