How to Delete a Corrupted File on Windows 10? Easy Solutions Right Here!

This tutorial encompasses five methods to assist you in deleting corrupted files:

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User Case: Unable to delete a corrupted file on my external hard drive in Windows 10

"I attempted to remove a corrupted file from my external hard drive, but I receive an error message stating:

An unexpected error is preventing you from deleting the file. Error 0x80070570: The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable.

"For a month now, this issue has been bothering me. Can someone please demonstrate how to remove a corrupted file on Windows 10? Appreciate any help in advance."

There are several reasons why you might be unable to delete a corrupted file or folder on Windows 10:

• The corrupted files are in use by a running program.
• Your computer was improperly shut down.
• The hard drive, USB drive, or external hard drive has disk errors.
• The hard drive or external memory storage device can be corrupted.
• Viruses and malware attacks.

This step-by-step guide will instruct you on how to remove a corrupted file or folder on Windows 10. You can attempt to delete corrupted files in Safe Mode, utilize the Command Prompt, or rectify hard drive errors.

1. Restart Your Computer and Remove the Corrupted File Using an Administrator Account

The first step is to restart your computer and attempt to delete the corrupted files using an administrator account.

Step 1. Close all the programs you are using.

Step 2. Restart your computer and log in to an administrator account. If your account doesn't have admin privileges, you might not have the necessary permissions to delete specific files.

Step 3. Locate the corrupted file you wish to delete. Either delete it or drag it to the Recycle Bin.

2. How to Delete a Corrupted File in Safe Mode

Safe mode boots the computer without loading third-party device drivers and operates in system minimal mode, allowing users to easily identify and rectify errors within the computer system.

When you're unable to delete a corrupted file on Windows, you can attempt to restart your computer and boot into Safe Mode. When you access Safe Mode, Windows releases its hold on these files, allowing you to delete them.

How to Boot into Safe Mode on Windows 10

Accessing Safe Mode in Windows 10 quickly can be done through the following steps: 1. Restart your computer: First, ensure that your system is turned on, then press and hold the power button until it shuts down. After that, press the power button again to start it up. 2. Tap F8 during startup: As your computer begins to boot, repeatedly tap the F8 key on your keyboard. This should bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu. 3. Select Safe Mode: From the menu, use the arrow keys to highlight "Safe Mode" or "Safe Mode with Networking" if you need internet access. Then, press Enter. 4. Login: If prompted, enter your Windows login credentials to proceed. 5. Your computer will now start in Safe Mode: The desktop will appear with a message indicating that you're in Safe Mode. You can now perform any necessary troubleshooting or maintenance tasks. Note: If the F8 method doesn't work, you can try other methods like using the Settings app, System Configuration (msconfig), or creating a Windows 10 installation media to boot into Safe Mode.

Step 1. Click the Windows button, then choose "Power > Restart" while holding down the Shift key.

Step 2. On the "Choose an Option" screen, select "Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart."

Step 3. On the "Startup Settings" window, press "4" or "F4" to enable Safe Mode.

Locate and Delete the Corrupted File

Locate the corrupted file or folder either on your desktop or within your File Explorer. Then, press the Delete key or Shift + Delete keys to remove it.

3. How to Remove a Corrupted File Using Command Prompt

If the previous method didn't work, you can attempt an alternative approach by deleting corrupted files using the Command Prompt (CMD). Here are the steps to eliminate a corrupted file via the command line: 1. **Open Command Prompt as Administrator:** - Press the Windows key + X on your keyboard and choose "Command Prompt (Admin)" from the menu to open it with administrative privileges. 2. **Navigate to the folder containing the corrupted file:** - Type `cd /d "path-to-folder"` in the Command Prompt, replacing "path-to-folder" with the actual path where the corrupted file is located. For example, if the file is in the "Documents" folder, you would type `cd /d C:\Users\YourUsername\Documents`. 3. **List files to confirm the corrupted file's name:** - Type `dir` and press Enter to list all the files in the folder. Locate the corrupted file's name. 4. **Delete the corrupted file:** - Type `del /f /a filename.ext`, replacing "filename.ext" with the actual name and extension of the corrupted file. The `/f` switch forces the deletion, while `/a` allows you to delete hidden or system files if necessary. 5. **Execute the command:** - Press Enter to execute the command. If successful, the corrupted file should be removed. Remember that this method might not always work, especially if the corruption is severe. If the file is important, consider trying data recovery tools or seeking professional assistance before attempting deletion.

Step 1. Click on the Search icon and type cmd. From the search results, right-click on the "Command Prompt" program and select "Run as administrator".

Step 2. Type the command Del /F /Q /A <file path> and press Enter.

This image depicts the process of deleting corrupted files using the Command Prompt.

• "/F" indicates to force delete files
• "/Q" specifies to delete read-only files
• "/A" is used to select files with the archive attribute
• < file path > represents the location of the corrupted file. For instance, it could be "Del /F /Q /A C:\Users\XXX\Downloads"

Corrupted files or folders should be deleted. Note that files deleted in this manner will bypass the Recycle Bin and be completely removed. They cannot be found and restored on your computer.

So if you enter the wrong path and accidentally delete some wanted files, stop using your hard drive immediately, and apply a file recovery tool to get back files.

Bonus Tip: How to Retrieve Permanently Deleted Files on Windows 10/8/7

Data Recovery Wizard Pro is a professional data recovery tool that can be utilized to restore deleted, lost, formatted, inaccessible, and corrupted files.

You can freely download a file recovery software tool to recover deleted files from USB flash drive, SD card, external hard drive, HDD, SSD, and so on.

Step 1. Select the exact file location and then click the "Scan" button to proceed.

Step 2. Once the process is complete, select the "Deleted Files" and "Other Lost Files" folders from the left panel. You can then utilize the "Filter" feature or click on the "Search files or folders" button to locate the deleted files.

Step 3. Click the "Recover" button and save the retrieved files to a different location than the original one理想情况下.

4. Check and Repair Disk Errors to Remove Corrupted Files

The "The file or directory is corrupted or unreadable" error might result from disk issues and prevent you from deleting damaged files. You can easily check and fix a corrupted file system on your storage drive using a free partition management utility - tools Partition Master.

Step 1. Open AOMEI Partition Assistant on your computer. Then, locate the disk, right-click the partition you wish to check, and select "Advanced" > "Check File System."

Step 2. In the Check File System window, select the "Try to fix errors if found" option and click "Start".

Step 3. The software will begin checking your partition file system on your disk. When it completes, click “Finish”.

Upon resolving the disk error, attempt to delete the corrupted files once more to see if the issue has been rectified.

5. Format Hard Drive to Resolve Cannot Delete Files Error

If none of the solutions aid in deleting corrupted files on Windows 10, the ultimate solution to address the issue is to format the hard drive to permanently eliminate the "file or directory is corrupted or unreadable" error. Here's how to format the hard drive using Disk Management: 1. Press the Windows key + X on your keyboard and choose "Disk Management" from the menu. 2. In the Disk Management window, locate the hard drive that contains the corrupted file or directory. 3. Right-click on the drive and select "Format." 4. A warning will appear, informing you about data loss. If you've backed up important files, click "OK" to proceed. Otherwise, consider doing so before formatting. 5. Choose the file system (usually NTFS for Windows) and allocation unit size (default is usually fine). 6. Check the "Quick Format" option if the drive doesn't have significant issues, as it will be faster. However, if you suspect severe corruption, uncheck it to perform a thorough format. 7. Click "OK" to start the formatting process. It may take some time depending on the drive size. 8. Once the format is complete, the error should be resolved, and you can use the drive as normal. Remember that formatting will erase all data on the drive, so ensure you have backups of any important files before proceeding.

Step 1. Right-click the Windows Start button and select "Disk Management".

Step 2. Locate the problematic hard drive partition, right-click it, and select "Format."

Step 3. Assign a volume label, select the file system, and click "OK" to begin formatting the drive.

Closing Thoughts

This tutorial encompasses five methods to assist in deleting corrupted files on Windows 10. Whenever you face issues with unable to delete files, begin by restarting your computer and logging in with an administrator account to eliminate the files. If that attempt fails, proceed to delete the files in Safe Mode, utilize the Command Prompt, or repair or format the corrupted hard drive.

If data loss occurs, cease using your storage device and promptly utilize professional data recovery software to retrieve the data.