Question Any way to delete copies of Windows system folders/files?

[onespeedbiker]

I have been experimenting with windows installers which led me to decompress a Windows 7 install ISO to my hard drive. I then discovered there is no way to delete these files. I created a restore point so I was able to get ride of them, but I'm wondering if there is any other way.

 

[vistagamer6969]

Format?

 

[Deleted member 14196]

Strange. What did you use to decompress the iso

 

[onespeedbiker]

I don't know but the ISO is 3 GB and the resulting decompression was 10 GB.

 

[USAFRet]

You can't delete the individual files?
Are they al mixed in with other stuff?

 

[onespeedbiker]

You can delete some of the files, but nothing in Windows system folders like Windows, Program Files, System32

 

[USAFRet]

How did you decompress these?

 

[onespeedbiker]

a utility called gimagex

 

[USAFRet]

What else is on that drive?
If nothing, diskpart and clean will do it.

If other stuff, can you alter the permission level for the folders involved?

 

[onespeedbiker]

No, there was no way I could alter the permissions; I suspect it's akin to trying to delete Windows system files while windows is booted. As far as ridding myself of these files, as I mentioned I saved a restore point prior to decompressing the install media, so simply going back to the restore point did the trick. I also do a periodic clone of the ssd , so i can switch drives, put the drive ssd in an enclosure and clone it back to a previous state. I find it faster and easier than standard backup imaging.

 

[USAFRet]

Is the system running from this decompressed thing?

 

[onespeedbiker]

No, it's just a copy of the Windows OS files. I experimented with deleting similar files on a external drive and I got the same result. Windows does not like deleting itself, even on another drive.

 

[logear]

No, it's just a copy of the Windows OS files. I experimented with deleting similar files on a external drive and I got the same result. Windows does not like deleting itself, even on another drive.

you can download a live Linux distro , put it on a flash drive, boot to it and delete anything in Windows because it won't be live. I'd be careful. If you delete one wrong file you may have a crippled Windows install.