Can't delete Windows and all Program-files-files(x86)-data folders why

In D: drive i have the old windows. I didn't uninstalled them i just installed new windows on C:
The drive D: was C: but now the drives switched.

Now in C: i have the new installed windows 10 and it's working fine.
But on D: i have the old windows folder and also the folders: Program Files, Program Files(x86) and ProgramData

And when i try to delete all this 4 folders i'm getting in each one of them a message:



This is how i'm trying to delete:



In this case the Program Files folder but the same message i'm getting on the other folders.

You need to give yourself a full permission and take ownership of the folders.

1. In Windows 10 type cmd.exe into Start Menu, right-click on Cmd.exe, and open it as an administrator.

2. Type following commands:

Code:

Takeown  /f  D:\Windows /r  /D Y

Takeown  /f   "D:\Program Files"  /r  /D Y

Takeown  /f   "D:\Program Files(x86)"  /r  /D Y

Attrib  -s  -r  -h  D:\ProgramData

Takeown  /f   D:\ProgramData  /r  /D Y

Icacls  D:\Windows  /grant  %Username%:F   /t   /c

Icacls  "D:\Program Files"  /grant  %Username%:F   /t   /c

Icacls  "D:\Program Files(x86)"   /grant  %Username%:F   /t   /c

Icacls  D:\ProgramData  /grant  %Username%:F   /t   /c

After executing the commands try deleting the folders.

Could you explain please what are the commands do and why did you make attrib only for programdata but not the other directories ? And if i have a directory or file that is not related to one of this directories what should i do ?

The Takeown command allows an administrator to recover access to a file that was denied by re-assigning file ownership.

Below command gives your user account ownership of the Windows folder and files/subfolders of the Windows folder.

Code:

Takeown  /f  D:\Windows /r  /D Y

The Attrib command displays or changes file/folder attributes.

Below command clears hidden, read only and system attributes of the ProgramData folder this is done because Takeown command cannot take ownership of the hidden folder/file. The D:\ProgramData folder by default is hidden.

Code:

Attrib  -s  -r  -h  D:\ProgramData

The icacls command is use for modifying or displaying files/folders NTFS permissions.

Below command given your user account full permission to Windows folder and its files/subfolders.

Code:

Icacls  D:\Windows  /grant  %Username%:F   /t   /c

You can delete them from booted winpe/winre.

spunk said:

Rather then trying to Delete Windows System files, why not save any personal files under D:\Users\[YourUserName] (ie) Documents, Pictures, Music, to a different drive, like your C:\ Windows 10 drive, and then Format the D:. drive. Once that is done, you can restore your personal files back to D: as a backup.

I have on D: too much data like movies programs and other stuff more then 300GB it will take me too much time to copy it and on C: it's the new windows installation C: is smaller hard disk. Deleting the old windows from D: in this case at least is the faster way.