How do I (or can't) delete unwanted folders?

[Guest Moonbarker Osbourne]

I'm about to retire and mothball my old external hard drive (new one will be

here within 24 hours). How do I delete the Recycler and System Volume

Information folders? I set the System Restore to not monitor the External HD

last week, but it still won't let me delete System Volume Information, saying

it is "write protected or in use" I have no idea what to do about Recycler.

I tried plugging the External HD into another comp, but it wouldn't see the

folders, even after I set it to "show hidden folders"

[Guest Colin Barnhorst]

Re: How do I (or can't) delete unwanted folders?

 

What are you trying to do? If you are retiring the drive then just format

it if you feel you need to wipe the drive. If you are not going to use the

drive anymore then why worry about what's on it?

 

"Moonbarker Osbourne" <MoonbarkerOsbourne@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote

in message news:17A6F493-6811-46AF-99E6-6D5254FEF1AD@microsoft.com...

> I'm about to retire and mothball my old external hard drive (new one will

> be

> here within 24 hours). How do I delete the Recycler and System Volume

> Information folders? I set the System Restore to not monitor the External

> HD

> last week, but it still won't let me delete System Volume Information,

> saying

> it is "write protected or in use" I have no idea what to do about

> Recycler.

> I tried plugging the External HD into another comp, but it wouldn't see

> the

> folders, even after I set it to "show hidden folders"

[Guest Moonbarker Osbourne]

Re: How do I (or can't) delete unwanted folders?

 

 

 

"Colin Barnhorst" wrote:

> What are you trying to do? If you are retiring the drive then just format

> it if you feel you need to wipe the drive.

 

Ah, OK, thanx :-)

> If you are not going to use the

> drive anymore then why worry about what's on it?

 

I don't wanna rule out giving it to someone else

>

> "Moonbarker Osbourne" <MoonbarkerOsbourne@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote

> in message news:17A6F493-6811-46AF-99E6-6D5254FEF1AD@microsoft.com...

> > I'm about to retire and mothball my old external hard drive (new one will

> > be

> > here within 24 hours). How do I delete the Recycler and System Volume

> > Information folders? I set the System Restore to not monitor the External

> > HD

> > last week, but it still won't let me delete System Volume Information,

> > saying

> > it is "write protected or in use" I have no idea what to do about

> > Recycler.

> > I tried plugging the External HD into another comp, but it wouldn't see

> > the

> > folders, even after I set it to "show hidden folders"

>

[Guest John John]

Re: How do I (or can't) delete unwanted folders?

 

Moonbarker Osbourne wrote:

>

> "Colin Barnhorst" wrote:

>

>

>>What are you trying to do? If you are retiring the drive then just format

>>it if you feel you need to wipe the drive.

>

>

> Ah, OK, thanx :-)

>

>

>>If you are not going to use the

>>drive anymore then why worry about what's on it?

>

>

> I don't wanna rule out giving it to someone else

 

In that case you may as well wipe it. Any user with the simplest of

utilities and a modicum of knowledge about hard drive storage can easily

undo the drive format and recover all the files on the drive! Here are

links to wiping utilities:

 

http://cmrr.ucsd.edu/people/Hughes/SecureErase.shtml

http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/

http://dban.sourceforge.net/

 

John