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How to delete folders in the main operating systems? Step by step guide

Similar to a closet, a PC stores and nests files within folders or files. The same are essential to maintain order that serves to find content in a simpler way.

But when it comes to removing them it happens differently. Since sometimes it is the same system that prevents it. At the same time, it doesn't matter to send them to the trash but to get rid of them of the files definitely.

If you want to know the correct way to delete a folder or fix those error windows, we recommend the following post.

Steps to delete a folder in the main operating systems

Before we continue with the best methods to get rid of junk folders, you need to know that it may vary depending on the operating system installed on your device. You should also keep in mind that We will show you how to delete, which is different from moving to the recycle bin.

Taking into account the above, we offer them for the three most important:

In Windows

  • Go to the containing root of the folder in question. If it's one located on the desktop, make sure it's not a shortcut.
  • Once selected, press the combination on the keyboard Shift (Shift) + "Delete" (Delete). As it is a action that cannot be undone, the system will show you a warning window.
  • Press "Yes" to confirm the operation.

On macOS

  • Similar to Windows, the first thing you should do is select with a click the folder you want to delete.
  • Then press the keys "Command" and without letting go Delete. Doing so will permanently delete the file.
  • If the content you want to delete is already hosted in the trash, right-click on it and choose the option from the drop-down menu "Empty Trash".

On Linux

  • If you work on a computer with the Linux system you will already be used to commands. To get rid of a complete directory (file) you must enter the following instruction.
  • "Rmdir Dir1" Being Dir1 the name of the directory.
  • Similarly, if you want to delete several at once, you can separate the names with spaces. Staying as follows "Rmdir Dir1 Dir2 Dir3".

The folder cannot be deleted. What are the causes and solutions?

The folder is not to be deleted. What are the causes and solutions?

But not everything is rosy, because drawbacks appear anywhere, anytime. And it may be the case when we want delete a folder and we can't.

This can be for various reasons:

In Windows

The most common is that you do not have the necessary administrator permission to make modifications to a file, for which you will need such authorization or log in as one. It also often happens that a program is using a file contained in that folderIn these cases, a window appears with the necessary information to know which document is in question. It will only be enough with end the process that is using it and repeat the operation.

On Linux

If after using the command "Rmdir" to delete a directory it returns an error of the type "rmdir: failed to remove ‘dir3’: Directory not empty means that said folder it was not empty. Which is an advantage to avoid accidentally losing files. If you want to delete the directory, subdirectories and all its content, you must use the command "Rm -r Dir1" And just like the previous methods, deleted information cannot be recovered.