Can't Delete PDF Files from A Shared Folder, What Can I Do

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Dany· Answered on Mar 10, 2023

Before you take action to delete the undeletable PDF files, you can try the quick solution of deleting files that cannot be deleted, including the PDF files on a Windows PC:

• Administration Tools - Share and Storage Management
• Click the share with PDFs button.
• Select Manage Open Files from the drop-down menu.
• Any open files should be closed.

We can't tell from the description if you have any specific groups set up for the users of this share. We would also avoid using the "Everyone" group because it opens the sharing to non-domain users. The permissions and steps listed below are what you'll need to get the permissions in order. However, we would advocate creating a security group that only includes individuals who need access to the share rather than Domain Users.

If you still can't delete the PDF files you want to remove, you may need to change access at a minimum. Here are the permissions on NTFS:

• To delete files, users will need at least "Modify" rights.
• It would be best if you did not give users "Full Control," which means they can modify file ownership and permissions, which could lead to problems with PDF file deletion.

Then, log in as a Domain Admin account to the server with the share. Select properties by right-clicking the sharing folder. Navigate to the Security tab. Select the Advanced option. Navigate to the Owner Tab. Select the Edit option. Choose "Administrators" as the owner, then "Replace owners on sub containers and objects," and OK... This could take seconds to minutes, depending on how many folders and files there are. If your Windows is slow to delete files, recheck the permissions.

If you wish to delete a file, select it permanently. Then, instead of utilizing the Delete option, use Shift+Delete to delete permanently. Unless you employ expert data recovery software, the lost files will bypass the recycle bin and cannot be recovered. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can be the best choice to recover permanently deleted files.