I installed Vista RTM to partition C and now I'm trying to remove earlier Vista RC1 from D. I have deleted all folders except Program Files, ProgramData and Windows. If I try to delete these, the errormessage after all UAC confirmation windows is: "You need permission to perform this action". I don't want to format partition D because of there is also data I don't want to remove, so what should I do to delete these folders? I have tried to change ownership to admin group, as well as give full rights to admin group to these folders but no help. The second question: I changed the owner of a folder from TrustedInstaller to admin. Now I try to set TrustedInstalled again to the owner, but I can't find it when using "Select users and groups": what's the right location? Or how should I do that?

Firstly, you have to move these filesyou need fromD: to another place temporarily until you perform a format from command prompt with this command line: "format D:/x" so that you couldn't get UAC warning messages. For 2nd problem, you can pefrom following: From Security Tab in Properites offolder you want to change>>ClickAdvanced >>Select Owner >>ClickEdit >>Click Other users or Groups >>ClickAdvanced >>ClickFind Now Then select the owner you'd like to add and apply. Good luck

That's incredible! As an administrator on my own home based PC I can not delete a particular file that is not a part of OS without formatting a partition. Good job, Vista Team...

I completely agree. I have the e_x_a_c_t same problem. A bunch of files in a bunch of folders inside a parent folder which Vista in all its omnipotency won't allow me to delete despite my login being the owner _a_n_d_ having full permissions on folders and files. Microsoft or MVPs, can we please have an answer here on how this is solved? Or do I have to re-format my drive to get rid of these files?

The only solution I have found is to drill down to the lowest directory and delete one at a time, going up to the root.

I have encounterd this same problem while trying to build a Vista based trading workstation.First try locked up and lost keyboard and mouse. Auto repair just made things worse. Finally reinstalled,but left C drive intact, since it had some folder I wanted. Found a Boot directory apparently leftover from theauto repair effort. Tried to remove Boot directory after changing owner from TrustedInstaller. Still cannotremove. Only recourse I see is to reformat the drive.This is what I mean by Technocrap-technology that almost works. In my long carrer I've never seen a situationwhere I as an administrator lost control of my own machine. Ugly!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have tried the above and still get an ERROR!

This ridiculous! Should be able to easily change/delete any file or folders that I want to? Why have we NOT received a way to do this?????

I know the last post was 9 months ago but the thread was not closed and I wondered if you had found your solution to your problem?