Can't delete files from Windows partitions | Linux Mint Community🍵 | Page 1

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 12:57 AM

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Hello... I'm new here. I installed Linux Mint last weekend, and so far so good.
I'm working from an existing system, where I was using Windows 10 on a SSD drive, and had a HHD drive as extra space, that used to run Windows 8.1. I installed Linux Mint-Cinnamon on the HHD drive (as a partition), along with a Swap partition. I no longer need the Windows 8.1 partition, and I want to transfer all the files I need off there, to the Linux partition. I can copy files over just fine, but I can't delete them from the old partition.
Some Google searching took me to use sudo chmod -R -v $USER:$USER and my partition name, which I believe is either /mnt/C0C80D62C80C93C or /dev/sdb2. I tried both, but it says cannot access: Not a directory Neither method is working.
I also read somewhere else to go based on the path to the mount, which should be /media/danny/{drive name}. But the only folder there is my CD-ROM drive.
Does anyone know what to do so that I can modify the files in my old partitions?

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 12:59 AM

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please dont

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@unkempt finch

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did you copy all the files you needed over to a safe place?

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and made SURE many of those files are openable and legible?

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from that new place on Linux

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@unkempt finch

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 1:03 AM

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boreal heath please dont

What do you mean? I thought this was only changing the file permissions

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I honestly don't have any remote 'safe place' to put any files right now. I was going to transfer portions of the files at a time, and adjust the partitions as I go. I don't know if Linux will do that successfully though

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...wait. the command I was using is chown. Not sure why I typed chmod

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 1:15 AM

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unkempt finch What do you mean? I thought this was only changing the file permissions

NTFS volumes dont support permissions or ownership commands

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the reason you can't delete files is cuz the ntfs volume has a dirty-bit set

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chkdsk /f it from Windows powershell or cmd to scan and fix

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 1:55 AM

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boreal heath chkdsk /f it from Windows powershell or cmd to scan and fix

Hmm, can this be done from Linux? I'm growing increasingly untrusting of Microsoft these days

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Sorry for the response lag, busy with many other things here

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 1:56 AM

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well do it from windows now

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you'll later reformat that partition to something linux-native

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eg: btrfs or ext4

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https://youtu.be/IsEKxJrmmy0?t=813 (13:33) chkdsk

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 1:58 AM

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Can reformatting be done while keeping the data? (I'm under the impression that you can't)

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Ok, guess I'll switch to Windows and see what I can do

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I'm back; hmm...

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 2:31 AM

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unkempt finch I'm back; hmm...

say yes or press y, enter

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that is your c: drive u ran it on

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ensure you put the drive letter of the volume in question

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eg:

chkdsk /f```

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or chkdsk d: /f

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 2:33 AM

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Ok. I set that and I'll go ahead and restart

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 2:42 AM

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did u make damn sure to check the right one?

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 2:43 AM

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Well I intend to work on data from both of the drives, actually. So doing the Windows 10 partition is fine, I'll do the other drive later

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What do I do next, though?

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 2:57 AM

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are you still in Windows ?

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 2:57 AM

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Not currently

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 2:58 AM

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chkdsk the ntfs volume that was giving you trouble deleting files

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 2:58 AM

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The chkdsk restarted, so I booted to linux :p

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 2:58 AM

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from Windows.

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 2:58 AM

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I can't delete files from either partition (and I want to)

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 2:58 AM

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once done, then should be fine to delete files

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make sure Windows Fast Startup is deactivated in Windows 10. that also locks drives

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see #1193345280733622272 message

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I dont believe Windows 8x has that feature.

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 3:01 AM

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Ok. I'll see what I can do

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Ok, it's working! 🙂

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I'll have to wait till tomorrow to run chkdsk on my Win8 partition

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...but I think it should work. Thanks for the help

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 3:12 AM

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now that you disabled fast startup?

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 3:12 AM

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yeah

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 3:12 AM

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aight

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you can't boot Windows 10 real quick, and scan the Win 8 partition via cmd?

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just put the proper drive letter into the command as I showed in quoted example

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 3:16 AM

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boreal heath you can't boot Windows 10 real quick, and scan the Win 8 partition via cmd?

No, I have to be up for work at 5am, and its already after 11pm. Goodnight

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 3:16 AM

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cya

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 9:28 PM

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Okay, I ran chkdsk /f on my secondary drive (that has Windows 8.1), and in Linux it still doesn't allow me to delete the files there

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chkdsk is asking if I want to dismount the drive before trying to run it (in active Windows). If I don't, it can run after rebooting Windows; that's what I did today, but didn't work. Should I try to dismount the drive?

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 9:30 PM

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unkempt finch Okay, I ran `chkdsk /f` on my secondary drive (that has Windows 8.1), and in Lin...

so unmount it

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has to happen or else no scanny/fixy

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 9:31 PM

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ok

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ok, looks like it finished. I guess my next step is to try in Linux again?

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I'll go ahead and do that

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Aww, it's still not letting me delete anything (on the Win8 partition)... but still lets me delete things on the Win10 partition

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 9:52 PM

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unkempt finch Aww, it's still not letting me delete anything (on the Win8 partition)... but st...

open DISKS app in Linux

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 9:52 PM

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ok

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 9:52 PM

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go to that specific partition giving trouble.

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ensure it's not mounted. Click the stop button if it is.

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then click the gear icon menu, and do "repair filesystem"

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this is a weaker fix than chkdsk, but it may still help

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 9:54 PM

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Hmm, seems risky. I don't have space for a backup (right now)

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Do you think it's safe to do anyway?

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 9:58 PM

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yes it should be fine

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i've had ppl do it so many times

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 9:58 PM

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I'm gonna copy some files over, to at least save the things that are most important

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 9:59 PM

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plus even Mint release notes a version ago said to

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 10:55 PM

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...okay. I think I got all the important stuff. Games and other apps can be recovered. But projects... I gotta keep those safe, lol

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The repair tool gave me this error right away

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The disk tool let me resume (remount) the drive without issues though

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 11:03 PM

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unkempt finch ...okay. I think I got all the important stuff. Games and other apps can be reco...

so windows 8 must have friggin fast startup on

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fix.

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 11:04 PM

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...can I fix that without logging into Windows? I don't even know if it'll work... but I'll give it a shot

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 11:06 PM

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must be done from win 8

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 11:06 PM

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ok

boreal heath Oct 20, 2025, 11:07 PM

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boreal heath see https://discord.com/channels/628978428019736619/1193345280733622272/11937951...

method 2 here.

unkempt finch Oct 20, 2025, 11:20 PM

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Okay! I can now delete files in Linux 🙂 Thanks for the help, man

#Can't delete files from Windows partitions