# How do I unprotect protected files (Win 7)?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-unprotect-protected-files-win-7/658363>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 15, 2013, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-unprotect-protected-files-win-7/658363 "2013-05-15T01:11:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-unprotect-protected-files-win-7/658363/1 "2013-05-15T01:11:33Z")

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I’ve been having issues with my Avast! antivirus software, and I’ve had it, it must go. However, the canned uninstall routine chokes, saying there is a corrupt file and the uninstall procedure won’t run. I tried to manually delete the directory, but the files won’t delete because they are protected, despite my ability to make myself an administrator.

How do I manually delete the Avast directory? I understand that I will also have to clean the registry afterwards, and I don’t have a problem with that.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-unprotect-protected-files-win-7/658363/2 "2013-05-15T02:15:32Z")

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Run services.msc and stop any services with Avast in the name. Also go into Task Manager and kill any Avast processes.

[Take ownership](http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753659.aspx) of the folder, along with all subfolders and files, then grant yourself Full Control.

You might have to do this in Safe Mode if all else fails.