How to totally delete defunct WINDOWS folder/subfolders?

I have old Windows directories on 2 separate drives; one is my current boot
drive; the other I used for a test to potentially upgrade my XP Pro to XP
Pro X64.

Both will not totally delete because of the obstinance of the undeletability
of 2 files in \[whatever old]\system32\Macromed\Flash directory. The files
are:
1. FlashUtil9f.exe
2. Flash9f.ocx

To illustrate the absurdity of my attempts to fool Flash that these 4 Flash
files are inoperable because I re-named the whole directory tree in these
defunct Windows directories, the current trees are:
1. WnDOW_\Sy\Ma\F\
2. \W\32\M\F

Flash refuses to give up its lease on those 2 properties. Does anyone have
an answer to this. I have tried to do this by even Diagnostic Startup, and
backing up and cleaning everything cleanable with Regedt32, after
un-installing all current Macromedia programs in Add or Remove Programs, and
running RegCure 10 times in a row. Something along the line did remove
FlashUtil9f.exe in the old X64 OS directory, but nothing of the other 3
files; 1 in the uninstalled X64, 2 in the defunct X86.

Anyone have any cures?

Go to the Adobe site and download the uninstaller for Flash , and then
run it .

Get it now:

Adobe's Flash Player Uninstaller:
http://download.macromedia.com/pub/f...ash_player.exe

I tried several ways to run the flash uninstaller, and it did not work.
Flash must become active during the intitial XP boot to something in the XP
Core files, and these defunct \Windows directories are not found even after
being renamed. I even tried to rename them back to the original directory
tree names, but they did not uninstall (delete) the FlashUtil9f.exe or
Flash9f.ocx files in the defunct OS operating Windows directories.

I may go to the Adobe site to get more info of what do disable to get
totally disabled, because even after uninstalling the current entire
Macromedia system, it still does not allow deletion of the old
directories/files; always saying that Flash9f.ocx is not able to be deleted.

Someone have a quick & effective answer?

Ok I had this problem and have finally fixed it.
To create the problem I copied my old windows xp partition onto my D drive and then attempted to delete d:/windows

I did this since I was installing windows 7 to the C: drive

To fix (in windows 7)
1) activate and login as administrator
2) run cmd
3) cd to the dir containing the undeletable files
4) takeown /F filename
4a optional) : icacla filename (shows special attribute do not allow remove read only)
5) icacls filename /remove everyone:d (remove special attribute)
6) icacls filename /grant everyone:F (full access for exeryone)
7) attrib -r filename
8) del filename
9) do a little dance

instructions 5,6 may be reversed

How is your reply supposed to help the OP asking about problems on Windows
XP x64? You think the OP has been waiting around 17 months for your reply?

VanguardLH

I'm sorry my post upset you so much. I had the same problem and google searches found very little help. Several people with the problem but no solutions. I thought I would write up how I had solved my problem in one of the top search results when I was looking for help. Pehaps in future I should reply "me too" and hope you will help.

Thanks grrrrrr, the icacls /setowner did the trick for me on Windows Server 2008 that I installed over Windows XP which was itself installed over an older Windows XP. :)

As far as using Techarena.in- it comes up as one of the top Google searches so it is what is seen...sorry that it messes with the formatting.