File Ownership in Windows 8

I was having trouble installing several programs (error 1603) and one of the steps suggested was to check and empty the Windows\Temp file. What I found there were over 900,000 .tmp files from AVG Internet Security which I no longer use. Checking the AVG web site they basically say "Sorry for the inconvienence, we're working on it." I have confirmed that I am the Administrator even checking it via Net User through cmd prompt. Problem is I cannot find a way to delete these files. I keep getting "Access Denied" either directly via File Explorer or through cmd prompt. Suggestions?

 

Evan,

Thanks for the suggestion. I downloaded the "Take Ownership" app and it seems to work! (Someone should tell AVG so they can build it into a fix.) I tried it on one file and it let me delete it. The problem is that it takes 30 to 60 minutes to load all of the avg.tmp files when I open the Windows Temp folder. It will be interesting to see how many files I can select at a time to Take Ownership of. At last count there are about 850,000 so I hope it is not one at a time! Thanks for the help. I will let you know how it works. FYI I also tried another program I had already, "Final Uninstall." It would not touch the avg files.

 

So close and yet so far! I installed Take Ownership which works fine, one file at a time! I tried to Take Ownership of the Temp File as a whole and then delete it via standard windows delete and also via the command prompt but I still did not own the files inside. If I clicked on each individual file and said take ownership and then said it was OK for windows to change the setting it worked. I think I am stuck until AVG writes some type of program that does that automatically for my 840,000 avg.tmp files.

 

I tried to do this but it wants individual confirmation on each file.

 

I haven't used it kenk, but you could try DelAny.

EDIT: Ignore that, it requires single file selection as well.

 

Maybe a phone call from an "Internet Forum," that gets more attention than one disgruntled user like me, might spur AVG to take this a little more seriously. Just a thought!

 

Boot the computer from a Linux Live CD/Live USB and delete whatever you like. (Be careful though).

 

OK....I'm frightened! Honestly, from reading what is involved on Wikipedia, I'm not competent enough to do this. It does sound like it would work, but it also sounds like I could really put it to the pooch so to speak. Thanks though!

 

Success! I contacted AVG and they were as useless as...well, lets just say they were no help. The obviously under trained young lady had no idea what I was talking about. Finally she suggested that I use a third party program to try to uninstall the files and hey...why not buy and try their AVG PC TUNE-UP for only $39.99? Then she made the mistake of telling me that there was a free trial so I figures why not try the anti-venom from the serpent that bit me! It worked! I installed the program for a 1 day free trial and immediately went to the "File Shredder" segment of the program. I asked it to delete my c:\windows\temp file and it started deleting its contents one file at a time, each one flashing on the screen as it deleted it. It took 4 days, 24 hours a day, to delete all 840,000 of the avg.tmp file in the folder. I used the computer normally during that time but did not re-boot or close down the AVG program because the main portion of it stopped working after the 1 day trial but the File Shredder component kept on working on its own. Four days later it said "Complete" and I then deleted the AVG program. Even if you accidentally stop the File Shredder from finishing, AVG offers a 30 day money back guarantee so go ahead and buy it, use it for their files, and then return it. Hope this helps someone. Evan, I'd say this is Resolved now!