I'm having trouble deleting a file on my Lenovo laptop running Windows 11. I recently removed a passkey from Windows Hello, and now there's a file named 'bootstat.dat' that I can't seem to get rid of. When I try to delete it, it says the file is being used by the System, and when I attempt to delete it through the command terminal, it claims it can't find the file, despite me using the correct path. I also checked task manager but I'm not sure what to look for to resolve this issue. Any ideas on how I can delete this file?
3 Answers
You might want to try a little program called MoveOnBoot. It's designed specifically for situations like this where files are locked and won't budge. It should help you get rid of that stubborn bootstat.dat file.
As a last resort, consider booting from a live Linux USB. You can download an Ubuntu ISO, write it to a USB, boot from it, and then try to delete the file that way. It often works for files that Windows just won't let you touch.
Have you tried using Revo Uninstaller? It's free and can dig into all the hidden files, even in the registry. Unlock the file with the program first, delete it, and it should prompt you to get rid of any leftover bits too.
Definitely give that a shot! Revo can be pretty thorough, and it might be what you need to finally delete that file.