Deleting Microsoft OneCare Backup Files
I've been testing using Microsoft's OneCare to backup files to both DVD+RW and external USB hard drives. The optical disc backup works fine but is slow and requires disc changes for large drives.
The external hard drive method worked a bit better. But, I found myself wanting to start over and change the backup scheme. This turned out to be a problem because Microsoft OneCare creates some kind of specially protected file named DO_NOT_DELETE_mediaID in each of the subdirectories. This file cannot be deleted, renamed, or otherwise changed using what most of us would consider to be the usual methods of taking care of such a problem. A bit of searching around found a solution in the Microsoft OneCare web forum though.
The trick turned out to be a command line command that I had never heard of: cacls. This command can modify the Access Control List. It should be used like this to make the files under the Windows OneCare Backup directory eraseable.
cacls "G:\Windows OneCare Backup" /t /g administrators:F
Here are a couple of things you should note:
- G is the external drive letter. Change it to what your external drive is assigned to.
- There must be a space between /t and /g.
- Note that administrators is the group name, not administrator which is an account name
- The F after the colon indicates Full Control. It is not a drive designation
February 9th, 2007 - 17:06
“cacls” command will only work with NTFS formated disks.
February 11th, 2007 - 15:56
THANK YOU!
You saved my posterior.
James S. Huggins
March 14th, 2007 - 09:39
Did not work – but redesignating the folder as shared under networks did allow deletion.
September 7th, 2007 - 18:12
Thank You!!!!
I had tried several other methods I found with no luck, yours worked great.
I think it nothing short of incredible that MS would make it such a PITA to delete these BU files.
September 29th, 2007 - 11:31
HELP
I have tried the cacls “G:\Windows OneCare Backup” /t /g administrators:F
I have tried to share with the network….I cannot delete these files.
Windows Live One Care won’t help me because my subscription has expired. They want me to buy a new one in order to help me…I already have a new McAfee free from my internet provider…why would I want to pay just to delete there locked up files. What a PITA
Any suggestion….maybe I’m doing something wrong.
Please HELP!!
November 26th, 2007 - 00:27
1) use an external USB hard drive
2) create a specific partition
3) use that partition for One Care backups
4) then, simply, format that partition when you need
to erase all backups and create a new one
5) that’s the way I like it
December 23rd, 2007 - 08:17
the CACLS cmd did not work for me. It would just kick up the help for the command. By enabling file sharing and sharing the backup folder, it changed security properties and allowed me to delete it. Don’t forget to disable file sharing again after.
December 29th, 2007 - 00:37
Hello. Thanks Todd! It worked for me! I deleted a portion (a specific user name folder in my backup). Now, I have a question. How do you enable this “specially protected file ” again. What is the CMD line that I will need to enter? I am guessing it has something to do with switching out one or both the letters of /t &/g for other letter(s). Please reply with the inverse. Thank you!
December 29th, 2007 - 11:33
Let me add to my last comment I posted. I have been to the Microsoft OneCare Forum regarding this issue and they give the user friendly way of changing the security settings. Unfortunately, I am using Windows XP Home that does not have the security tab available. That is why I am in need of the Command prompt method instead. Again, please provide the command prompt line for me to enable the protection or turn it on again. Thanks!
January 17th, 2008 - 18:50
I would have never figured this out. Thanks for your help. Of course Microsoft could not have been this helpful!
May 10th, 2008 - 09:32
I use an NTFS formatted external USB drive (Western Digital Passport) and this worked great. Thanks for the tip!!!
October 13th, 2008 - 15:21
Thank you so much. I hated that OneCare.
December 6th, 2008 - 12:13
East-tec Eraser 2007 killed these files easily. (erase beyond recovery) However I did enable shares on the folder first (earlier poster suggested this changed security properties).
Hope this helps someone?
December 8th, 2008 - 15:09
It’s worth mentioning that this does not work under Vista unless you have either turned off UAC or run the cmd windows as Administrator
December 17th, 2008 - 13:19
Thanx! It worked for me!
January 4th, 2009 - 09:38
tried everything posted, none worked, finally tried East-Tec Eraser 2008 – done with ease
March 26th, 2009 - 20:35
Wow thats so cool, cacls save me lot of space in my disc
April 14th, 2009 - 05:59
Worked perfectly! Thank you very much!!
October 27th, 2009 - 14:18
Thanks for the tip!! I have reclaimed over 80 GB of wasted space due to the POS OneCare product I dumped in favor of Norton and Acronis for system backup. Acronis rocks!!!
November 11th, 2009 - 14:01
Cheers .. Worked perfectly. Thanks for the very clear instructions.
November 27th, 2009 - 11:26
Worked like a charm, thanks! The key for me was including the quotation marks which I’m not used to using in cmd windows. THANKS!
January 23rd, 2010 - 08:54
I had been trying for a while by twiddling the properties of each file and folder. Found this tip and applied it. It changed all my files/folders so that I could go back and delete them all. Worked great.
April 8th, 2010 - 02:03
I ran the cacls program, typed Y at the the confirmation, but I still can’t delete files/folders. I get a message saying I don’t have permission. Is there anything else that will work?
April 29th, 2010 - 06:54
Go to this link and use the steps by Eric B.
http://forums.techarena.in/windows-software/1189720.htm
Basically, change ownership of the folder and it’s contents to your username using the permissions properties and make sure you check all available checkboxes to propagate your changes to all subdirs and files. I also turned UAC off, but I doubt that was necessary. I’d also used cacl as described above but it didn’t work for me.
August 7th, 2010 - 13:38
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! I have been trying for months to get rid of this backup and this is the only thing that has worked for me!
August 23rd, 2010 - 04:24
At last I have got tid of the Windows Onecare files, manay thanks for this