Which build of Vista? Disk Cleanup can now remove those pesky windows.old
folders left behind after install.

--
Jane, not plain 64 bit enabled :-)
Batteries not included. Braincell on vacation ;-)
"Piotr Wozniacki" <p.wozniacki@wp.pl> wrote in message
news:em6l99$b92$1@nemesis.news.tpi.pl...
> Hi,
>
> I didn't create a new account; being logged as "Piotr" I took the
> ownership of the windows.old folder, including subfolder and files. I then
> checked the security setting for a couple of deeply burried files - the
> ownership is mine all right.
>
> When trying to delete from Windows Explorer, there were 2 stages: first,
> the system informed if I want the administrator allowing me to delete; I
> clicked OK and - after a while - the error message "Accessd denied"
> appeared for each consecutive file (after pressing Skip).
>
> Very similar was how it looked in the Administrators console; I typed
> "rmdir /s windows.old"; the system asked me if I'm sure, I accepted and
> there was a bunch of error messages about trying to delete individual
> files with access denied again.
>
> What's my next move?
>
> Piotr
>
> "R. C. White, MVP" <rc@grandecom.net> wrote in message
> news:336D6612-380C-44B6-BBAE-369FE9321017@microsoft.com...
>> Hi, Piotr.
>>
>> Let's get more specific on a couple of points:
>>
>>> Tried from both OS'es (XP and Vista); tried taking ownership;
>>
>> Ownership of what? Owned by whom?
>>
>> Can you create a new User (if you haven't already) named "Piotr"
>> (perhaps), and have that User take Ownership of the entire drive, or, at
>> least, the entire \Windows.old folder? In my experience, this took much
>> longer than I expected because it had to take ownership of each file and
>> folder, one at a time. But when it finally ends, the User Piotr should
>> be able to delete the folder.
>>
>> Let us know, step by step, exactly what you did and exactly what error
>> message or other result you saw.
>>
>>> tried running a command prompt as administrator - still no rights to
>>> delete.
>>
>> In the Command Prompt window, what command and parameters did you use?
>> As I'm sure you know, we don't "delete" a folder, we "remove" a
>> directory. If we enter simply "rd \windows.old", we probably will get a
>> message that the directory is not empty. If we append the /s switch, it
>> will try to remove the entire directory tree, including all subfolders
>> and files, even though not empty - but it will first ask us "Are you
>> sure".
>>
>> Again, please tell us exactly what you typed in the Command Prompt window
>> and exactly what results you saw.
>>
>> RC
>> --
>> R. C. White, CPA
>> San Marcos, TX
>> rc@grandecom.net
>> Microsoft Windows MVP
>> (Running Windows Mail 7.0 in Vista x64)
>>
>> "Piotr Wozniacki" <p.wozniacki@wp.pl> wrote in message
>> news:32DD83CC-09EA-4DBC-B7DE-CBA6542A847F@microsoft.com...
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> This has been asked and answered many times, but none of the answers
>>> semms to work here. I started installing Vista from the XP, but for some
>>> reaosn interupted and installed from the DVD boot. Unfortunately, the
>>> old installation files were renamed "windows.old" and I can't get rid of
>>> them! Tried from both OS'es (XP and Vista); tried taking ownership;
>>> tried running a command prompt as administrator - still no rights to
>>> delete. What gives, besides re-formatting?!!
>>>
>>> Piotr
>>
>