Delete Locked Files with KillBox

Delete Locked Files with KillBox

Pocket KillBox is a utility that can be used to get rid of files that stubbornly refuse to allow you to delete them.

How to use Killbox?

You can download Killbox here: Pocket-Killbox
Start the program by double-clicking Killbox.exe

Application will open with this screen:

That brings us to the first option:
Standard File Kill

There are two ways to tell Killbox which file to Delete.
1: Copy & paste the Full Path of File to Delete into the corresponding box
2: Use the explorer to browse to the file as shown below

Some files may be undeletable because they are loaded into a system process like Explorer.
For those files Killbox offers the option to stop Explorer.exe while it deletes the file.
Put a checkmark in the "End Explorer Shell While Killing File" to activate that option. Make sure to close all explorer windows before you use it.
As soon as you use the "Delete File" button (3) your taskbar and desktop will disappear for a brief period.

Delete on Reboot
The options to delete a single file are the same as for the Standard File Kill.
But Delete on Reboot has the ability to process several files at once.
This requires a special procedure that uses the Windows clipboard.
- Run Killbox and select the Delete on Reboot option
- Select the list of filenames by highlighting them as shown below

- Send them to the Windows clipboard by using the combination of keys: Ctrl-C
- In Killbox click File > Copy from Clipboard as shown below

Note that the first filename should show up in blue as shown below

# Then press the "Delete File" button. You will get a confirmation box saying: "All listed Files will be Deleted on Next Reboot" Click Yes.
You will get another confirmation box saying: "Files will be Removed on Reboot, Do you want to reboot now?" Click Yes again.
The computer should now reboot automatically and the files you selected should be gone.

Replace on Reboot
Replace on Reboot is a method you can use when deleting a file can cause serious error when the computer reboots.
For instance if it concerns a file that is started by a Winlogon or AppInit_DLLs key.
You can use a Dummy file created by Killbox by checking the "Use Dummy" box under "Replace on reboot"
Killbox will create a dummy file in a temporary folder, but you can copy & paste the pathname to another file into the box.

To avoid errors it is advisable to make sure the file to be replaced and the dummy have the same extension.