Удаление важной системной папки, конечно, приведет к непоправимым последствиям и поможет уже только полная переустановка Windows.
Шутки про удаление папки system32 ходят в интернете уже давно. Такое могут посоветовать неопытному пользователю, который задает откровенно глупые вопросы. Шутники утверждают, что это вирус или просто ненужная папка, занимающая место. Все это породило огромное количество мемов и нелепых ситуаций.
Зачем нужна папка system32
На самом деле папка system32 — это важная часть Windows, в которой содержатся важнейшие системные файлы. В ней можно найти библиотеки DLL, исполняемые файлы EXE и другие критически важные компоненты, которые нужны не только для самой системы, но и для сторонних программ. Кроме того, здесь же находятся многие системные утилиты. Такое же по значению место занимает и папка SysWOW64.
Что будет, если удалить system32
Удалять как system32, так и SysWOW64, естественно, ни в коем случае нельзя. От этого зависит работоспособность системы. Даже если удалить только часть файлов, то система будет работать нестабильно, некоторые программы не запустятся. Не говоря уже о том, что система, скорее всего, не сможет загрузиться при следующем запуске.
Однако не все так страшно. По умолчанию Windows не даст удалить важную системную папку, сперва нужно настроить разрешения. Так что у вас вряд ли получится это сделать просто по ошибке. Тем не менее остается возможность удалять отдельные файлы из каталога. Этого уже хватит, чтобы нанести непоправимый вред системе.
Как восстановить system32
После удаления папки или части ее содержимого поможет только переустановка системы. Отдельные системные файлы можно попытаться восстановить при помощи команды sfc /scannow. Для этого нужно запустить командную строку от имени администратора и ввести вышеупомянутую команду. А вот что будет, если сбросить BIOS.
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What is the System32 Folder?
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What Happens If You Try to Delete Your System32 Folder
Summary
- The System32 folder in Windows is crucial for the operating system to function properly, containing important system files and libraries.
- Deleting the System32 folder will result in a broken Windows operating system, requiring a reinstallation to fix.
- The System32 folder may potentially be a hiding place for malware, so it’s important to regularly scan your PC with an antivirus program.
The C:\Windows\System32 directory is a critical part of the Windows operating system where important system files are stored. Some pranksters online may tell you to delete it, but you shouldn’t — and we’ll show exactly what happens if you try.
What is the System32 Folder?
The System32 folder located at C:\Windows\System32 is part of all modern versions of Windows. It contains important operating system files that Windows needs in order to function properly.
This directory contains many different types of files, but DLL and EXE are some of the most common types you’ll find if you start digging through the folder. Dynamic Link Library (DLL) files are shared library files used by Windows programs — both utilities built into Windows and third-party programs you install — to perform various functions.
The EXE files in the System32 folder represent various Windows system utilities. For example, when you launch the Task Manager, Windows opens the Taskmgr.exe program file located inside the System32 folder.
Many more important system files are located here, too. For example, the C:\Windows\System32\Drivers folder contains the SYS files associated with hardware drivers, which your system needs to properly communicate with its hardware. Even the system-wide Windows Registry files are stored here, in the C:\Windows\System32\Config folder.
Despite its name, the System32 folder is important even on 64-bit versions of Windows, where it still contains important system libraries and executables in 64-bit form.
What Happens If You Try to Delete Your System32 Folder
There’s a dumb prank that’s been floating around the Internet for a long time, where jokers try to trick people into deleting their System32 folder. You shouldn’t do this, since the System32 folder is important. If you actually did delete your System32 folder, this would break your Windows operating system and you’d need to reinstall Windows to get it working properly again.
To demonstrate, we tried deleting the System32 folder so we can see exactly what happens.
We tried deleting the folder normally on both Windows 10 and Windows 7, and both wisely prevented us from deleting this system folder with a «Folder Access Denied» message. But we’re stubborn, so we got around that.
We really wanted to see what would happen, so we took ownership of the System32 folder and gave our Windows user account full control over its contents.
We then tried deleting the folder again, but Windows said we couldn’t delete it because files inside the System32 folder were open in another program.
We’re already learning one thing here: It’s very difficult to actually delete your System32 folder. If someone ever says «Oops, I accidentally deleted my System32 folder,» there’s a good chance they’re joking. It takes some determination and digging through advanced settings.
Frustrated with File Explorer, we decided to launch the Command Prompt and use the
del
command to delete as many files in System32 as we could. The command still wouldn’t touch some files that were currently in use, but it deleted many other ones.
Windows started to fall apart after we deleted many of the files in the System32 folder. We tried opening the Start menu and clicking the power button, but nothing happened. We then tried opening the Task Manager — and we were informed that the Task Manager itself no longer exists. We saw errors when we clicked other menu options in Windows, too.
We couldn’t seem to power down the computer normally, so we forcibly rebooted it to see what would happen. Windows tried to boot into Automatic Repair but couldn’t repair our PC, perhaps because we deleted the repair files.
Finally, we clicked «Advanced options» and told Windows to boot anyway. Nothing happened. We just saw a black screen for a second before the computer booted into Automatic Repair mode once again. Clearly, important files required for booting Windows were gone and the operating system couldn’t even begin to start.
It’s not a big surprise: Deleting System32 breaks Windows. There’s no big satisfying explosion when you break things, either. Parts of Windows just suddenly start failing while you’re using it, and then Windows refuses to boot up again.
And again, reinstalling Windows was the only fix.
How to Check For Malware
While the System32 folder isn’t malware itself and you shouldn’t try to delete it, it’s possible for malware that infects your PC to hide anywhere — even inside the System32 folder. If you’re concerned your PC may have malware, you should perform a system scan with your favorite antivirus program.
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- What Is System 32 Directory and Why You Shouldn’t Delete It?
By Sonya |
Last Updated
Do you know what Windows System 32 directory is and what the consequences of deleting it are? If you don’t know, then this post is what you need. In addition, you can get some information about System 32 virus.
When you surf the Internet, you may find that a jokester asks you to delete the System32 folder on your computer. So you may wonder that what System 32 is and why it tells you to delete it. Read this post written by MiniTool, then you can find the answers.
Introduction to System 32
To begin with, what is System 32? It is a pretty important part of every Windows version since Windows 2000 and it is located at C:\Windows\System32 that stored all critical and vital files and folders to keep Windows running properly. Therefore, it should never be deleted.
There are a number of different kinds of files in System32 folder, but in general, there are only two types of files which are the most common types: DLL (Dynamic Link Library) files and EXE (Executable) files.
DLL files allow Windows programs – both built-in programs and third-party utilities you install to perform various tasks. For example, one DLL file allows automatic Windows Update while another allows the computer to play audio.
Many DLL files start the moment when you start your PC, and Windows cannot boot without them.
EXE files represent different software applications and utilities. For example, when you open Command Prompt, Windows runs the cmd.exe file from the System32 folder. And there are many common programs run from this folder, too, such as PowerShell, Task Manager, Calculator and so on.
These are common programs that are viewed as part of the system. Therefore, without these files, you couldn’t even sign into your computer.
To sum up, the System32 folder contains a large number of vital files and it is important both on 32-bit or 64-bit versions of Windows.
Tip: If you don’t know whether your computer is 32-bit or 64-bit, then you can read this post to find the answer – Is My Computer 64 Bit or 32 Bit? Try the 5 Ways to Judge out.
How to Delete Windows System 32?
How to delete System 32? System32 folder is a protected system folder, so Windows won’t let you access it if you try to delete it. This can prevent you from deleting the folder by accident. But if you still want to delete it, then you need to take ownership of this folder at first.
But after you take ownership of this folder, when you try to delete it, Windows will prevent you again because it is actively using multiple files in the System32 folder.
Therefore, you can delete the files in the System32 folder one by one or you can use the Command Prompt for more efficient deletion. Windows allows you to delete files that aren’t currently in use.
What Happens If Your Delete System 32?
So what happens if you delete System 32? Your computer will start collapsing slowly. Many fundamental features such as using Start Menu to open programs and opening Windows programs won’t work.
What’s worse, you cannot even turn off your PC normally after you delete files in the System32 folder, and then you cannot turn on your PC after you shut down it. And the only solution to make your computer run normally again is to reinstall your operating system.
System 32 Virus
Although the System32 folder is a very necessary part of your operating system and you should never delete it, it’s possible for viruses or malware to infect your computer and hide anywhere – even in the System32 folder.
A rootkit may disguise itself as a legal process and then hide in the System32 folder, but you can notice it because it uses high CPU unusually.
Tip: If you find that your CPU is used 100%, then you can read this post to find solutions – 8 Useful Solutions to Fix Your CPU 100% in Windows 10.
Therefore, if you concerned that your computer has a System 32 virus or malware, then you are supposed to perform a system scan with your antivirus software while not try to delete or modify any infected files.
Bottom Line
From this post, you can know what System 32 is. It is an indispensable part of the Windows system and if you try deleting System 32, then you will face system crash and you can only try to reinstall your system. Therefore, you should never delete it.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Author Sonya has been engaged in editing for a long time and likes to share useful methods to get rid of the common problems of Windows computers, such as Windows Update error. And she aims to help more people to protect their data. What’s more, she offers some useful ways to convert audio and video file formats. By the way, she likes to travel, watch movies and listen to music.
Spend some time on the Internet? You will probably come across jokers who advise you to delete the System32 folder on your computer, for example, to fix problems and errors with sound. But what is this mysterious Windows folder, and why does someone advise you to delete it? Let’s look at the facts and consequences if you delete the system32 folder from the windows system.
System32 is the folder included in each version of Windows with Windows 2000. It is located in C: \ Windows \ System32 and includes all sorts of files and folders that are vital for the normal operation of Windows itself. System32 folder has too many files to discuss separately. One user on the Symantec forum explained enough if you are interested. In general, you can break most of the contents of System32 folder into two groups:
DLL files (Dynamic Link Library) allow programs to access parts of Windows and perform standard tasks. For example, one DLL file may allow a computer to play audio, while another may include automatic Windows updates. Many DLLs start immediately after booting your computer. Windows could not start without them, so DLL errors are a big problem for users.
EXE (executable) files are software applications and utilities. You run the executable file each time you open software, such as Word or Chrome. But EXE files in System32 are more important: in addition to Windows utilities, such as Event Viewer (eventvwr.exe), they include executable files for vital processes, such as winlogon.exe. Without these processes, you could not even enter your computer.
In addition, System32 folder also contains a driver folder, the contents of which allows your computer to interact with various hardware (printers, mouse, keyboard), language files, and more.
How to remove System32 in Windows
Despite the jokes on the Internet, removing System32 folder is not an easy task, and you will not be able to delete this folder with one click. Since this is a protected system folder, Windows will deny you access if you try to delete it. This is enough to keep inexperienced users from accidentally deleting a folder. However, if you want to delete, you need to get ownership of the folder, which will allow you to delete it, but Windows will block some of the files again, since System32 uses running processes (files). To work around this, you can start deleting individual files inside System32 or use the command line for more efficient deletion. If you do, Windows will allow you to delete files that are not currently being used. Another way is original, you need to connect the hard drive to another PC and delete the system32 folder or some of the contents of this folder. Watch the video below for how to delete the system32 folder and what happens with windows after deleting it.
What happens when you uninstall System32?
If you continue deleting random files in System32 folder, your computer will slowly curl, slow down, cause any errors, and may not boot at all. Basic functions, such as launching programs, searching the Start menu, and opening Windows utilities, will no longer work from the moment they delete their files. Once you do a hard shutdown and reboot, Windows will most likely not load without these critical DLLs. Have to reinstall windows again.
System32 vs SysWOW64
On 64-bit versions of Windows, you will notice several differences in folders, for example, a separate Program Files (x86) directory. Something similar happens with System32: in the C: \ Windows folder on a 64-bit system, you can find the SysWOW64 folder in addition to System32. Take a look, and you will see that the two folders contain files with the same name. Like program files (x86), Windows includes two directories for compatibility with 32-bit programs. If a 32-bit program tried to load a 64-bit DLL, it would crash. But it’s strange that in 64-bit systems System32 has 64-bit files, and SysWOW64 contains 32-bit files. WoW64 means that W indows 32-bit on Windows 64-bit. This is a service that allows the OS to properly run 32-bit programs, even on a 64-bit system.
In part, this automatically redirects 32-bit processes to use the correct folders. A 32-bit program, even without knowing that 64-bit software exists, will naturally try to access the System32 folder. But WoW redirects it instead of SysWOW64. The same thing happens with program files. Since many 32-bit programs were hard-coded to access System32 and Program Files, this redirection method allows 32-bit and 64-bit programs to work with one system easily. It’s a bit confusing, but now you know a little bit.
Read also :How to easily reset the BIOS password on a laptop
Related : SMSS.EXE – WHAT IS THIS PROCESS IN WINDOWS 10
Viruses in System32 folder
It is possible that a virus or other malware may be hiding in System32. A rootkit may try to invade a folder and disguise itself as a legitimate process that you may notice due to unusually high CPU utilization. If you suspect that you have a virus in the System32 folder, you should not attempt to delete or modify any affected files. You are more likely to accidentally damage your system than to clean the virus. Instead, you should scan with a trusted antivirus program, and then scan with an antivirus scanner, such as Zemana.
Conclusion about system32
Now you know everything about System32, what it does, and what happens if you delete it. If you do not understand, just know that System32 contains a set of vital files that are needed for Windows. You cannot remove System32 without intentionally bypassing the built-in protections, and you will need to reinstall Windows if you delete the folder or part of the content files in it.