Why can't I delete these **** Vista system folders?

[gozu]

I've installed XP on my C: partition 6 months ago.

Recently, I installed Vista Beta 2 on my D: partition.

Today, I have used fixboot / fixmbr to remove Vista from the bootloader.

I'm back to using winXP on my C: partition and would like to remove the useless vista folders clogging my D:\ partition (WITHOUT FORMATTING IT! I have 200 Gb of data on there so backup/format is not practical).

The folders that I can't delete are named:

Windows

Program Files

Users

ProgramData

When I try to delete them, i get Access Denied. When I right click properties and try to remove the Read Only, I get another access denied. Using attrib -r -s d:\windows does not appear to help either.

What the heck? Why can't I delete folder on my HD? This is horribly frustrating. Help!

[janus zeal]

Your getting this error from inside windows xp?

right click on the folders, click properties, then click the security tab. (must have simple file shareing disabled)

add (or edit) permissions so that "everyone" has full access.

you then should be able to delete the folders.

(you may also have to take ownership of the files, windows should offer to do this automaticly)