deleting files in program files directory

[RRADC]

Thanks for reading my post, I'm trying to create script in python that will delete all files in a directory with admin rights for the python script

I do have admin rights for my computer but I can't make adjustments to the C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\ directory.

As of now, every single time I reboot my work computer microsoft keeps changing the default app for http https htm html to edge, so I have to reset it at boot up. Then I have to check the contents of the Microsoft directory delete all the files if it's been re-installed.

I hope to write a script that will delete all the files in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\ directory and then change the default apps for http https htm html to from edge to chrome.

#import os
#import glob

#files = glob.glob('C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\*')
#for f in files:
#    os.remove(f)
    
import os
import shutil

for root, dirs, files in os.walk('C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft'):
    for f in files:
        os.unlink(os.path.join(root, f))
    for d in dirs:
        shutil.rmtree(os.path.join(root, d))

both methods above give me this error

Error:
D:\python>py FFdelete.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "D:\python\FFdelete.py", line 13, in <module>
    os.unlink(os.path.join(root, f))
PermissionError: [WinError 5] Access is denied: 'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft\\usb1.spec'

I'm new to python so any help/guidance would be helpful, thanks

[snippsat]

Windows doesn't grant administrative privileges to scripts by default.
If run cmd as Administrator the run python script it will work.

There are packages that deal with this eg pyuac
Teset work.

import os, time
import pyuac

file_path = r'C:\Program Files (x86)\game\pong – Kopi.exe'
if not pyuac.isUserAdmin():
    pyuac.runAsAdmin()

os.remove(file_path)

Do not do this when use a file path,because of escape characters.

# No
'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft'

# Ok
r'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft'
'C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft'

[RRADC]

Thanks, I did a pip install of pyuac, however I get an error

D:\python>py FFdelete.py
File "D:\python\FFdelete.py", line 12
file_path = r'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\'
^
SyntaxError: unterminated string literal (detected at line 12)

and line 12 = file_path = r'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\'

I tried the above and using double quotes with the r inside the quotes as well.

I found I had to use \ so the path is
file_path = "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft\\"

But then I get this error
PermissionError: [WinError 5] Access is denied: 'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft\\'

[deanhystad]

There is no need for trailing backslash, and you cannot have a single backslash at the end of a python str literal, raw or not.

[snippsat]

Also a advice use pathlib
Example.

from pathlib import Path, PurePath
import os

folder_path = r'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft'
for file_path in Path(folder_path).rglob('*'):
        if file_path.is_file():
            #print(file_path)
            if 'url_sample.csv' in file_path.parts:
                print(f'File <{file_path}> is deleted')
                os.remove(file_path)

Output:
G:\div_code\reader_env
λ python del_file.py
File <C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate\Download\url_sample.csv> is deleted
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "G:\div_code\reader_env\del_file.py", line 10, in <module>
    os.remove(file_path)
PermissionError: [WinError 5] Ingen tilgang: 'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft\\EdgeUpdate\\Download\\url_sample.csv

As mention running without administrative privileges will not work with these system folders.
Here run shell that i use cmder with administrative privileges,then it works.

Output:
G:\div_code\reader_env
λ python del_file.py
File <C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate\Download\url_sample.csv> is deleted

[RRADC]

Oh, lookie there, I learned a new thing each today with python! Thanks

However, I did run this as is and while it did eliminate the errors but no directories or files where deleted. I ran this version multiple times. I went to the directory C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft and changed the permissions to the Microsoft directory. Then it started throwing the permission error again.

For some reason, that directory keeps defaulting to read only, but I can delete the files manually. Something
D:\python>py FFdelete.py
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\usb1.spec
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\New folder\QUO-186042-0 AMPL-125S1G6 for Abbott Diabetes Care.pdf

D:\python>py FFdelete.py
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\usb1.spec
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\New folder\QUO-186042-0 AMPL-125S1G6 for Abbott Diabetes Care.pdf

D:\python>py FFdelete.py
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\usb1.spec
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\New folder\QUO-186042-0 AMPL-125S1G6 for ADC.pdf

D:\python>py FFdelete.py
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\usb1.spec
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "D:\python\FFdelete.py", line 24, in <module>
os.remove(file_path)
PermissionError: [WinError 5] Access is denied: 'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft\\usb1.spec'

These files I put there to test with.

Probably another dumb question but what does this "if 'url_sample.csv'" do for this script?

[snippsat]

Probably another dumb question but what does this "if 'url_sample.csv'" do for this script?

I just put in a random file to test delete from this system folder.
If i should delete folders eg Temp i would do it like this,see that i do not use .join() as pathlib always give absolute path.
Also as info this code dos recursive search of all file/folders,so it work the same as os.walk.

from pathlib import Path, PurePath
import os
import shutil

folder_path = r'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft'
for file_path in Path(folder_path).rglob('*'):
        if file_path.is_dir():
            if 'Temp' in file_path.parts:
                print(file_path)
                shutil.rmtree(file_path)

So it work fine and delete Temp folder with all content.

Output:
G:\div_code\reader_env
λ python del_folders.py
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\BingSvc\Temp
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Temp
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Temp\scoped_dir41564_1447529849