-
×InformationNeed Windows 11 help?Check documents on compatibility, FAQs, upgrade information and available fixes.
Windows 11 Support Center. -
-
×InformationNeed Windows 11 help?Check documents on compatibility, FAQs, upgrade information and available fixes.
Windows 11 Support Center. -
- HP Community
- Notebooks
- Notebook Software and How To Questions
- Can't delete hpswsetup folder from C drive...

Create an account on the HP Community to personalize your profile and ask a question
01-28-2021 11:32 AM - edited 01-28-2021 11:42 AM
So I would like to delete this folder from my computer but I get an error message like this:
Try Again doesn't seem to change anything.
Here are some pics of the contents of this folder:
Would appreciate some insight into what is in this folder and why I can't delete it,
thanks in advance!
01-28-2021 12:20 PM - edited 01-28-2021 12:24 PM
Hi:
It seems like that is a synaptics driver folder.
There may be a file running in the background in that folder.
You can try restarting the PC and then delete the folder.
If you can't delete it, use this free software. I use it all the time to delete stubborn files and folders.
01-28-2021 12:26 PM
I think you might be misunderstanding my title.
This isn't the SWSetup folder that contains the drivers that came with my pc and/or downloaded (I did a fresh install of windows a couple of times and also deleted that folder not too long ago).
This folder is named "hpswsetup" and you can look at the attached links to imgur to see exactly what it contains (It appears to me to be also some kind of driver but I don't know why it is in this specific folder and not the regular SWSetup folder).
01-28-2021 12:35 PM
So should I even bother with it?
I mean the main reason I want to delete it is because it just bothers me that it's there...
Do you think it is the driver installation itself or just the installer (Like in the swsetup folder)?
01-28-2021 12:50 PM
You sound like me.
I would not want that folder on my PC and it would be driving me rather crazy.
I can't tell you what the consequences would be if you use the iobit unlocker software to delete the file.
Most likely it can be deleted.
Worst case scenario is you reinstall the synaptics touchpad driver.
Even if it disabled your touchpad, you could plug in a USB mouse and reinstall the driver.
01-28-2021 01:14 PM
Yeah my "OCD" is not liking it.
I tried rebooting and deleting the folder and it failed, also I tried using the software you linked and it failed to "unblock" the folder as shown here (Tried forced mode too):
01-28-2021 01:18 PM
Sorry that software didn't work.
It usually does.
I guess you have tried everything you can, and I can't think of anything else for you to try to delete that folder.
Seems very unusual that the driver folder has to sit there after the driver has been installed.