For the third time today, Windows won't let me modify the folder I try to put steam in, steam complains that "deleted STEAM.exe but the file is still there". I can't change the folder, it's set to read only, and it won't let me delete it or even take ownership, telling me "access is denied."
No process is running that uses it, and im the admin.
If I try and install steam again in a new folder, I can delete the last one but not the new one, I can also delete it in safe mode. This prompted me to look for a process using it, but there is none.
So what the hell, is windows just randomly stopping me from modifying it?
I have also tried attrib -h through a command prompt.

Do some reading about permissions, and the tool CACLS.

Burn it.

Just send your computer to me. I'll send you back something that works.*


* No guarantees that the something that works will be the same something you sent.

Would it play TF2? Honestly that's all I ****ing want right now.

Never tried TF2 on my laptop...but Windows 7 runs fine.

If you have the "cheap" editions of Windows you're @#$^ed unless you know how to use the command line tools to adjust ACLs. Otherwise you can adjust them through the properties dialog of the folder. You may also be able to reach the Security tab in the "cheap" editions by starting up in Safe mode and logging on as Administrator, but I only know for sure this works in XP Home.

You'll need the Advanced settings dialog, and then you'll want to be sure that your user or a group you are in is not DENIED Delete privileges. An early version of Flash 10.1 beta installer denied Delete privilege for Everyone, making it impossible to downgrade or uninstall Flash unless you happened to know about that little feature of ACL already. There may be other similar settings in there as well... you may just want to clear out the ACLs entirely (from the Advanced interface) and set Everyone to Full Control (or only Administrators, and then Users to Read... that's how it works... and do this from the non-Advanced for simplicity), and propagate the permissions to all subfolders and files.

boot from a linux live cd and delete it.

God damn, heres something.
I now have two windows installs, one on E:Drive(Just the install files) and One finished on C:
If I just delete the files on E:, will that stop it from appearing on the boot screen?
Also, I though Linux couldn't use NTFS?

Yes it can, you just need to mount the ntfs partitions in linux.

You need to edit your boot system to remove the option from the boot screen. You can do that using msconfig (Boot tab).

newer linux distros can read and write ntfs, and they don't worry about pesky permissions.

Define newer, and I can do this from the same Ubuntu live CD i've been using for memtest right?

newer == any distro with package management. If it doesn't come with support already on the disc you can install the ntfs-3g package and bam, you're good to go.