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. To demonstrate, we tried deleting the System32 folder so we can see exactly what happens. 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. You shouldn’t do this, since the System32 folder is important. 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. RELATED: What's the Difference Between the 'System32' and 'SysWOW64' Folders in Windows? What Happens If You Try to Delete Your System32 Folder Even the system-wide Windows Registry files are stored here, in the C:\Windows\System32\Config folder.ĭespite 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.
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. Many more important system files are located here, too.
