Are you stuck in error “Can’t delete a partition without the force protected parameter set” when trying to remove a partition in Diskpart? This article will demonstrate how to use Diskpart to delete partition force step by step in Windows 11/10/8/7.
Generally speaking, you can use Diskpart.exe service to delete any known data partition. But when you attempt to delete hidden partitions or system protected partitions like Recovery partition with the "delete partition" command in DiskPart, there are chances that you will encounter an error message saying "Cannot delete a protected partition without the force protected parameter set".
In this situation, DiskPart utility requires you to enter a different parameter (force protected parameter) to signal your Windows that you know what you are doing, then you can successfully remove hidden or system protected partitions. To be precise, you need to input the “delete partition override” rather than the "delete partition" command.
How do I delete a partition using Diskpart force? You can refer to the following quick guide to remove hidden or system protected partitions forcefully:
Step 1. Press the "Windows + R" keys at the same time to open the "Run" Dialogue. Then type "diskpart" in it and press "Enter".
Step 2. Type "list disk" and hit "Enter": display a list of the disks currently connected to your computer.
Step 3. Type "select disk" and press "Enter": select right the disk containing the partition that you wish to delete.
Step 4. Type "list partition" and press "Enter": see all the partitions available on the selected disk.
Step 5. Type "select partition" and press "Enter": identify the one that you wish to delete from the partition list.
Step 6. Type "delete partition override" and press "Enter": force delete the selected partition with using the override parameter.
Once the process completes successfully, type the "exit" command and press "Enter" to exit Diskpart.
Although Diskpart is able to delete hidden or protected partitions through the "delete partition override" command, you may delete a wrong partition without a clear interface to display the details. For those who are unfamiliar with Diskpart, that will be a risk. Besides, you still cannot use that command to delete the system/boot partition or other partitions that contain active paging files or crash dump (memory dump) files.
Therefore, we would like to share a free yet powerful alternative to Diskpart: AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard. It allows you to delete hidden or unhidden data partition and system partition within Windows. That means you don’t need to create a bootable media and enter WinPE to do such tasks as using many other disk manager tools. Moreover, with a user-friendly interface, you can easily choose the right partition.
Free download it and below is an example of how to delete a system partition (supporting all versions of Windows XP up to the newest Windows 11 operating system). You should note if you delete the C drive, then you will not be able to boot the operating system.
Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant on your Windows computer, right-click the system partition (usually C: drive) and select "Delete Partition".
Note: If you want to remove all the partitions on your drive, you can right-click the disk that contains unwanted partitions and choose "Delete All Partitions" from the menu.
Step 2. Select a way to delete the selected C partition and click "OK" to continue.
Step 3. Back to the main interface, click "Apply" and then "Proceed" to commit the pending operation. It is deleting the system partition, so a reboot is required.
If you want to delete recovery partition, you can just right-click the recovery partition, choose "Delete Partition" and follow the instructions.
★ Bonus tip: if you delete a wrong partition and lost all data saved inside, you can upgrade to Professional Edition, which can recover lost partitions easily and quickly.
So, when you failed to use Diskpart to delete partition force, AOMEI Partition Assistant is a great alternative. Moreover, if you execute “delete partition” or “delete partition override” on the dynamic disk and meet “The operation is not supported by the object. The specified command or parameters are not supported on this system”, you can first use AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional to convert dynamic disk to basic disk first, then use the deletion command. For Windows Server 2025/2022/2019/2016/2012/2008/2003 users, AOMEI Partition Assistant Server is a nice choice.
Q: What is "delete partition override"?
A: "Delete partition override" is a force command in DiskPart that is usually used to delete a partition on a disk without prompting for confirmation. It bypasses any warnings or error messages that may occur during the deletion process.
Q: How do I delete a partition that won't delete?
A: As mentioned in the last question, you can force delete the partition that can't be deleted using the override command. Follow the detailed steps on this page to execute the tasks.
Q: Is it safe to use the "delete partition force" command?
A: Using the "delete partition force" command can be risky because it deletes the partition without any confirmation. Ensure you have selected the correct partition to delete, as the action is irreversible and may result in data loss.
Q: Are there any alternatives to using "Diskpart delete partition force"?
A: Yes, force delete partition with diskpart may let you delete the wrong partition. For those who are not familiar with Diskpart, this will be a risk. But you can use AOMEI Partition Assistant to delete partition, it is easier and safer than Diskpart.