Unable to remove directory when re-installing Rapid Recovery (4041817)

When attempting to re-install Rapid Recovery, you receive an error indicating that the target directory already exists:

C:\Program Files\AppRecovery\Core\

When you attempt to manually delete this folder, the system returns an error stating that one or more files are in use, even though related services have already been stopped.

Some font files used by the Rapid Recovery Core web interface, such as Glyphicons or Bicons, remain locked or registered in Windows. These fonts are referenced via shortcuts in the Control Panel > Fonts applet and may be held open by background processes (e.g., svchost.exe). This prevents the folder from being removed or overwritten during reinstallation.

Option 1 – Unregister Locked Fonts via Control Panel (Recommended)

1. Open Control Panel and go to Fonts.
2. From the Organize drop-down, select Layout and ensure that the Details pane is turned off.
3. Locate any fonts that are shortcuts and point to a path such as:
   

   C:\Program Files\AppRecovery\Core\CoreService\coreadmin\Content\

   

4. Delete those font shortcuts.
5. Navigate to the actual font files in File Explorer (e.g., .ttf files) and move them to your desktop.
6. Reboot the system.
7. After rebooting, you should be able to delete the AppRecovery\Core folder.

Option 2 – Manually Remove Registry Entries (Advanced Users Only)

⚠️ Warning:
Editing the Windows Registry incorrectly can cause serious system problems. Only use this method if the Control Panel method fails. Always create a backup of the registry before making changes.

1. Open regedit.exe as Administrator.
2. Navigate to the following registry path:
   

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts

3. In the right-hand pane, find any entries where the font file path points to:
   

   C:\Program Files\AppRecovery\Core\

   

4. Right-click each entry and delete it.
5. Reboot the system.
6. After reboot, retry removing or reinstalling Rapid Recovery.

Option 3 – Use a Third-Party Unlock Tool

If file locks still persist after attempting the above steps, a third-party tool can be used to forcibly unlock them.

Tool: EMCO Unlock IT

After unlocking, reboot the system and retry deletion.

Additional Notes:

• Fonts used by Rapid Recovery are not installed globally in Windows. They are typically stored in the following paths:
  • C:\Program Files\AppRecovery\Core\CoreService\coreadmin\Content\Bootstrap\fonts
  • C:\Program Files\AppRecovery\Core\CoreService\coreadmin\Content\LightTheme\fonts
  • C:\Program Files\AppRecovery\Core\CoreService\coreadmin\Content\DarkTheme\fonts
  • C:\Program Files\AppRecovery\Core\CoreService\coreadmin\Content\HybridTheme\fonts
• These fonts are used for the Core Console web interface and are not standard system fonts, but they may appear as shortcuts in the Control Panel Fonts section.
• In some cases, svchost.exe processes may continue to hold file handles even after the Rapid Recovery Core service is stopped. A system reboot is required to release those locks.