ZwDeleteFile function (ntifs.h)

  • Article

The ZwDeleteFile routine deletes the specified file.

Syntax

NTSYSAPI NTSTATUS ZwDeleteFile(
  [in] POBJECT_ATTRIBUTES ObjectAttributes
);

Parameters

[in] ObjectAttributes

A pointer to an OBJECT_ATTRIBUTES structure that contains the attributes supplied by the caller to be used for the file object. These attributes would include the ObjectName and the SECURITY_DESCRIPTOR, for example. This parameter is initialized by calling the InitializeObjectAttributes macro.

Return value

ZwDeleteFile returns STATUS_SUCCESS or an appropriate error status representing the final completion status of the operation. Possible error status codes include the following:

Return code Description
STATUS_INSUFFICIENT_RESOURCES A temporary buffer required by this function could not be allocated.
STATUS_INVALID_PARAMETER The specified ObjectAttributes parameter was a NULL pointer, not a valid pointer to an OBJECT_ATTRIBUTES structure, or some of the specified ObjectAttributes structure members were invalid.
STATUS_OBJECT_NAME_INVALID The ObjectAttributes parameter contained an ObjectName in the OBJECT_ATTRIBUTES structure that was invalid because an empty string was found after the OBJECT_NAME_PATH_SEPARATOR character.
STATUS_OBJECT_NAME_NOT_FOUND The ObjectAttributes parameter contained an ObjectName member in the OBJECT_ATTRIBUTES structure that could not be found.
STATUS_OBJECT_PATH_NOT_FOUND The ObjectAttributes parameter contained an ObjectName member in the OBJECT_ATTRIBUTES structure with an object path that could not be found.
STATUS_OBJECT_PATH_SYNTAX_BAD The ObjectAttributes parameter did not contain a RootDirectory member, but the ObjectName member in the OBJECT_ATTRIBUTES structure was an empty string or did not contain an OBJECT_NAME_PATH_SEPARATOR character. This indicates incorrect syntax for the object path.

Remarks

ZwDeleteFile deletes the specified file object.

The ZwDeleteFile function is called after the InitializeAttributes macro is used to set attributes in the OBJECT_ATTRIBUTES structure for the file object to be deleted.

There are two alternate ways to specify the name of the file to be deleted with ZwDeleteFile:

  • As a fully qualified pathname, supplied in the ObjectName member of the input ObjectAttributes
  • As pathname relative to the directory file represented by the handle in the RootDirectory member of the input ObjectAttributes

Callers of ZwDeleteFile must be running at IRQL = PASSIVE_LEVEL and with special kernel APCs enabled.

If the call to the ZwDeleteFile function occurs in user mode, you should use the name "NtDeleteFile " instead of "ZwDeleteFile".

For calls from kernel-mode drivers, the NtXxx and ZwXxx versions of a Windows Native System Services routine can behave differently in the way that they handle and interpret input parameters. For more information about the relationship between the NtXxx and ZwXxx versions of a routine, see Using Nt and Zw Versions of the Native System Services Routines.

Requirements

Requirement Value
Minimum supported client Windows XP
Target Platform Universal
Header ntifs.h (include Ntifs.h)
Library NtosKrnl.lib
DLL NtosKrnl.exe
IRQL PASSIVE_LEVEL (see Remarks section)
DDI compliance rules HwStorPortProhibitedDDIs(storport), PowerIrpDDis(wdm)

See also

InitializeObjectAttributes

OBJECT_ATTRIBUTES