Delete a DFS root, root target, link, or target

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To delete a DFS root, root target, link, or target

Open Distributed File System.
Click the DFS root, root target, link, or target that you want to delete. You might have to navigate through the console tree to reveal the object you would like to delete.
On the Action menu, click Delete Root, Delete Link, or Remove Target, depending on the nature of the object you would like to delete.
A dialog box will appear asking you for confirmation. Click Yes.

Important

Deleting a root is not a recoverable operation. Deleting a root removes the root from the administration tool and removes the entire DFS structure associated with the root, but does not delete any data. If it is a stand-alone root, the procedure removes the DFS configuration data from the host computer. If it is a domain root, the procedure removes the configuration data from each host computer and from Active Directory.
Deleting a root, root target, link, or target does not delete any associated shared folders from the file system, and it does not change any permissions associated with files or folders. If you no longer want users to have access to data in these shared folders, use NTFS or file sharing permissions to restrict access.

Notes

In order to make changes to an existing DFS namespace, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the server hosting the namespace. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure. For more information, see Default local groups, Default groups, and Using Run as.
To open DFS, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Distributed File System.
If you remove the only target of a link, the link will be deleted.

Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.