Can't delete annoying file on desktop

[Rex_Mundi_Incarnit]

I have this annoying problem concering a file that is located on my desktop and i cannot delete it because it's allegedly in use by some application. I tried just about anything to get rid of it, but to no avail. He's what i tried:

-> Delete it using shift-del
-> Delete it using norton wipe info
-> Delete it in windows safe mode

I also tried to go to linux and delete it from linux. Unfortunately under linux, the ntfs filesystem is read-only. I also looked for an programme that can access ntfs drives in ms-dos and can write in it.

All of these solutions didn't work out and only because i downloaded a file that had no extension, made it an exe file and executed it. (it is a rar file i later discovered) :depressed

So have i missed out something, or can any one give me some advice on how to get rid of it? Thx

[acozz]

Try selecting it and pressing ctrl + x to cut it then go to another file and press ctrl + c to copy it. I've done that before to get rid of file's that had invalid names and couldn't be deleted.

[Rex_Mundi_Incarnit]

Try selecting it and pressing ctrl + x to cut it then go to another file and press ctrl + c to copy it. I've done that before to get rid of file's that had invalid names and couldn't be deleted.

Oh shoot i forgot to mention that. I can't rename it nor can i cut it (or copy it for that matter) and paste it elsewhere. I probably need to format my drive or something if i ever want it to go away
:knocked-o

[fatal error]

did you try to MOVE it to Recycle Bin from Windows Explorer?

[Heigar]

try going through your processes in the task manager and stopping one at a time and then try to delete it,if that don't work you are going to have to do a registry search and delete the key it is using.

[Rex_Mundi_Incarnit]

try going through your processes in the task manager and stopping one at a time and then try to delete it,if that don't work you are going to have to do a registry search and delete the key it is using.

That gives me an idea, even though what you said doesn't help, i mean even in safe mode its in use. So do you guys know any programme or utility that says what process(es) use(s) this file, or any file/appl in general?

(whoever came up with the message box for this kind of problem, sure had to make it as difficult as possible for a regular windows user to find out exactly which process is using the file that needs to be deleted. Long live Windows! :skull: :devil: :gasmask: )

[DeltaGuy]

It would be so much easier if you would tell us what the file is and where you got it...

[Hanzo]

If you are techie enough and you are using either WinXP or Win2K you can go an delete the file from the recovery console.

To start the recovery console you will need your installation CD and start the computer with it, then choose R in the prompt for Recovery Console, then choose Manual Repair and you'll have a nice plain command prompt to work.

You'll have to remember how to navigate to the file with good ol' DOS commands and delete the file in DOS mode. Some useful commands:

DIR (lists the files in a directory)
CD (change directories)
DEL (deletes)

Now, the same thing applies if you are using Win98 or Win95. You can start Windows in Safe Mode Command Prompt only and there you can delete any file.

If you need further assistance, please let me know
Good Luck !

[Rex_Mundi_Incarnit]

Yes, i have windows xp and did in fact try to get rid of it in the recovery console. There is just one problem however. The file is located in "my documents and settings" in the desktop folder and not in the windows folder. In the recovery console, for all folders not in the windows folder i get the error message "access denied." Which is stupid because i did log in as the administrator. So that doesn't help, unless there is a way around the problem.

The file, as i said, is actually a rar file, but when i downloaded it with mozilla, it did not have the extension rar. I thought it was an application and added the extension exe. When i executed it, a dos shell opened and an error message followed. Since then i have not been able to get rid of the file.

[jawpr]

I don't know if this will help you or not but when I took Creative soundblaster live off my computer and put Rev 7.1 on, it left a folder with 2 entrys in it that windows would not let me delete. I tried RegCleaner the other day and found out that Creative had also left about 30-40 entries in the register. I used RegCleaner to delete all of them and then I went to the folder that Creative left and deleted it without a problem.

[Rex_Mundi_Incarnit]

Do you still have the installation executable of regcleaner? I saw that it's no longer freeware and is called something else (regsupreme or somthing). This is the new website of regcleaner: http://www.macecraft.com

[jawpr]

Do you still have the installation executable of regcleaner? I saw that it's no longer freeware and is called something else (regsupreme or somthing). This is the new website of regcleaner: http://www.macecraft.com


Rex - Yes I do have the executable but I don't know how to upload it to this website - if you can tell me how to do that, i will be happy to do it. Or if you want to post your e-mail address here, I will e-mail it to you

[hedge]

Rex - Yes I do have the executable but I don't know how to upload it to this website - if you can tell me how to do that, i will be happy to do it. Or if you want to post your e-mail address here, I will e-mail it to you
zip it up and post it....
anyway, ive got a version sitting here somewhere... *looks*
crud, ive got regseeker, not regcleaner, now aren't i stupid...
Anyway, i think that searches for broken registry keys too.

[Rex_Mundi_Incarnit]

Wow, thanks guys. But it's okay now as Heigar is going to sent me a copy already. Nevertheless, i put my msn messenger handle in my profile in case more problems will happen with windows and i need some help. (which is, according to Murphy's law, quite inevitable ;))

[Rex_Mundi_Incarnit]

Problem solved, the evil, god-forsaken, Bill Gates loving file is send to hell :laugh: :skull:

[ace2701]

Problem solved, the evil, god-forsaken, Bill Gates loving file is send to hell :laugh: :skull:
OK. Good to hear. Now PULEEZE tell everyone else how you did it!:) Inquiring (older) minds want to know....

[Heigar]

Rex had a couple of things ,one was sect.exe which is considered a trojan,and apropos.exe which is malicious spyware,with both came a process that the regular windows task manager didn't catch ,so i told him to try wintasks(which blows the task manager from windows away)and showed the 2 processes ,kill both processes and run adware ,spybot search and destroy,delete the file and then run a good regcleaner like jv16 powertools and the problem fixed.

It's just a guess as to if that is the way he did it but that was what i recommended him to do.

[ace2701]

Rex had a couple of things ,one was sect.exe which is considered a trojan,and apropos.exe which is malicious spyware,with both came a process that the regular windows task manager didn't catch ,so i told him to try wintasks(which blows the task manager from windows away)and showed the 2 processes ,kill both processes and run adware ,spybot search and destroy,delete the file and then run a good regcleaner like jv16 powertools and the problem fixed.

It's just a guess as to if that is the way he did it but that was what i recommended him to do.
Very clever Heigar! Now, where can I get wintasks and will it run on a Win98SE machine? (just in case, of coarse)

[Heigar]

Very clever Heigar! Now, where can I get wintasks and will it run on a Win98SE machine? (just in case, of coarse)you can get wintasks :here (http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/)
or you can pm me to find out more details.

And ace 2701 thanks it's not being clever it's just keeping your pc clean !
And yes it runs on 98se.

they say that up to 30-40 processes are hidden from the normal windows task monitor so if you rely on just that one you might want to think again.A lot of trojan and spyware tasks are hidden from the windows task monitor so if you feel safe enough (in which i don't)then you better give wintask a try.

[Rex_Mundi_Incarnit]

Rex had a couple of things ,one was sect.exe which is considered a trojan,and apropos.exe which is malicious spyware,with both came a process that the regular windows task manager didn't catch ,so i told him to try wintasks(which blows the task manager from windows away)and showed the 2 processes ,kill both processes and run adware ,spybot search and destroy,delete the file and then run a good regcleaner like jv16 powertools and the problem fixed.

It's just a guess as to if that is the way he did it but that was what i recommended him to do.

That's right. After i got rid of the spyware, i ran jv16 powertools to get rid of any other redundant registry keys and values. Then when the cleaning was complete, i used the "wipe" function in the tools to wipe the annoying file... and it worked! :D

[Heigar]

That's right. After i got rid of the spyware, i ran jv16 powertools to get rid of any other redundant registry keys and values. Then when the cleaning was complete, i used the "wipe" function in the tools to wipe the annoying file... and it worked! :D
Glad to see my help has actually helped someone hahaha ,but glad to see you got that annoying spyware crap off your pc mate.HAPPY COMPUTING man:beer: