Windows 7 The file that wouldn't die

[Pops]

Some time ago I saved a .jpg file I found on the Internet to my desktop, giving it a name that ended with a period. Having done that, I found that the file on my desktop was now an unusable blank, I assume because of confusion caused by that period, so I deleted it and saved the .jpg again, under a different name, and then moved it to another folder on another partition.

I didn't give the incident another thought until weeks later, when the same blank file I had deleted reappeared on my desktop, from which I have found it impossible to delete, rename or move. Not, I am told, because I can't modify the file, but because it supposedly doesn't exist. It has a size of 0 bytes, so there's no practical reason to mind it, but it irritates me to have it cluttering up the desktop I so carefully optimized. I'm this close to formatting C: and reinstalling Windows and everything else I had there over this little bug, but I'm hoping for a less drastic solution.

 

[Jimbo22]

Not sure if possible....but you could try a search in the registry and see if locates it. If so, then delete it that way.

 

[patcooke]

It may be that the filename has got stuck in the cache - try deleting the cache: first ensure that system files are set not hidden then have a look in C:/users/<your username>/appdata/local/. Delete the file iconCache.db andreboot.

 

[Pops]

Not sure if possible....but you could try a search in the registry and see if locates it. If so, then delete it that way.

I've never touched the registry in my life. Never learned how to work with it either. I guess I could learn.

It may be that the filename has got stuck in the cache - try deleting the cache: first ensure that system files are set not hidden then have a look in C:/users/<your username>/appdata/local/. Delete the file iconCache.db andreboot.

Tried that. Even used AB Commander to do it. Didn't work.

 

[patcooke]

Try moveonboot from here:

http://emcosoftware.com/move-on-boot/download

 

[Pops]

Try moveonboot from here:

http://emcosoftware.com/move-on-boot/download

It tells me I can't access that file.

 

[patcooke]

Try right clicking on the file icon on the desktop, selecting "cut" then right click on the desktop background and select refresh.

 

[Pops]

Try right clicking on the file icon on the desktop, selecting "cut" then right click on the desktop background and select refresh.

Nope.

 

[patcooke]

Try creating a file of the same name somewhere other than the desktop then cut and paste it to the desktop, opt to overwrite if asked. Then try deleting it.

 

[patcooke]

Another thing to try! Try teracopy from here:

http://codesector.com/downloads

 

[Pops]

Try creating a file of the same name somewhere other than the desktop then cut and paste it to the desktop, opt to overwrite if asked. Then try deleting it.

Neat idea. Unfortunately, it was the first neat idea I had. It won't overwrite it, the new file is just moved to the desktop, name unchanged, as if there was nothing wrong with that.

Another thing to try! Try teracopy from here:

http://codesector.com/downloads

I'm not quite sure what this thing does and how.

 

[Pops]

Well, I finally did it! I murdered the undead... sort of. I grokked TeraCopy and used it to move the accursed file to another location. The damn thing still (doesn't?) exist and still refuses to be deleted, but I'll never have to see it again. I thank patcooke for his help and patience.

Edit: Cancel the fireworks, it came back as soon as I refreshed the desktop and brought a friend. I now have 2 undead files on my desktop, the latest one named after a video file I had just deleted.

Edit 2: I restarted my computer and they're both gone from my desktop. Maybe forever, maybe just for a short while. In other words, I don't even know if I have a problem anymore. Yay!?