Files on the desktop with 0 bytes size? Can't remove?

[Java]

Hi all -

Visiting at my parents and trying to clean up their computer.
Yesterday I put Norton Internet Security on it, being as they had no
antivirus program installed at all. While doing so, I noticed that my
father's profile has on his desktop, 10 files that I cannot move or
delete:


Cannot delete file: Cannot read from the source file or disk


He said he has no idea what they are (I'll list names below - they have

no extension - if that helps). However, in his recycle bin, were the
exact same files, only these had sizes like 60kb,etc, that had been
deleted and put in there 3 weeks ago!


Any clues at all what these might be leftovers from? Defragging left
them there, I tried the C: prompt and the file manager. File names are

(exactly as they show):


CAOHAHVO.
CAO98Z0H.
CAN2GFBL.
CAMFGHKL.
CACH2H9Q.
CAYJAJMX.
CAC5U7OT.
CAVM2TZJ.
CA0TMFKX.
CAU7OTOX.
CAQF492T.


Those periods are at the end of each name, and like I said, they have
no extension, and no size whatsoever.


Jennifer

 

[JS]

Try booting to safe mode and see if they can be removed.

JS

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Try the following free utility:

Unlocker v1.8.4
http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/#download

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User

Enjoy all the benefits of genuine Microsoft software:
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/default.mspx

---------------------------------------------------------------------------­---------------------------------

:

| Hi all -
|
| Visiting at my parents and trying to clean up their computer.
| Yesterday I put Norton Internet Security on it, being as they had no
| antivirus program installed at all. While doing so, I noticed that my
| father's profile has on his desktop, 10 files that I cannot move or
| delete:
|
|
| Cannot delete file: Cannot read from the source file or disk
|
|
| He said he has no idea what they are (I'll list names below - they have
|
| no extension - if that helps). However, in his recycle bin, were the
| exact same files, only these had sizes like 60kb,etc, that had been
| deleted and put in there 3 weeks ago!
|
|
| Any clues at all what these might be leftovers from? Defragging left
| them there, I tried the C: prompt and the file manager. File names are
|
| (exactly as they show):
|
|
| CAOHAHVO.
| CAO98Z0H.
| CAN2GFBL.
| CAMFGHKL.
| CACH2H9Q.
| CAYJAJMX.
| CAC5U7OT.
| CAVM2TZJ.
| CA0TMFKX.
| CAU7OTOX.
| CAQF492T.
|
|
| Those periods are at the end of each name, and like I said, they have
| no extension, and no size whatsoever.
|
|
| Jennifer

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Same as your MULTIPOST in microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support

You can try dragging them to the Recycle Bin. But that probably will not
work.

All of the files, similar to CAOHAHVO. look like some kind of malware.

The trailing period makes it hard to delete except using a command prompt.

Using the trailing period results in an invalid file or folder name.

See...
Cause 6: The file name includes an invalid name in the Win32 name space
here...
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=320081

on how to try to delete them.

You cannot delete a file or a folder on an NTFS file system volume
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320081

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[David E. Ross]

Hi all -

Visiting at my parents and trying to clean up their computer.
Yesterday I put Norton Internet Security on it, being as they had no
antivirus program installed at all. While doing so, I noticed that my
father's profile has on his desktop, 10 files that I cannot move or
delete:


Cannot delete file: Cannot read from the source file or disk


He said he has no idea what they are (I'll list names below - they have

no extension - if that helps). However, in his recycle bin, were the
exact same files, only these had sizes like 60kb,etc, that had been
deleted and put in there 3 weeks ago!


Any clues at all what these might be leftovers from? Defragging left
them there, I tried the C: prompt and the file manager. File names are

(exactly as they show):


CAOHAHVO.
CAO98Z0H.
CAN2GFBL.
CAMFGHKL.
CACH2H9Q.
CAYJAJMX.
CAC5U7OT.
CAVM2TZJ.
CA0TMFKX.
CAU7OTOX.
CAQF492T.


Those periods are at the end of each name, and like I said, they have
no extension, and no size whatsoever.


Jennifer

Often, a security disc-wipe application can remove such files. I am
usually successful with Eraser 5.5.2 by Garrett Trant.

--

David E. Ross
<http://www.rossde.com/>

Concerned about someone (e.g., Pres. Bush) snooping
into your E-mail? Use PGP.
See my <http://www.rossde.com/PGP/>