Folder won't stay deleted

[Bill Leary]

There's a folder on my desktop which I've deleted about thirty times now.

After I deleted it, 15 to 20 minutes later, it reappears. I've watched it
pop up on the screen several times.

I suspect the following has something to do with it, but I can't figure out
how.

I replaced my motherboard, CPU and RAM. When I started up Vista it went
into a long series of discovering the new parts and getting itself set up to
handle them. Took about a half hour. While this was going on I was looking
over the desk top and noticed this folder I'd forgotten to delete a few days
ago. I'd stuck it in the corner and just forgot about it. So, I dragged it
to the Recycle Bin and it disappeared, as it should have. I then left the
machine to finish it's updates, and restarted when it was done.

When the machine came back up, the folder was back on the desktop. My first
thought was that the delete hadn't worked because it was busy with other
things, so I just dragged it to the Recycle Bin again and it disappeared
again.

A bit later, I noticed it was back again.

If I leave it alone, no others appear. It's not creating one every twenty
minutes. But if I delete it, it reappears within twenty minutes.

Ideas?

- Bill

 

[Robert Firth]

What is the folder's name? Is it one you originally created, one after a
program install, or system folder?

Robert Firth
http://www.winvistainfo.org

 

[dean-dean]

Is it a shell-type "special" folder like Music, or Pictures? Or is it one
that some program created? Either way, it appears that Explorer or a
program is seeing that folder path in the registry, as one necessary to
perform a function, and creates the folder if it doesn't exist. Do you have
a program that needs a folder in a certain location in order to run?
Apparently the program's default location is your Desktop.

 

[Bill Leary]

Is it a shell-type "special" folder like Music, or Pictures?
Or is it one that some program created?

No. I created it with Right Click -> New -> Folder and renamed it to "Anne
Frank", put sound files in it for a show, deleted the sound files, then
(days later) deleted the folder.

Either way, it appears that Explorer or a program is seeing that folder
path in the registry,
as one necessary to perform a function, and creates
the folder if it doesn't exist.

That's how I see it, but I can't figure out what could, first, think it
needs this then, second, run silently every twenty minutes.

Do you have a program that needs a folder in a certain location
in order to run?

Several, but not this folder in this location. At least not that I know of.

Apparently the program's default location is your Desktop.

I agree. I need some way to track it down.

- Bill

 

[Chad Harris]

Hi Bill--

Try to get the file name and the process that may have it open:

Technet Sysinternals' Process Explorer

You can always boot into safe mode and right click the start button and open
explorer and find the file and try to delete it from there.

Also try:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/Utilities/ProcessExplorer.mspx

http://www.theeldergeek.com/delete_undeletable_file.htm

DelinvFile: Delete Invalid Files and Folders
http://www.purgeie.com/delinv/index.htm

How do I delete an "undeletable" file?
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_undeletable_file.htm

Good luck,

CH

 

[dean-dean]

This is bizarre. Look in the these keys in the Registry Editor:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell
Folders

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User
Shell Folders

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Shell
Folders

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\User
Shell Folders

Is that Anne Frank folder listed as part of the path to any of your special
shell folders in the above keys?

Does the folder contain a hidden, system desktop.ini? A desktop.ini that may
contain the line:
LocalizedResourceName=Anne Frank

Any clues if you search the Registry for Anne Frank?

 

[Bill Leary]

Hi Bill--

Try to get the file name and the process that may have it open:

Technet Sysinternals' Process Explorer
((..omitted..))

I've used this program in the past with great success. Didn't get to trying
it this time because someone suggested a registry search and that found the
problem.

- Bill

 

[Bill Leary]

This is bizarre. Look in the these keys in the Registry Editor:
((..omitted..))

Thanks for the idea.

I just searched the registry for "Anne Frank". Got four hits. Added a
letter (A, B ,C, D) to each of them and let it go. Found it an hour later.
Tracked back the name and it turned out to be the CD burner. It seemed to
have decided that this folder was it's temporaries area. Cleared the entry
and the folder stopped coming back.

- Bill

 

[dean-dean]

I guess this the first instance in history where finding Anne Frank is a
good thing. You solved your mystery in a clever way. Thanks for reporting
this.