I can't delete an icon from my desktop

[Guest]

I have an Icon with no file extenion on it. Properties List it as file
unknown on how to open. It has 0 bytes for size. When i right click and
pick delete it say cannot delete, cannot read from the source file or disk.
Anyone have any suggestions please.

 

[db]

i had one a while back
and got it off the desktop with this:

http://www.microsoft.com/ntworkstation/downloads/PowerToys/Networking/NTTweakui.asp

later, it was eventually
removed from the system....

- db
I have an Icon with no file extenion on it. Properties List it as file
unknown on how to open. It has 0 bytes for size. When i right click and
pick delete it say cannot delete, cannot read from the source file or disk.
Anyone have any suggestions please.

 

[Guest]

I downloaded the tweak and installed it. There is no place that it shows up
when i open tweak from the control panel. right clicked it on desktop and
still does the same thing.

 

[Guest]

I have an Icon with no file extenion on it. Properties List it as file
unknown on how to open. It has 0 bytes for size. When i right click and
pick delete it say cannot delete, cannot read from the source file or disk.
Anyone have any suggestions please.

Hi Mike,
If it is unfamiliar to you then try to delete in safe mode, if safe mode
didn't solve the problem try to take the ownership and delete it:
"How to take ownership of a file or folder in Windows XP":
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421
If still no joy try this tool:
http://www.ccleaner.com

You need to scan for malwares on your computer to make sure all clean and
run Disk cleanUp to clear the debris:
Scan for malwares from here:
http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php
HTH.
nass
===
www.nasstec.co.uk

 

[db]

on mine it is the
desktop tab where
all the desktop icons
are listed and can be
checked off to disable.

- db
I downloaded the tweak and installed it. There is no place that it shows up
when i open tweak from the control panel. right clicked it on desktop and
still does the same thing.

 

[WTC]

I have an Icon with no file extenion on it. Properties List it as file
unknown on how to open. It has 0 bytes for size. When i right click and
pick delete it say cannot delete, cannot read from the source file or
disk.
Anyone have any suggestions please.

1. Write down the path and filename of the undeletable file.
2. Open a command prompt window. (Start > Run > cmd.exe)
3. Open the Task Manager. (Start > Run > taskmgr.exe)
4. In the Task Manager, find the process called "Explorer" and end the
process for explorer. (The Desktop and Taskbar will disappear)
5. Close the Task Manager.
6. In the command prompt window, type:

del /a /f "\\?\path\filename"

So if the file was called abc.jpg located in c:\pictures then the command
would look like:

del /a /f "\\?\c:\pictures\abc.jpg"

7. To regain your desktop and taskbar, type the following in the command
prompt window:

explorer.exe


-------

You may wish to read this KB article.

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

 

[Guest]

YES YES YES, Thank You so much, that fixed it. I have been trying for months
to get rid of that icon. Again Thank you so much

 

[WTC]

You're welcome Mike.

 

[Guest]

I have same problem but I get message "Parameter format not correct" after I
typed del /a /f"\\?\c:\desktop\FWD_How many members of the Bush
administration does it take to change alig..." No kidding, that's the file
name.
Thanks, DG

 

[joseph2k]

I have same problem but I get message "Parameter format not correct" after
I typed del /a /f"\\?\c:\desktop\FWD_How many members of the Bush
administration does it take to change alig..." No kidding, that's the
file name.
Thanks, DG

Be more thoughtful about your placement of parameters and quote marks.

 

[Guest]

To WTC:

I have exactly the problem Mike had and I did everything you suggested
except I put correct path and file name for my situation and get "Parameter
format not correct" I did it very carefully several times with same result.
Although I put it in as you suggest, I'm not clear what a/f"\\? does. I
suspect that's where my problem is. If I just use del \path\filename then it
can't find file.
Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[WTC]

Try the steps in one of my previous posts and use this command:

del /a /f "\\?\c:\desktop\FWD_How many members of the*.*"

There is a **space** between f and ". Also, are you certain you have the
correct file location? Do you have a folder named "desktop" in your C drive
(c:\desktop).

If you want to know what /a and /f does then open a Command Prompt and type:

del /?

The "\\?" will bypass the typical Win32 reserved name checks like "lpt1".

 

[Guest]

To WTC,
Thanks for the reply. I did need a space between f and " but then I got the
message "could not find [path] [name]" This with explorer off (no desktop).
A Dir of desktop does show the file (0 bytes and no extension). I tried to
be careful about spaces in the file name. Also tried moveonb.exe and
rebooted. No joy there either. I tried in safe mode - nix.
Any other suggestions would be most appreciated and I will post when I
succeed.
DG

 

[WTC]

Where is the folder Desktop located? Are you sure it is "c:\desktop" and not
"c:\documents and settings\[yourusername]\desktop"?

--
William Crawford
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

To WTC,
Thanks for the reply. I did need a space between f and " but then I got
the
message "could not find [path] [name]" This with explorer off (no
desktop).
A Dir of desktop does show the file (0 bytes and no extension). I tried
to
be careful about spaces in the file name. Also tried moveonb.exe and
rebooted. No joy there either. I tried in safe mode - nix.
Any other suggestions would be most appreciated and I will post when I
succeed.
DG

Try the steps in one of my previous posts and use this command:

del /a /f "\\?\c:\desktop\FWD_How many members of the*.*"

There is a **space** between f and ". Also, are you certain you have the
correct file location? Do you have a folder named "desktop" in your C
drive
(c:\desktop).

If you want to know what /a and /f does then open a Command Prompt and
type:

del /?

The "\\?" will bypass the typical Win32 reserved name checks like "lpt1".

 

[Guest]

To WTC,
Thanks so much, the file is gone. I had the path right but after I put the
space between f and " then I forgot to put \\?\ in. You gave me perfect
advice and I didn't follow it exactly (I thought I did but I dropped a
stitch).
Best regards, DG

Where is the folder Desktop located? Are you sure it is "c:\desktop" and not
"c:\documents and settings\[yourusername]\desktop"?

--
William Crawford
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

To WTC,
Thanks for the reply. I did need a space between f and " but then I got
the
message "could not find [path] [name]" This with explorer off (no
desktop).
A Dir of desktop does show the file (0 bytes and no extension). I tried
to
be careful about spaces in the file name. Also tried moveonb.exe and
rebooted. No joy there either. I tried in safe mode - nix.
Any other suggestions would be most appreciated and I will post when I
succeed.
DG

Try the steps in one of my previous posts and use this command:

del /a /f "\\?\c:\desktop\FWD_How many members of the*.*"

There is a **space** between f and ". Also, are you certain you have the
correct file location? Do you have a folder named "desktop" in your C
drive
(c:\desktop).

If you want to know what /a and /f does then open a Command Prompt and
type:

del /?

The "\\?" will bypass the typical Win32 reserved name checks like "lpt1".

--
William Crawford
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

To WTC:

I have exactly the problem Mike had and I did everything you suggested
except I put correct path and file name for my situation and get
"Parameter
format not correct" I did it very carefully several times with same
result.
Although I put it in as you suggest, I'm not clear what a/f"\\? does.
I
suspect that's where my problem is. If I just use del \path\filename
then
it
can't find file.
Thanks for any help you can provide.

:

I have an Icon with no file extenion on it. Properties List it as
file
unknown on how to open. It has 0 bytes for size. When i right
click
and
pick delete it say cannot delete, cannot read from the source file
or
disk.
Anyone have any suggestions please.


1. Write down the path and filename of the undeletable file.
2. Open a command prompt window. (Start > Run > cmd.exe)
3. Open the Task Manager. (Start > Run > taskmgr.exe)
4. In the Task Manager, find the process called "Explorer" and end the
process for explorer. (The Desktop and Taskbar will disappear)
5. Close the Task Manager.
6. In the command prompt window, type:

del /a /f "\\?\path\filename"

So if the file was called abc.jpg located in c:\pictures then the
command
would look like:

del /a /f "\\?\c:\pictures\abc.jpg"

7. To regain your desktop and taskbar, type the following in the
command
prompt window:

explorer.exe


-------

You may wish to read this KB article.

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

 

[WTC]

You're welcome and I am glad everything worked.

--
William Crawford
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

To WTC,
Thanks so much, the file is gone. I had the path right but after I put
the
space between f and " then I forgot to put \\?\ in. You gave me perfect
advice and I didn't follow it exactly (I thought I did but I dropped a
stitch).
Best regards, DG

Where is the folder Desktop located? Are you sure it is "c:\desktop" and
not
"c:\documents and settings\[yourusername]\desktop"?

--
William Crawford
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

To WTC,
Thanks for the reply. I did need a space between f and " but then I
got
the
message "could not find [path] [name]" This with explorer off (no
desktop).
A Dir of desktop does show the file (0 bytes and no extension). I
tried
to
be careful about spaces in the file name. Also tried moveonb.exe and
rebooted. No joy there either. I tried in safe mode - nix.
Any other suggestions would be most appreciated and I will post when I
succeed.
DG

:

Try the steps in one of my previous posts and use this command:

del /a /f "\\?\c:\desktop\FWD_How many members of the*.*"

There is a **space** between f and ". Also, are you certain you have
the
correct file location? Do you have a folder named "desktop" in your C
drive
(c:\desktop).

If you want to know what /a and /f does then open a Command Prompt and
type:

del /?

The "\\?" will bypass the typical Win32 reserved name checks like
"lpt1".

--
William Crawford
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

To WTC:

I have exactly the problem Mike had and I did everything you
suggested
except I put correct path and file name for my situation and get
"Parameter
format not correct" I did it very carefully several times with same
result.
Although I put it in as you suggest, I'm not clear what a/f"\\?
does.
I
suspect that's where my problem is. If I just use del
\path\filename
then
it
can't find file.
Thanks for any help you can provide.

:

I have an Icon with no file extenion on it. Properties List it as
file
unknown on how to open. It has 0 bytes for size. When i right
click
and
pick delete it say cannot delete, cannot read from the source
file
or
disk.
Anyone have any suggestions please.


1. Write down the path and filename of the undeletable file.
2. Open a command prompt window. (Start > Run > cmd.exe)
3. Open the Task Manager. (Start > Run > taskmgr.exe)
4. In the Task Manager, find the process called "Explorer" and end
the
process for explorer. (The Desktop and Taskbar will disappear)
5. Close the Task Manager.
6. In the command prompt window, type:

del /a /f "\\?\path\filename"

So if the file was called abc.jpg located in c:\pictures then the
command
would look like:

del /a /f "\\?\c:\pictures\abc.jpg"

7. To regain your desktop and taskbar, type the following in the
command
prompt window:

explorer.exe


-------

You may wish to read this KB article.

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