Icon removal

  • Thread starter Thread starter Marty Giblin
  • Start date Start date
M

Marty Giblin

I have an icon on my desktop that I cannot get rid of, when I try I get the
error message "Cannot delete file: cannot read from the source file or
disk"

Properties show it to be in location C:\Documents and settings\user
name\desktop any help is more appreciated

TIA
 
Marty said:
I have an icon on my desktop that I cannot get rid of, when I try I get the
error message "Cannot delete file: cannot read from the source file or
disk"

Properties show it to be in location C:\Documents and settings\user
name\desktop any help is more appreciated

TIA
Click to expand...

One suggestion here, was to delete it from the command prompt.

http://forums.techguy.org/windows-xp/1019973-solved-cannot-delete-file-cannot.html

Using "dir /x" command, that gives the short name for the file.
Then using something like "del shortnam.ext" to delete it,
substituting the short name of the file for the obvious part
of the last command.

To give an example, if I list the contents of my desktop right now,
using "dir /x" it returns

01/15/2009 08:35 699 GIMP2~1.LNK GIMP 2.LNK

The first name is the "short one", the one with the tilde "~" in it.
The second name is the long one, and the long one could have
an illegal character in it. My example is a poor one, because the
second name really isn't very long. But you may run into that
anyway, and be confused by it. The first name appears to be
the short one, at least to me.

del GIMP2~1.LNK

Other possibilities you can find in a Google search,
involve the file being "busy". That could happen, if
the file on your desktop is an actual .exe and is currently
running perhaps. Maybe that would be enough to make it busy
and then resist deleting. You can use a tool like "Unlocker"
to try and get rid of it, or one of the softwares
that "moves on reboot" a file. Or even try removing it
in Safe Mode, in case then, the file is no longer
running and busy.

Checking mine, all the things on the desktop are "links", so
I'm in pretty good shape. No raw .EXE files in there.

Paul
 
From: "Marty Giblin said:
I have an icon on my desktop that I cannot get rid of, when I try I get the error
message "Cannot delete file: cannot read from the source file or disk"

Properties show it to be in location C:\Documents and settings\user name\desktop any
help is more appreciated

TIA
Click to expand...


Try;
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop

The Icon (LNK file) may physically exist there.
 
Marty said:
I have an icon on my desktop that I cannot get rid of, when I try I get the
error message "Cannot delete file: cannot read from the source file or
disk"

Properties show it to be in location C:\Documents and settings\user
name\desktop any help is more appreciated
Click to expand...

And the desktop icon is for WHAT? What did you uinstall that left
behind the desktop icon? Have you right-clicked on the desktop and
selected Refresh? Have you logged off and back on? Have you yet
rebooted Windows and logged in?

"cannot get rid of" means what? HOW did you try to get rid of the
desktop icon? Right-click on it and select Delete?

A desktop icon can be a shortcut (.lnk file) or it can be a namespace
added to the object (desktop). The first will have a small arrow
overlay on the desktop icon. You should be able to delete that
shortcut. The second won't have the arrow overlay. Below is an article
on the registry key to add namespace icons to Windows Explorer (which is
the desktop manager) along with the class IDs for several common ones:

http://www.pctools.com/guides/registry/detail/7/
 
Marty Giblin said:
None of the suggestions have worked
Click to expand...
What is the icon called, and what does it look like? (Is it one you
recognise?)

Given the error message (though I can't see why that should stop it
being _deleted_), can you _copy_ the file anywhere? Look at its
properties (if so what are they)?

One of the "delete on next boot" utilities might help.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

.... back in the olden days ... Britain was entirely made of wood and lit by
one enormous candle, tended by the Queen
- Steven Moffat, Radio Times, 24-30 July 2010
 
Marty Giblin said:
I have an icon on my desktop that I cannot get rid of, when I try I get the
error message "Cannot delete file: cannot read from the source file or
disk"
Properties show it to be in location C:\Documents and settings\user
name\desktop any help is more appreciated
Click to expand...

As mentioned by another poster, try using a command prompt. I also suggest renaming
the file first, since deleting files from the command prompt cannot easily be undone. Click
"Start", "Run", type "cmd" into the "Open" box and click "OK". Then type "cd desktop",
then "dir /b /a-d" and see if you can identify the file. If you find the file, type
"rename filename badfile.txt", press "Enter", then try deleting from the desktop.
You'll have to replace "filename" with real file name.

Ben
 
Ben Myers said:
As mentioned by another poster, try using a command prompt. I also
suggest renaming
the file first, since deleting files from the command prompt cannot
easily be undone. Click
"Start", "Run", type "cmd" into the "Open" box and click "OK". Then
type "cd desktop",
then "dir /b /a-d" and see if you can identify the file. If you find
the file, type
"rename filename badfile.txt", press "Enter", then try deleting from
the desktop.
You'll have to replace "filename" with real file name.

Ben
Click to expand...
That might have to be "rename filename.lnk badfile.txt", if it's a link
(shortcut) - the .lnk extension often hides even if you've got show
extensions turned on (though in a command prompt it _does_ show, I
think).
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Intelligence isn't complete without the full picture and the full picture is
all about doubt. Otherwise, you go the way of George Bush. - baroness Eliza
Manningham-Buller (former head of MI5), Radio Times 3-9 September 2011.
 
Back
Top