Remove desktop.ini icons from desktop

[Manuel Lopez]

I have "show hidden files" on in Windows explorer. That has the side-effect
of making desktop.ini icons appear on the desktop. Can I prevent those
icons from appearing? (Deleting the icons gives a warning--that it will
make Windows unstable.) Thanks.

 

[Chad Harris]

Manuel--

1) If you're going to "show hidden files" i.e. hidden files or folders or
protected OS files whose options can quickly be reached by typing control
folders into the run box>view tab, I don't believe there is a way to do
this.

The only way I know to do it is to change the setting to show hidden files
or protected OS files.

2) I have often deleted the desktop. ini entry in deleting a folder where
it appears and despite the ominous warning, this is a replicated file every
time you show it in a folder, and you can either skip it when you get that
dialogue box or allow it to be "deleted" and I haven't seen it make any
difference since the Beta of Win 2K to this morning so we're talking a lot
of years of a lot of deletes. I haven't seen

a) Instability whatsoever
b) I still have desktop. ini afterwards

CH

 

[Jeff]

Manuel,
Ya sure you have"show hidden files" checked; and not "Hide protected
operating system files" unchecked?
Because if you uncheck "Hide protected operating system files" it will show
those .ini files.
Just checking "show hidden files and folders" does not show .ini files on
the desktop.
Running "show hidden files and folders" as I type;and no .ini files show up.
Leave the "Hide protected operating system files(Recommended)" box checked
and check-(radio button actually) the "Show hidden files and folders" button
in the "Hidden files and folders" folder.

Jeff

 

[Manuel Lopez]

Yes, to clarify, I selected the options to show all hidden files, including
the option to unhide protected os files.
It's annoying that there's no way to get rid of the desktop.ini icon from
the desktop in this configuration (which would be the configuration I
recommend).

 

[Chad Harris]

If I didn't distinguish between these two Jeff, my bad, but in my experience
whichever one of them does show desktop.ini I know of no way when that is in
operation to make it disappear except not using it. I stand by my deleting
makes no diff at all though.

:>)

CH

 

[Jeff]

okey dokey bro-
If I need to see those sys files-somethin BADDDD is up!!
LOL

Jeff

 

[Jeff]

Chad,
I just happened to be postin to the OP at the same time you were.
You gave great info.

Jeff

 

[Manuel Lopez]

Okay, I deleted the files; so far at least, the icons haven't been recreated
and there hasn't been a problem.

 

[Daze N. Knights]

Yes. I had the same experience. I deleted the desktop.ini file from my
desktop and it hasn't reappeared since then, despite having left my show
and hide settings just the same as they were.

 

[Chad Harris]

This may disable the warning message about desktop.ini that really has no
validity as far as I have ever seen, and keep it from showing. Set a
restore point first:

Right-click My Computer, and then click Explore.

On the Tools menu, click Folder Options.

On the View tab, click Show hidden files and folders, and then click OK.

Browse to one of the following folders

\<WINNT>

\<WINNT>\SYSTEM32

\Program Files

where <WINNT> is the name of the folder where Windows is installed, and then
click Show Files.

Rename the Desktop.ini file to Desktop.bak. For information about how to
rename a file, click Start, click Help, type renaming files, and then click
Display.

CH