Unforunately it's set on double click. Perhaps it's more complicated than I
thought as I've been searching for a while on how to fix it.
Too bad about the single/double click settings. That would have been an
easy explanation (and an easy fix) for the unwanted attempts of programs
launching.
What method of delete is causing this problem? Have you tried other
methods? Right click> Delete, pressing Delete on the keyboard, using a menu
link in the task pane or using File> Delete in the menu bar are all
possible methods within the GUI. Could try a delete from a command line as
well. Do all methods cause an attempt to launch a program?
Does this happen with all file types or only some? If we can limit this to
only some file types, we may be able to address those on a one by one
basis. If it's across the board with all file types - that's not good.
Have you run a full system virus scan on your computer yet? Used AdAware or
similar to detect and remove malware? If the delete action has been
undermined/altered then malware or virus are likely explanations.