Non-Deleteable Folder On Desktop

[fourls]

Not long ago after an attempted download operation failed, I noticed a strange folder on the Desktop of my PC. I tried every imaginable method to delete it: renamed it, tried to change its attributes,tried to move it to another folder. No operations of any kind that I know of(other than re-formatting the hard drive) will affect it. I also ran RegEdit hoping I would see the name("__FDCC&quot among the items listed there. No success. Now, I am curious as to where the darn thing is resident.

Anyone have this problem before? If so, what did you do?
Please note that it is only a nuisance. I do not want to make the remedy worse than the problem.

Thanks,

Fourls

 

[butchrecon]

Did you try SAFE MODE to delete it? How about boting to a DOS prompt, cd to the \windows then cd to the desktop directories and try to delete it there? Let me know if this helps. James Collins
Field Service Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.

 

[fourls]

Thanks, James. I don't know about the DOS operation, but I'll try the SAFE MODE. (I may have already tried that. . . .). This may be one of those "needlers" to promote use of the hard disk Format procedure. . . .

Fourla

 

[butchrecon]

You not able to do the DOS mode? Usually if you cannot delete something in Win98 you could almost always boot to a DOS prompt and remove it there. I am not sure if this is a feature WinME uses or not. If not you can use a boot disk to do it. James Collins
Field Service Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.

 

[fourls]

Thank, James.
I'll try the SAFE MODE and consider the "boot disk" method.
Will that interfere with Win ME SETUP? I prefer not to do that this week, if it means a re-load. I will just squint when I look toward that folder.
Thanks,

Fourls

 

[butchrecon]

If you bot with a Me boot disk and hit F3 to exit to DOS then you can do a C:\ hit enter to get to the C drive. Then do a "cd windows" without quotes to get to the windows folder. Do the same for the desktop. "cd desktop" hit enter. Next if you know the name of the file just type
del (filename)
hit enter. That should delete it if windows safe mode does not get it. James Collins
Field Service Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.

 

[DigitalMajik]

I used to do this to people all the time as a prank. I believe you said the name of the folder contained an underscore? If you create a folder in dos and use an ascii character instead of a space windows will see the folder but will be unable to do anything with it. You cannot delete it unless you know the ascii character used. Usually if you hold down alt and press 255 it will create the character. So boot into dos and go to the c:\windows\desktop prompt and type deltree (alt255)FDCC and see if that works. Or i believe you can type deltree *fdcc. I am not sure if the wildcard works. Good Luck!

 

[smitee]

fourls

Magister virus....Housecall!!
They will point you to Removal program

smitee