Computer Hope

Microsoft => Microsoft Windows => Windows Vista and 7 => Topic started by: mattlander09 on August 22, 2009, 05:23:58 PM

Title: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: mattlander09 on August 22, 2009, 05:23:58 PM
Hi,

I have a Vista Home Premium. The file is located in a subdirectory of the Documents folder.

Simple problem. There's a file that, even with the Admin account, is inaccessible. I know there are two ways to delete these kind of files (because I did search for this problem before I asked for help):
1. Reset the ownership. Problem - I can't even change the ownership. Even for that I require Admin control. In any case, the ownership line reads something like, "Cannot identify the owner."
2. Delete file at boot (which I used another program for). Unsuccessful. Twice. And I've seen this program work before, and it has never failed me until now.

The file is a .exe file, it was meant to be a standalone App that I could put on a USB but it got stuck on the Docs folder because of the access denied thing. It is NOT a virus, as I've scanned it.

I just need to deleeete it. REAALLY. BECAUSE IT IS REALLY, REALLY ANNOYING..

Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: Griff on August 22, 2009, 06:20:49 PM
Weird. Try deleting it with http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker /. I usually get good results if a file is being stubborn.
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: mattlander09 on August 22, 2009, 06:41:12 PM
Not even that unlocker has access to the file. LoL. Irony, especially when its job is to delete files without access.
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: mattlander09 on August 22, 2009, 06:48:56 PM
Apparently, nothing has access to the file at all. It just says, "Windows cannot access the specified... You may not have the appropriate permissions to..." So my attempt at deleting it at boot didn't work because I can't schedule it to do so (the scheduler program didn't have permission, and neither did the unlocker).

When I first got the .exe into My Documents, I went to its Properties and I found a button that said, "Unlock", which I clicked. Does that have anything to do with it?
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: King Conga on August 22, 2009, 08:05:12 PM
Man, I'm having the same stinkin' problem too!  Who the H#!! does Bill Gates think he is? I pay gobs of $$$, but can't run my software how I want to.  Can't someone figure this out?
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: Broni on August 22, 2009, 08:31:32 PM
Try Killbox: http://killbox.net/
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: mattlander09 on August 22, 2009, 08:44:22 PM
Ran into this really weird problem. According to KillBox, the file doesn't even exist. Lol.
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: Broni on August 22, 2009, 08:56:46 PM
OK, let's go back.
How do you know, the file is there? How can you see it? What is the path to it? What is the file name?
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: mattlander09 on August 22, 2009, 09:08:16 PM
I physically see it with Windows Explorer and another explorer (Explorer ++) I downloaded to make sure this wasn't a digital illusion. It is clickable file that doesn't disappear when I reboot or refresh. The file name is fwb.exe, the path to it is via ...\My Documents.

And, uh, I'm medically fine in the head. Lol.
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: smeezekitty on August 22, 2009, 10:26:44 PM
open a command prompt
and type chkdsk /f
give it a while
and try again
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: Broni on August 22, 2009, 10:50:46 PM
That file doesn't seem to be good news: http://www.prevx.com/filenames/2111875671132779485-X1/FWB.EXE.html
Quote
The Process is polymorphic and can change its structure
Can it be uploaded here: http://www.virustotal.com/ for security check?

Where did you get it from anyway?
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: mattlander09 on August 22, 2009, 10:56:20 PM
Lol - I changed the name to FWB.exe from something I downloaded from CNET (it's a no-install web browser). After the name change, I saw the "Unlock" thing in the properties, and that's when all the trouble started. FWB.exe isn't the original name - sorry for the mislead. In any case, I can't upload it, cause moving it still triggers the, "You can't touch me," thing.

The error checking didn't work, BTW. WAAAAAH!!!

Oh, and out of curiosity, can someone show me how to set the default program for .lnk files from ContextMenu to Unknown Application?
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: smeezekitty on August 22, 2009, 11:13:17 PM
for both problems i would say system restore before both of them started
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: Broni on August 22, 2009, 11:29:01 PM
See, if this: http://www.winmatrix.com/forums/index.php?/topic/13157-easy-way-to-take-ownership-of-system-files-in-vista/ will allow you to take the ownership of the file.

Did you try to delete the file from Command Prompt (in Safe Mode, if necessary)?
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: Broni on August 22, 2009, 11:31:27 PM
System restore doesn't deal with non-system files.
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: smeezekitty on August 22, 2009, 11:39:33 PM
but it may fix the shortcut file accos
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: mattlander09 on August 23, 2009, 07:10:19 AM
@Broni - I've tried that already. What happens is that, though the button appears in the right-click menu for other items, for some reason it doesn't for the specific .exe. Leads me to believe it's a problem with the context menu, although why it doesn't work only for the troubled file is beyond me - it works fine with others.

@smeezekitty - I've tried system restore for the shortcut thing, but the fact is that I didn't realize I had this problem before I cleaned out my restore points, so, uh, yeah. It didn't fix anything.

So, does it sound like I'm doomed to have a random file on my computer and have half of the shortcuts not work? The file itself is less than 1mb, although the .lnk thing is pretty annoying.
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: Karnac on August 23, 2009, 07:14:34 AM
You might try FileAssassin in the Malwarebytes program...it's under "more tools".
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: mattlander09 on August 23, 2009, 07:37:01 AM
@Karnac: It doesn't have permission to "assassinate" the file.

I've managed to set the .lnk file back to Unknown Application, but now the shortcuts are completely useless. None of them work. Forgive me for my lack of computer knowledge, but is it NOT supposed to be "Unkown App"?
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: mattlander09 on August 23, 2009, 10:01:57 AM
Ahh... some procedure I did here screwed up my computer even more. Now when I right click an .exe, I don't have the Open, Run, or Run as Administrator buttons in the context menu.

Yeah....

I think I'm gonna scan my computer for viruses once more.

Help?

Now the weird .exe file and the .lnk problems are the least of my worries. My computer is incapable of running a file directly from the .exe.

This is getting ridiculous.
Title: Re: Deleting Undeletable Files
Post by: kpac on August 23, 2009, 10:05:05 AM
Read the information posted here: http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php/topic,46313.0.html
Then start a new topic here: http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php?action=post;board=7.0, refer to this topic, and post the three logs.

Have you done this already?