How can you delete something, that isn't there?

[delibrete]

I have three files on my desktop, that won't delete.

Every time I tried to delete them they wouldn't delete. I tried unlocker assistant and I tried hijackthis but neither worked.

How do I delete these three files?

(here is a desktop capture of the files)
http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/9871/culprit.jpg

[BC_Programmer]

can you rename them? if so try naming them so they don't end in a period. You might want to display file extensions when you do this, as well.

[delibrete]

no I can't rename them.

They were .flv files that I downloaded. whenever I downloaded an .flv movie, it would create the same file but with a period at the end of it (which are the files i'm trying to delete).

[BC_Programmer]

when you try to delete them, do you get an error message? What is it?

[delibrete]

the error message is this:

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/9540/errormessagec.jpg

[Allan]

1) Try deleting them in safe mode
2) Right click on one of the icons - then properties - where does it say it is located?
3) Run a scan with MalwareBytes

[@@]

What about the use of programs such as :
File Deleter 1.018 .....etc

[Broni]

Please download SystemLook from one of the links below and save it to your Desktop.
Download Mirror #1
Download Mirror #2

• Double-click SystemLook.exe to run it.
  
• Vista users:: Right click on SystemLook.exe, click Run As Administrator
  
• Copy the content of the following box into the main textfield:
  

Code: [Select]

:filefind
tutorial.flv
splattertext
cool_font.flv


• Click the Look button to start the scan.
  
• When finished, a notepad window will open with the results of the scan. Please post this log in your next reply.

Note: The log can also be found on your Desktop entitled SystemLook.txt

[2x3i5x]

You meant that the files will always appear to be there on every boot?

Did you try right clicking the any empty space on the desktop with the mouse and then clicking refresh on the menu that pops up? Usually when I get the error of file not in the location anymore like you did, I just had to refresh the folder or location for which the file used to exist.

[johngetter]

Sounds like your trying to Delete something that was already deleted but not succcesfully. If its really that annoying just do s system restore to the latest checkpoint. (when u downloaded it)

[Salmon Trout]

Look carefully at the message and you will see the dot at the end of the filename.  This problem occurrs when third party software (e.g. a plugin in Mozilla Firefox) creates a file that has a 'dot' at the end without any further file extensions (e.g. 'mozilla_created_file.').

Safe mode, security software, trying to rename the file in command prompt won't work. It seems the file system cannot reach the file by its name. However, it is possible to reach it with wildcards.

Go to the problem folder in command prompt and run:

C:\ProblemFolder> del *.*

Then you should be able to delete the folder any way you want.

Or else if you don't want to delete all the files in that folder,

Start->Run "cmd"
CD to the path that the problem folder or file resides in.
DIR /A /X /P
RENAME (the 8.3 filename for problem file/folder) (a non-problem name)
EXIT

[BC_Programmer]

yep, that's definitely what happened. I suspected the dot at the end had something to do with it, and that the shell was unable to deal with it or stripped it off before trying to find the file (and therefore couldn't find it).

Just confirmed that by creating a file ending with a period with my file library- explorer refuses to delete the file- cmd refuses the delete it when I say "del testfile." Even trying to delete the file with Visual Basic's Built in "kill" statement gave me a file not found error.

Even my library itself is unable to access the file (looks like I'll be checking that out later)

but "del testfile.*" <does> work.


I was able to determine the root cause of the entire problem- the "GetFileAttributes()" API Function returns -1 when passed a file name ending with ".". since "GetFileAttributes() is commonly used to determine file existence, it might be the cause of this issue. I know it's what is causing it in my library.


I was able to make my Internal "fileExists" Function work and detect when the file was found. But when I tried to delete the file using the DeleteFile() API function it crashed, heh.

[delibrete]

ok well, I fired up CMD and cd'd my desktop, then did DIR A/ X/ P/. Then, once I saw the file names, I just did: 

Code: [Select]

C:\Users\XXXXX\Desktop>del TUTORI~1

C:\Users\XXXXX\Desktop>del SPLATT~1

C:\Users\XXXXX\Desktop>del COOL_F~1
and voila! now they're gone. Thanks guys

end result: http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/3956/endresult.png

Also SystemLook is a very useful program so i'll definately be using that in the future. Thanks ^^

PS: Do you like my wallpaper I made?