Cannot Delete File On Desktop.

soulm4t3 · #1 10-18-2003, 06:10 PM

Hi all,
I have only started using Windows XP Professional recently and already I am having a problem that I can't seem to find a way to resolve.

Recently I tried to exporting a MS Access file to a CSV comma delimited file. Somehow I did something wrong but still managed to get the file exported.

However, I notice that now I have a file on the desktop called "value", without any file extension or any description at all and when I tried to delete the file, I get a popup window with the following error :

Quote:

Cannot delete file: Cannot read from the source file or disk.

No matter what I did, I simply cannot delete the file. I tried starting in Safe-Mode with Command Prompt and deleting it from the command prompt, but still I get the error.

Anyone can help me on how to delete the file from my desktop. Thanks.

Ang3L · #2 10-18-2003, 06:15 PM

This is a big problem with the XP desktop, and mostly the reason i left it.

you have to re-install (not a reapir), but a full clean install of the OS to get rid of it.. me and my friends have looked for a very long time on other ways to get rid of this without being so drastic. But so far have found nothing.

Sorry

chance · #3 10-18-2003, 07:51 PM

if anything will not delete on xp it is because something is using it, if it is not running. try a reboot if still does not, try reboot in safe mode. beyond that do a spyware scan. but know this, if it wont delete and you delete it something was using it. dont empty the trash until you make sure all is well with everything. if you just uninstalled the program and this was left behind, a reboot should allow you to remove it.

soulm4t3 · #4 10-19-2003, 03:49 AM

As far as I know, the file itself is empty. I did try booting in safe-mode with command prompt and even then, I could not delete the file.

I have cut and paste the directory content of the folder so you can see that the actual file is 0 byte.

Quote:

19/10/2003 07:22 <DIR> .
19/10/2003 07:22 <DIR> ..
12/09/2003 22:01 732 C&C Generals.lnk
14/09/2003 10:59 1,511 Counter-Strike.lnk
18/10/2003 21:45 1,532 Disk Cleanup.lnk
11/09/2003 22:04 1,572 Disk Defragmenter.lnk
30/09/2003 23:37 1,680 Dreamweaver.lnk
01/10/2003 22:05 682 DVD2SVCD.lnk
01/10/2003 20:39 582 DVDx.lnk
30/09/2003 20:05 845 Eudora.lnk
12/09/2003 22:02 542 General Trainer.lnk
24/09/2003 21:33 626 mIRC.lnk
26/09/2003 23:23 2,489 MSN Messenger 6.0.lnk
18/10/2003 23:35 1,005 New Text Document.txt
13/09/2003 00:07 578 NingPo Mahjong.lnk
15/10/2003 13:04 0 value
14 File(s) 14,376 bytes
2 Dir(s) 28,084,142,080 bytes free

As far as I know, no program is using that file and my computer is free from spyware as I do regular check for spywares and others using LavaSoft Adware and Seek & Destroy.

Hopefully, someone will be able to advise me on how to delete as I am really not keen on reformatting and doing a clean install again.

scouse · #5 10-19-2003, 04:00 AM

go into programme files goto run typr c:\ press enter then when it loads click on programme files and look in there for a file relating to it if you find it delete from there

LooseChippings · #6 10-19-2003, 05:09 AM

In my experience this problem relates to a link to a file that no longer exists where the link says it should.

Right Click the link > Properties > Check the location of the original file / Find Target.

If the target file does not exist (my theory) just create a new blank database/CSV with the same name and location.

Delete the link.

Delete the new blank database/CSV.

scouse · #7 10-19-2003, 06:19 AM

Just realized you could change the name of the file and delete

soulm4t3 · #8 10-19-2003, 11:12 AM

Thanks for the help, but still can't delete it. I can't rename it, or even do anything to it. Can't even overwrite it with another file. This is the properties of the file.

As for overiding the file using Access, I can't repeat what I did that caused the file to appear, but I do know that it was Access that caused the file to be created.

Somehow, I mistakenly try to get Access to connect to my MySQL server using its SQL configuration, which was meant for MS SQL, and unfortunately failed and only then that I see the file on my desktop.

I am not knowledgeable in Access and have no idea how to repeat what I did again.

titch98 · #9 05-10-2005, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soulm4t3

Thanks for the help, but still can't delete it. I can't rename it, or even do anything to it. Can't even overwrite it with another file. This is the properties of the file.

Do not know if this information is going to be of any use to you (but may be, that is why I have posted it...!!).

I recently had a similar problem with an .NFO file on my Desktop which I could do absolutely nothing with (or so I thought.......). Kept reporting back "Cannot read from the source file or disk" on tying to delete, rename, move and open. Quite a bit concerned about doing a complete reinstallation of OS considering had done one only a week ago after an unrelated issue. Then thought I would try something........

I Right-Clicked on the file icon and in menu selected "Open with....". Selected Notepad as program to use (.NFO is a system Info text file). The PC returned the following error......."This file does not exist......would you like to create a new one?". Clicked on "Yes" and was given a blank Notepad screen, where I scribbled some text and then tried to save the data......which it did! I now had a working file with data in it which I could, and did, delete.

So, suggestion...........

Try to find a program (if you do not already have one) that will run the extension type of the file trying to be deleted and install on your PC. Go through the method I used for my .NFO file (i.e. Right-click -> "Open With...." -> chooose your program for the file extension etc.) and see if this method works for you.

Hope this helps in some way or another..............

Luluette · #10 05-10-2005, 05:57 AM

just hide it

EDIT: From the sounds of it the file doesn't exist on the hard drive but windows thinks there is a file there but because it doesn't exist on the hard drive it can't be deleted I don't know if that really helps though.

BingBing · #11 05-17-2005, 10:46 PM

I put the solution to this problem here. I reproduced its conclusion here, but also shortened the whole story to make it less boaring for many of you who may know the details better than me:

----------------- Cannot Delete File On Desktop -----------------

[... examples of what you have done so far ...]

at a cmd prompt:

RD /S /Q [drive:]path
...
[... examples, explanations, and more details ...]
...you can also use it another way if you don't like working directly with cmd.exe :

Start, Run...

CMD /C RD /S /Q "C:\Documents and Settings\username\Desktop\StupidFile"

[... more info ...]
----------------------------------------------------------------
I suggest you read at least some parts of the whole story, since there are some cautions and notices related to this method of deleting stuffs. If you really want, I can reproduce the whole story in this forum as well.

kshgarg · #12 05-19-2005, 12:11 PM

boot thru a bootable floppy or a cd and enter the proper DOS mode(no command prompt):
now enter c:
then cd docume~1\username\desktop\
now say del filename.estension

SethCohen · #13 05-29-2005, 02:29 PM

I was reading up about this problems when I did this, creating a file called boot.exe is worse though, :P Anyway, I came across this:

The easiest thing to try first is to open Notepad or any other program that cannot open the type of file you're trying to delete. Use its File>Open feature to navigate to the file you want to delete. Once there, right click on the file and choose Delete. That bypasses Windows Explorer and its indexing.

If that doesn't work, try turning off the Indexing service - Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Services, scroll down to and double click on Indexing, click the Stop button. Leaving that window open, try deleting the file. If that works, you can go back to the Indexing window and set it to Disabled in the drop-down list, click OK to save the change; or you can click the Start button to start it up again. I leave it disabled.

If that doesn't work, download and install MoveOnBoot. It's a utitlity that will move or delete the files you tell it to on the next boot, before Windows loads and can interfere.

poopfat · #14 06-09-2005, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by titch98

Do not know if this information is going to be of any use to you (but may be, that is why I have posted it...!!).

I recently had a similar problem with an .NFO file on my Desktop which I could do absolutely nothing with (or so I thought.......). Kept reporting back "Cannot read from the source file or disk" on tying to delete, rename, move and open. Quite a bit concerned about doing a complete reinstallation of OS considering had done one only a week ago after an unrelated issue. Then thought I would try something........

I Right-Clicked on the file icon and in menu selected "Open with....". Selected Notepad as program to use (.NFO is a system Info text file). The PC returned the following error......."This file does not exist......would you like to create a new one?". Clicked on "Yes" and was given a blank Notepad screen, where I scribbled some text and then tried to save the data......which it did! I now had a working file with data in it which I could, and did, delete.

So, suggestion...........

Try to find a program (if you do not already have one) that will run the extension type of the file trying to be deleted and install on your PC. Go through the method I used for my .NFO file (i.e. Right-click -> "Open With...." -> chooose your program for the file extension etc.) and see if this method works for you.

Hope this helps in some way or another..............

I had the same problem and this fixed it; thanks.

alpharesearch · #15 09-11-2005, 02:08 PM

exporer.exe has locked this file...

you can try this out... just create a new text file on your desktop - but name it text.exe... you won't be able to delete this file.

now do start->run cmd (enter) AND open the task manager; kill exporer.exe (dont close task manager)
use alt + tab to switch between your windows
use rm text.exe to delete this file in cmd window
go back to task manager (applications tab and new task) to start exporer.exe

i hope this helps...