unknown filetype ~

[bassmike1]

XP home on a newly built clone-nothing extraordinary. I recently acquired a new desktop icon appears to be an icon of an executable with three symbols in it. Windows cannot open the filetype because it doesn't know what app created it. just has a tilde as a title below the icon-cannot delete it-keeps reappearing on the desktop with the C:/documentsandsettings/myname/desktop as the only location
any ideas?

[scouse]

when you try and delete it does it reapear instantly again? as in within a split second or does it come abck after later use of your computer?

I say this because using outlook express throws a dead file on youir desktop, it happens to me a lot i can delete it by dragging it to the bin but when i use OE again another comes back but it is nothing at all to worry about..

But if this is not like your problem..

Have you tried right clicking changing the name of the file to anything you please and then drag to the bin...

[bassmike1]

Yes-it comes back after a short while. I have tried renaming it and deleating and emptying the bin. ".....IT REMAINS CONSISTENT"
(King Crimson). I even tried dropping it-renamed into a documents and settings folder. It finds it's way back to the desktop. I'm anal and wish to delete it finally if it's not necessary.
It's like a ghost in the closet-an "unwanted Bill"_what to doo?

[bassmike1]

This is an additional problem but seems to tie into Outlook Express as well: Both my GF and I have emails in outlook.
About 80% of the time, when I go to "switch identities" to bring up her mailbox, it wont. I go to open Outlook Express manually thru the desktop/programs/pgmfiles access pts. and it still won't open. I have to reboot. I haven't tried reloading OE again as that may lead to other issues.....sigh. Otherwise my new rig rocks.

[Play_The_0dds]

right click the file, select properties, then tell us what the file type is, so many things can do the situation described it would help narrow it down to know the file type, name of file....virus scanners, firewalls, messengers,email(as mentioned above)....and many hundreds of other programs could do this.

[bassmike1]

type of file: File
description: ~
location: C:\documents and settings\miketinsley\desktop
size: 197kb

McAfee virus/ Spy Sweeper (loaded to investigate this thing)
no firewall as they tend to block packets/sockets. No messenger/ICQ.

Athlon 7200 RPM 2600+/PC DR333/M848LUsystemboard/Bundled Trend Micro's PC-Cillin 2000(OEM) for Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP and Internet virus protection. 1280 ddr 333 fsb ram/ Maxtor 180 & 80GB HDD/ Lite-on 64Xdvd burner Lite-on dvdrom/ PNY Verto nVidia GeForce4 MX440SE/ DDR 64MB AGP4X TV-Out 128-bit DDR memory interface 256-bit graphics core /Radeon 7000 graphics/C-Media AC97 6 ch audio/JBL / JIN systems intercooler/ Microtek 815C flatpanel.....
in a really weird black spider case

[Play_The_0dds]

http://www.computing.net/windowsme/w...rum/40328.html
http://forums.us.dell.com/supportfor...ssage.id=13141
both link show the same problem, with the same answer, the bottom link has a link to the patch.