File Renamed Itself, Now I Can't Delete It!! Help!!!

Actually... I need to know the file name.... not just the extension. To delete it you are going to need to End Task explorer and delete it from the command prompt.

Without knowing the name of the file... I cannot give you proper instructions for it.

Do not edit the log.

 

Well Indochine, it's not really an embarassment issue. It's just more of a nuissance. Below is the log, replaced with BadFileName (I'll leave the extensions). Indochine and KotaGuy, I'll PM the log to you guys fully unedited. I don't mean to make this so difficult, but.. well I'm sure you know the reason by now.

Meh... I hate viruses.

Anyway here's the log with the problem-file's name edited (extensions are still the same). There was a space after the name and before the first ".jpg" so I left that there in case it counts for anything. The file is the 3rd line from where the dates start:


Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is A059-7960

Directory of C:\DOCUME~1\home\desktop

04/21/2007 12:10 PM <DIR> .
04/21/2007 12:10 PM <DIR> ..
04/19/2007 11:27 AM 460,163 BadFileName .jpg.jpg
04/21/2007 12:10 PM <DIR> Anthony's Faves
01/30/2007 06:23 PM <DIR> Anthony's School Stuff
09/05/2006 03:07 PM 628 ArtCursors.lnk
04/15/2007 07:00 PM <DIR> Ashley's Faves
11/08/2006 09:55 PM <DIR> Ashley's Pageant Pics
04/03/2007 05:59 PM 9,598,360 bian_lian.avi
06/13/2006 01:00 PM 694 BitComet.lnk
11/18/2006 07:00 PM 3,293,392 Black Hole - No SetUp.AVI
11/18/2006 06:38 PM 3,852,920 Black Hole - SetUp.AVI
01/19/2007 05:48 PM 9,843 blankmask.jpg
01/18/2007 09:04 AM 5,650,990 Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen.mp3
03/17/2007 07:39 PM 756,840 cam002.AVI
04/15/2007 04:59 PM 281 CANZ expl.url
10/19/2006 09:03 PM 17,925 card_edit.jpg
01/08/2007 02:51 PM 155,982 carnage_banner.psp
04/12/2007 09:49 AM 55,350 chinname.bmp
09/30/2006 06:14 PM 19,456 Cyril Hershey Trick.doc
03/26/2007 08:04 PM <DIR> DRIVER ED
03/12/2007 09:56 AM 33,033 drumidea1.MUS
03/17/2007 02:15 PM 405,852 dustin.JPG
03/09/2007 01:08 PM 61,168 eepangel.jpg
03/27/2007 03:24 PM 71,994 elvish_name.bmp
04/16/2007 11:27 AM 38,912 ES Temperature Lab instructions.doc
04/16/2007 11:27 AM 56,832 ES Temperature lab report.doc
09/08/2006 02:16 PM 209 eSnips.com - 1GB Free Upload Space.url
02/14/2007 03:55 PM 19,456 Europe Russian Message.doc
10/29/2005 11:13 AM 1,013 Evil Genius.lnk
12/20/2006 02:23 PM 2,312,470 fire poi.wmv
04/19/2007 11:42 AM 244,668,416 Full Metal Alchemist - 51 Laws and Promises (engdub).avi
04/20/2007 08:47 PM 53,154 GoW.jpg
04/20/2007 08:56 PM 206,781 GoWedit.jpg
12/27/2005 09:58 PM 616 Guild Wars.lnk
02/28/2006 04:54 PM 805 Halo Zero.lnk
05/17/2006 09:00 PM 4,584,984 haloce_patch_107.exe
10/12/2006 05:11 PM 1,196,854 Hell Hole Concept.bmp
01/04/2007 08:53 AM 2,375,307 Highway to Hell - Hayseed Dixie.mp3
03/01/2007 03:34 PM 188,056 historywb.png
06/12/2006 01:56 PM 126 HostingOn.com - Cheap Web Host.url
03/01/2007 09:20 AM <DIR> Icon
03/04/2006 02:29 PM 1,510 IMVU.lnk
02/21/2007 12:54 PM <DIR> Intro
06/12/2006 12:03 PM 444 layout.txt
09/14/2006 10:35 AM 160 Learn Any Language - Rosetta Stone - Erie Library.url
09/10/2006 08:39 PM 1,580 LimeWire 4.12.6.lnk
01/26/2007 06:29 PM 23,552 Magic Wish List.doc
03/09/2007 11:05 AM 11,543 mask_idea1.jpg
04/15/2007 03:58 PM <DIR> matts songs
04/03/2006 05:16 PM 70,656 molotov_cocktail.gmax
02/12/2007 08:06 PM 21,504 Moskau full lyrics.doc
03/01/2007 10:40 PM 6,032,449 Motley Crue - 10,000 Miles Away.mp3
03/02/2007 09:02 PM <DIR> My Videos
04/04/2007 12:56 PM <DIR> New Magic
04/05/2007 08:44 AM 19,456 note to self.doc
01/17/2007 07:22 PM 9,524,369 Penguin Magic - Graffiti by Jay Sankey - Explanation.mpg
03/14/2007 08:06 PM 2,447,070 penguin.bmp
07/21/2006 07:51 PM 719 Photoshop CS 8.lnk
09/08/2006 01:10 PM 7,510 po_mask_cur1.ani
03/17/2007 03:05 PM 4,005,848 Pretzel.wmv
10/24/2006 01:50 PM 1,811 Puzzle Pirates.lnk
01/03/2007 06:40 PM 3,078,628 Rammstein - Final Fantasy X.mp3
01/03/2007 06:42 PM 938,156 Rammstein - Smurf (Very rare).mp3
03/24/2007 12:52 PM 36,575 realm1.jpg
01/25/2007 09:05 PM 25,223,168 Saddam_Hussein_execution_by_hanging.mpg
04/04/2007 12:55 PM <DIR> Shakespeare Project
03/28/2007 05:07 PM 19,456 shortanswerquestions.doc
10/17/2006 04:51 PM 19,968 Signed-Unsigned Card in Can.doc
02/17/2007 04:30 PM 7,935 Sims 2 PS2 Food Guide.txt
01/25/2007 09:26 PM 56,864,592 Snl saturday night live - Jim Carrey & Will Ferrell - Jacuzzi lifeguard.mpg
01/08/2007 03:23 PM 318,407 Snow Web.JPG
03/21/2007 02:40 PM 13,917 spade.jpg
03/29/2007 02:57 PM 23,552 Stage Magic Effects.doc
12/04/2006 02:25 PM 30,430 The Secrets of Metal Bending DVD + Metalblast Book.htm
11/10/2006 09:53 PM 273,342 thumb_war.bmp
11/18/2006 03:47 PM 1,728 Trouble Maker.lnk
04/18/2007 12:29 PM 42,496 Weather exam study guide student version.doc
02/23/2007 04:59 PM 24,064 White email.doc
02/26/2005 01:42 PM 1,475 Windows Explorer.lnk
67 File(s) 389,236,932 bytes
13 Dir(s) 133,297,688,576 bytes free

 

Click Start>Run type in cmd and hit Enter. Leave that window open.

Hit CTRL+ALT+DELETE to bring up the Task Manager. End Task explorer.exe.

Your Desktop will disappear... this is normal... don't worry about it.

Go back to the commmand window you opened up and type in the following:

del /q C:\DOCUME~1\home\desktop\2 real l~.jpg

And hit Enter.

Reboot.

The file should no longer be on your Desktop.

 

Ok KotaGuy, thanks, I'll try it. When I'm typing the file name, should I just shorten it like you said and end it with a ~? Or do I need to put the whole file name?

 

That ~ character confuses me. I would expect a * in that place...

 

The ~(tilde) character is an old 8.3 naming convention thing. A throwback from old DOS. It allows you to shorten a name without having to type the entire name out.

The problem you have been having with not being able to delete the file is an issue with a Windows limitation of only being able to have 256 characters in a file name.

 

Kotaguy, you have taught me something new. Thanks.

 

You're welcome

 

OP, did this solve your problem?

sorry for butting in i've been watching this post because I have a similar problem, and I'm curious as to whether this worked for you or not

 

OMFG!!! I was so convinced it'd word! It seemed perfect!!! I got this error when I tried what you said. I think the spaces are a problem because it seems to be taking it as 2 different names. Of course, I can't rename it, so I can't fix that. Here's what it said.



*sighs* Any other ideas as to how to get around this?
Guys I really appreciate the time you're spending on this, by the way.

 

OK... no worries. The spaces must be messing it up.

Try this instead.

Do as you did before but at the command prompt type in this:

del /q C:\DOCUME~1\home\desktop\2*.jpg

 

I that does not work ill go through my post history for the name of a free file that worked for another poster when their computer insisted the file was not there but was. It was almost like a root kit file because it tricked the windows api. It was on their desktop and could not be moved or renamed and it showed up as empty, least that is what the computer thought. Actually as I remember it did show up in rootkit reveler but nothing seemed to be able to delete it in any mode except this small program. Ill keep watching.

 

This isn't a rootkit issue, bkf. I've dealt with this before. It's because of the 256 character limitation for file names.

 

Awesome, it worked. Thanks a bunch KotaGuy, Indochine, and everyone else who helped. Not sure what it was doing, but whatever it was it shouldn't be now. Whoever said they had a similar problem, KotaGuy's latest suggestion worked. KotaGuy, I tried your new suggestion with just a 2*.jpg, that's what worked. I didn't see if the ~ would work this time, so I don't know (eg: 2~.jpg). But the * works. Thanks again guys.

^_^

[Hiei3]

 

Good to hear

 

And thats why you dont download songs from questionable legality sites. Now heres my suggestion: try a program called wipe and delete.

EDIT- Oh, and I forgot the obvious, GET ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE.

 

Thanks, but I believe I've already said I have anti-virus software. And yes, I know, you're not suppose to download music. I've never had problems with it before, so it seemed, well, alright I guess. And, thanks again, but I don't need wipe and delete anymore, as I've already fixed the problem.

[Hiei3]

 

Oh, sorry. I read the first page then click "reply".