You say you re-installed Windows XP and the file is still
there? Did you do a system over write? Or did you format
the drive and reinstall Windows XP from a clean install?
If you did a system over-write. Then Windows XP found the
file to be part of the O.S. also are you the system
ADMIN? If not and you are sharing the ADMIN with another
party, this is why it will not let you delete the file?
Only the SYSTEM ADMIN can delete files on the computer,
Also if the file is password-protected and you are not
the SYSTEM ADMIN the it will not let you delete the file,
If you are trying to start with a CLEAN drive, in order
to remove the file you must be the SYSTEM ADMIN. . Good
Luck.