Mysterious file which can not be deleted or renamed

  • Thread starter Thread starter CXD
  • Start date Start date
C

CXD

Recently a file appeared on my desktop. I tried many ways to delete it,
including deleting from Windows Explorer, running DOS command del, and even
using UnxUtils command rm, but all gave me file not found error. I also
tried several ways to rename it, from Windows Explorer, using DOS command
ren, and using UnxUtils command mv, but I got the same kind of error. I can
view the file property from Windows Explorer which shows 0 size, valid
recent time, and no special attributes (ie. not system/hidden/read-only
file). Running DOS command dir on the desktop folder gives the same file
info, but dir on the file itself results in the same file not found error.
In other words, the file can not be directly operated. I had used process
explorer to search if any process locks it, but no one.

The file name contains no extension, but seems to have a trailing space
character (or may be a special character displayed as space). Maybe that
trailing space is causing the problem and the file can not be addressed by
programs. How can I get rid of this mysterious file? My system is Windows
Vista Business.

Thanks.
 
CXD said:
Recently a file appeared on my desktop. I tried many ways to delete it,
including deleting from Windows Explorer, running DOS command del, and
even using UnxUtils command rm, but all gave me file not found error. I
also tried several ways to rename it, from Windows Explorer, using DOS
command ren, and using UnxUtils command mv, but I got the same kind of
error. I can view the file property from Windows Explorer which shows 0
size, valid recent time, and no special attributes (ie. not
system/hidden/read-only file). Running DOS command dir on the desktop
folder gives the same file info, but dir on the file itself results in
the same file not found error. In other words, the file can not be
directly operated. I had used process explorer to search if any process
locks it, but no one.

The file name contains no extension, but seems to have a trailing space
character (or may be a special character displayed as space). Maybe that
trailing space is causing the problem and the file can not be addressed
by programs. How can I get rid of this mysterious file? My system is
Windows Vista Business.
Click to expand...



This should work:

http://www.jrtwine.com/products/dfxp/index.htm

ss.
 
Thanks for the links! Although I did not try the software, but I found a
simple solution after following those links: just type dir/x at command
prompt to find out its short file name (8.3 as in old DOS), and then type
del with the short name.
 
CXD said:
Thanks for the links! Although I did not try the software, but I found a
simple solution after following those links: just type dir/x at command
prompt to find out its short file name (8.3 as in old DOS), and then type
del with the short name.
Click to expand...


That's interesting. In that case, you could have just used COMMAND.COM,
instead of CMD.EXE. I wonder what I would have done, as I have disabled
creation of 8.3 file names in the filesystem. It probably would not have
even appeared at all.

ss.
 
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