Phantom desktop icon

I downloaded that and installed it.
I right clicked my Phantom file, found "shred it". I clicked that and
tried it. Nothing happened. I tried all 4 options under shred it. No
change at all. It's still there looking at me and I can't do a thing
with it except move it around to different locations on the desktop.

On 11/10/2010 12:54 AM, Bob wrote:
FileMenu Tools Windows 7

http://www.windows7download.com/win7.../ouczzyws.html


"Steve" wrote in message
...
I was tempted to jump right in and try it but, first, I notice Windows
7 is not listed under operating systems and, second, I can't quite see
how adding more to the right click menu will help.
I'm willing to try if you really think it will do something. It might
be nice to have regardless, if it works well with Windows 7.


On 11/7/2010 8:48 PM, Bob wrote:
Use this freeware to shred the icon.

http://download.cnet.com/FileMenu-To...-10810545.html


"Steve" wrote in message
...
Does anyone know how to get rid of a desktop icon that my computer
insists doesn't exist?
A friend sent me some information in a file. I could only open it by
dragging and dropping it on my Open Office shortcut icon. It opened
looking like a spreadsheet. Soon after, I noticed what appeared to a
second copy of the same. Dragging to recycle bin does nothing. Right
clicking and choosing delete only leads to a message that the file
doesn't exist. I can't move it anywhere else because "it doesn't
exist". Restarting the computer didn't change things. So it sits there
on the desktop taunting me and I can't make it go away.

Steve

On Wed, 10 Nov 2010 13:39:47 -0500, Steve wrote:

On 11/9/2010 7:34 PM, Gene E. Bloch wrote:
On Tue, 09 Nov 2010 08:51:32 -0600, Char Jackson wrote:

On Mon, 08 Nov 2010 23:12:25 -0500, wrote:

On 11/8/2010 9:57 PM, Gene E. Bloch wrote:

As has been stated many times in this thread, Library is just where
Explorer starts looking at your computer's files, because of how your
shortcuts are set up or how your Explorer is set up.


I understand now.

I am beginning to suspect that you're not showing the navigation pane,
AKA the folder pane.


Exactly right.

Try this: click on Organize in the bar near the top of your
Explorer/Computer window, choose layout, and make sure that the entry
for Navigation Pane is checked.


Well, would you look at that! OK, now I have something that looks like
what Windows Explorer should look like. What good does it do me though
(other than to learn about why I haven't seen this before), because it
still doesn't solve the original problem. I can't delete or do anything
with my phantom icon from here, either.

You've already been given multiple suggestions to help solve that
issue so I assume you just haven't gotten around to trying them yet.

If it already was, then click on the folder icon in the address bar,
then on the down-pointing triangle near it, then on anything in the menu
that drops down.

You'll be amazed at what you see.


Not that amazed. In fact, not at all. Maybe I'm not seeing what you want
me to see. Clicking on the folder icon in the address bar makes all the
arrows go away except the down arrow to the far right. When I click on
that, only 2 items come down. If I click on either of those, it goes
into the address bar. When I click to go there, it just says that
windows can't find it.

Why would you click on the address bar? Stop clicking there and click
on an item in the Navigation Pane! You can easily navigate to anywhere
on your system by using the Navigation Pane, which coincidentally is
how it got its name.

Partly he's doing that because of what I said.

Unfortunately, as I eventually realized, I incorrectly told him to click
on the down-pointing triangle at the left of the address bar, when I
should have said the *right-pointing* arrow

I don't see any messages from Char Jackson, but I do see your 2 replies
to what Char Jackson wrote.

There's a lot of that in my newsreading. It seems that not every server
carries the same collection of posts.

Currently, I have set up this reader (Dialog) to combine the posts on
alt.windows7.general from Albasani and Eternal-September into a single
folder; other newsreaders have similar capabilities. That lets me see
the posts missing from each of those servers (as long as a post isn't
gone from both of them), and Dialog is smart enough not to duplicate
posts that are present in both servers.

I don't know if that can be done in Thunderbird, but you could at least
open an account at Albasani if you want to more directly see the posts
missing from E-S.

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

Try deleting it from an Admin Command Prompt.

"Steve" wrote in message
...
I downloaded that and installed it.
I right clicked my Phantom file, found "shred it". I clicked that and
tried it. Nothing happened. I tried all 4 options under shred it. No
change at all. It's still there looking at me and I can't do a thing with
it except move it around to different locations on the desktop.

On 11/10/2010 12:54 AM, Bob wrote:
FileMenu Tools Windows 7

http://www.windows7download.com/win7.../ouczzyws.html


"Steve" wrote in message
...
I was tempted to jump right in and try it but, first, I notice Windows
7 is not listed under operating systems and, second, I can't quite see
how adding more to the right click menu will help.
I'm willing to try if you really think it will do something. It might
be nice to have regardless, if it works well with Windows 7.


On 11/7/2010 8:48 PM, Bob wrote:
Use this freeware to shred the icon.

http://download.cnet.com/FileMenu-To...-10810545.html


"Steve" wrote in message
...
Does anyone know how to get rid of a desktop icon that my computer
insists doesn't exist?
A friend sent me some information in a file. I could only open it by
dragging and dropping it on my Open Office shortcut icon. It opened
looking like a spreadsheet. Soon after, I noticed what appeared to a
second copy of the same. Dragging to recycle bin does nothing. Right
clicking and choosing delete only leads to a message that the file
doesn't exist. I can't move it anywhere else because "it doesn't
exist". Restarting the computer didn't change things. So it sits there
on the desktop taunting me and I can't make it go away.

Steve

Just tried it. The message comes up: Could not find
C:\Users\Steve\desktop....etc...
Note that this thing does not have a file extension associated with it.

On 11/10/2010 7:13 PM, Bob wrote:
Try deleting it from an Admin Command Prompt.

"Steve" wrote in message
...
I downloaded that and installed it.
I right clicked my Phantom file, found "shred it". I clicked that and
tried it. Nothing happened. I tried all 4 options under shred it. No
change at all. It's still there looking at me and I can't do a thing
with it except move it around to different locations on the desktop.

On 11/10/2010 12:54 AM, Bob wrote:
FileMenu Tools Windows 7

http://www.windows7download.com/win7.../ouczzyws.html


"Steve" wrote in message
...
I was tempted to jump right in and try it but, first, I notice Windows
7 is not listed under operating systems and, second, I can't quite see
how adding more to the right click menu will help.
I'm willing to try if you really think it will do something. It might
be nice to have regardless, if it works well with Windows 7.


On 11/7/2010 8:48 PM, Bob wrote:
Use this freeware to shred the icon.

http://download.cnet.com/FileMenu-To...-10810545.html


"Steve" wrote in message
...
Does anyone know how to get rid of a desktop icon that my computer
insists doesn't exist?
A friend sent me some information in a file. I could only open it by
dragging and dropping it on my Open Office shortcut icon. It opened
looking like a spreadsheet. Soon after, I noticed what appeared to a
second copy of the same. Dragging to recycle bin does nothing. Right
clicking and choosing delete only leads to a message that the file
doesn't exist. I can't move it anywhere else because "it doesn't
exist". Restarting the computer didn't change things. So it sits
there
on the desktop taunting me and I can't make it go away.

Steve

Try dir with the ah switch to show hidden files. dir/ah



"Steve" wrote in message
...
Just tried it. The message comes up: Could not find
C:\Users\Steve\desktop....etc...
Note that this thing does not have a file extension associated with it.

On 11/10/2010 7:13 PM, Bob wrote:
Try deleting it from an Admin Command Prompt.

"Steve" wrote in message
...
I downloaded that and installed it.
I right clicked my Phantom file, found "shred it". I clicked that and
tried it. Nothing happened. I tried all 4 options under shred it. No
change at all. It's still there looking at me and I can't do a thing
with it except move it around to different locations on the desktop.

On 11/10/2010 12:54 AM, Bob wrote:
FileMenu Tools Windows 7

http://www.windows7download.com/win7.../ouczzyws.html


"Steve" wrote in message
...
I was tempted to jump right in and try it but, first, I notice Windows
7 is not listed under operating systems and, second, I can't quite see
how adding more to the right click menu will help.
I'm willing to try if you really think it will do something. It might
be nice to have regardless, if it works well with Windows 7.


On 11/7/2010 8:48 PM, Bob wrote:
Use this freeware to shred the icon.

http://download.cnet.com/FileMenu-To...-10810545.html


"Steve" wrote in message
...
Does anyone know how to get rid of a desktop icon that my computer
insists doesn't exist?
A friend sent me some information in a file. I could only open it by
dragging and dropping it on my Open Office shortcut icon. It opened
looking like a spreadsheet. Soon after, I noticed what appeared to a
second copy of the same. Dragging to recycle bin does nothing. Right
clicking and choosing delete only leads to a message that the file
doesn't exist. I can't move it anywhere else because "it doesn't
exist". Restarting the computer didn't change things. So it sits
there
on the desktop taunting me and I can't make it go away.

Steve

On Wed, 10 Nov 2010 22:27:43 -0500, Steve wrote:

Just tried it. The message comes up: Could not find
C:\Users\Steve\desktop....etc...

Does the DIR command list it? If not, then the DEL command won't find
it either. Be sure you're in the right folder.

Note that this thing does not have a file extension associated with it.

Irrelevant. Use the DIR command to get the exact spelling, in case the
Windows GUI is hiding the extension.

--

Char Jackson

On 11/7/2010 2:21 PM, Steve wrote:
Does anyone know how to get rid of a desktop icon that my computer
insists doesn't exist?
A friend sent me some information in a file. I could only open it by
dragging and dropping it on my Open Office shortcut icon. It opened
looking like a spreadsheet. Soon after, I noticed what appeared to a
second copy of the same. Dragging to recycle bin does nothing. Right
clicking and choosing delete only leads to a message that the file
doesn't exist. I can't move it anywhere else because "it doesn't exist".
Restarting the computer didn't change things. So it sits there on the
desktop taunting me and I can't make it go away.

Steve

I had a dinner meeting tonight. I saw the guy who sent the original
working file with the same name as my Phantom file. Others at the
meeting got the same (normal) file. It appears that I'm the only one who
ended up with the Phantom copy on their desktop.
I did find out that the file was (as I thought) made with an old version
of Microsoft Office. I learned that he uses a Mac computer.
One of the other members, who has a computer repair business, overheard
the conversation asked if I had tried deleting it from safe mode. Easy
enough to try. Did it work? Of course not. Windows doesn't believe it is
really there and safe mode didn't make windows any smarter.

So, I have my own idea. Before I try it, think about any pitfalls that I
might not think of.
My user profile is the only one that has ever been on this computer. I
did create the administrator account to see what I could do from there,
but I took that back off.
So, what would happen if I put everything I like on my desktop, into a
folder, and put it somewhere else... then create a new user profile....
then delete my "Steve" account, almost certainly taking my Phantom icon
with it? I can't think of any reason it wouldn't work. I assume I could
then rename the new profile to "Steve" or create a new "Steve" and put
everything back the way I like it.
Is there any reason I couldn't delete the existing, original user
profile? Would a newly named "Steve" user account have all the abilities
as the current one?

It gave me a list of 38 items, 35 of which are .dll files. I am unable
to see anything useful on this list.

On 11/10/2010 11:23 PM, Bob wrote:
Try dir with the ah switch to show hidden files. dir/ah



"Steve" wrote in message
...
Just tried it. The message comes up: Could not find
C:\Users\Steve\desktop....etc...
Note that this thing does not have a file extension associated with it.

On 11/10/2010 7:13 PM, Bob wrote:
Try deleting it from an Admin Command Prompt.

"Steve" wrote in message
...
I downloaded that and installed it.
I right clicked my Phantom file, found "shred it". I clicked that and
tried it. Nothing happened. I tried all 4 options under shred it. No
change at all. It's still there looking at me and I can't do a thing
with it except move it around to different locations on the desktop.

On 11/10/2010 12:54 AM, Bob wrote:
FileMenu Tools Windows 7

http://www.windows7download.com/win7.../ouczzyws.html


"Steve" wrote in message
...
I was tempted to jump right in and try it but, first, I notice
Windows
7 is not listed under operating systems and, second, I can't quite
see
how adding more to the right click menu will help.
I'm willing to try if you really think it will do something. It might
be nice to have regardless, if it works well with Windows 7.


On 11/7/2010 8:48 PM, Bob wrote:
Use this freeware to shred the icon.

http://download.cnet.com/FileMenu-To...-10810545.html


"Steve" wrote in message
...
Does anyone know how to get rid of a desktop icon that my computer
insists doesn't exist?
A friend sent me some information in a file. I could only open
it by
dragging and dropping it on my Open Office shortcut icon. It opened
looking like a spreadsheet. Soon after, I noticed what appeared
to a
second copy of the same. Dragging to recycle bin does nothing.
Right
clicking and choosing delete only leads to a message that the file
doesn't exist. I can't move it anywhere else because "it doesn't
exist". Restarting the computer didn't change things. So it sits
there
on the desktop taunting me and I can't make it go away.

Steve

On Wed, 10 Nov 2010 23:56:35 -0500, Steve wrote:

It gave me a list of 38 items, 35 of which are .dll files. I am unable
to see anything useful on this list.

On 11/10/2010 11:23 PM, Bob wrote:
Try dir with the ah switch to show hidden files. dir/ah

Then you're looking in the wrong folder. Navigate to the proper
folder, make sure the DIR command finds and lists the file, then use
the DEL command on it.

--

Char Jackson

On Wed, 10 Nov 2010 23:53:33 -0500, Steve wrote:

I had a dinner meeting tonight. I saw the guy who sent the original
working file with the same name as my Phantom file. Others at the
meeting got the same (normal) file. It appears that I'm the only one who
ended up with the Phantom copy on their desktop.
I did find out that the file was (as I thought) made with an old version
of Microsoft Office. I learned that he uses a Mac computer.
One of the other members, who has a computer repair business, overheard
the conversation asked if I had tried deleting it from safe mode. Easy
enough to try. Did it work? Of course not. Windows doesn't believe it is
really there and safe mode didn't make windows any smarter.

So, I have my own idea. Before I try it, think about any pitfalls that I
might not think of.
My user profile is the only one that has ever been on this computer. I
did create the administrator account to see what I could do from there,
but I took that back off.
So, what would happen if I put everything I like on my desktop, into a
folder, and put it somewhere else... then create a new user profile....
then delete my "Steve" account, almost certainly taking my Phantom icon
with it? I can't think of any reason it wouldn't work. I assume I could
then rename the new profile to "Steve" or create a new "Steve" and put
everything back the way I like it.
Is there any reason I couldn't delete the existing, original user
profile? Would a newly named "Steve" user account have all the abilities
as the current one?

That's too extreme to get my endorsement. I don't think you've
finished trying the command prompt yet, according to what you've told
us.

--

Char Jackson

On 11/11/2010 1:05 AM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Wed, 10 Nov 2010 23:53:33 -0500, wrote:

I had a dinner meeting tonight. I saw the guy who sent the original
working file with the same name as my Phantom file. Others at the
meeting got the same (normal) file. It appears that I'm the only one who
ended up with the Phantom copy on their desktop.
I did find out that the file was (as I thought) made with an old version
of Microsoft Office. I learned that he uses a Mac computer.
One of the other members, who has a computer repair business, overheard
the conversation asked if I had tried deleting it from safe mode. Easy
enough to try. Did it work? Of course not. Windows doesn't believe it is
really there and safe mode didn't make windows any smarter.

So, I have my own idea. Before I try it, think about any pitfalls that I
might not think of.
My user profile is the only one that has ever been on this computer. I
did create the administrator account to see what I could do from there,
but I took that back off.
So, what would happen if I put everything I like on my desktop, into a
folder, and put it somewhere else... then create a new user profile....
then delete my "Steve" account, almost certainly taking my Phantom icon
with it? I can't think of any reason it wouldn't work. I assume I could
then rename the new profile to "Steve" or create a new "Steve" and put
everything back the way I like it.
Is there any reason I couldn't delete the existing, original user
profile? Would a newly named "Steve" user account have all the abilities
as the current one?

That's too extreme to get my endorsement. I don't think you've
finished trying the command prompt yet, according to what you've told
us.

Thank you. I'm glad I'm seeing your posts now. Two others of yours I
only saw because someone replied to them.
I'd rather not fool around with creating a new user account. That's kind
of like the last resort. Well, I suppose formatting the hard drive would
be the LAST resort. I could learn to love that little phantom before I
would go there. :-)

On 11/11/2010 12:56 AM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Wed, 10 Nov 2010 23:56:35 -0500, wrote:

It gave me a list of 38 items, 35 of which are .dll files. I am unable
to see anything useful on this list.

On 11/10/2010 11:23 PM, Bob wrote:
Try dir with the ah switch to show hidden files. dir/ah

Then you're looking in the wrong folder. Navigate to the proper
folder, make sure the DIR command finds and lists the file, then use
the DEL command on it.

OK, I get it. I didn't quite understand what to do. I'm going to bed
now, but I have tomorrow off so I will see what I can do then. Thanks!

?Hi, Steve.

Have you tried Dir with the /x switch?
Dir /x

This should produce a normal Directory listing - with an easily-overlooked
extra column before the normal filenames. The extra column shows the SFN
(Short File Name, also called the 8.3 filename) for any file whose LFN (Long
File Name) does not qualify as an SFN. Even a 1-character filename can be
an LFN if that one character is a Space or other "illegal" character. Use
that SFN in your Del command to Delete that file. If it is a folder, use
the RD (Remove Directory) command instead; we Delete files and Remove
folders. (To be sure that you've spelled the SFN correctly, you can use the
Command Prompt's Mark/Copy/Paste functions.)

As usual in a Command Prompt window, use Dir /? to see a list of all the
switches and parameters available with the Dir command. The /a switch shows
All files, including those with Hidden or other Attributes set. And the /s
switch lists files in all subdirectories of the target directory. So use
the command:
Dir C:\ /x /s /a

This should show the SFN for EVERY file anywhere on Drive C:. It starts at
the top (C:\) and lists ALL files and folders in ALL directories on the
disk, no matter their Attributes, and shows the SFN for EVERY file/folder
with a LFN that does not qualify as an SFN. Just be prepared: this list
can be VERY long! It's better to CD (Change Directory) to the parent of
that "phantom" file, or use the pathname in the Dir command. For example:
Dir "C:\User\Steve\Desktop" /x /s /a

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX

Microsoft Windows MVP (2002-9/30/10)
Windows Live Mail Version 2011 (Build 15.4.3502.0922) in Win7 Ultimate x64
SP1 RC


"Steve" wrote in message ...

On 11/11/2010 12:56 AM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Wed, 10 Nov 2010 23:56:35 -0500, wrote:

It gave me a list of 38 items, 35 of which are .dll files. I am unable
to see anything useful on this list.

On 11/10/2010 11:23 PM, Bob wrote:
Try dir with the ah switch to show hidden files. dir/ah

Then you're looking in the wrong folder. Navigate to the proper
folder, make sure the DIR command finds and lists the file, then use
the DEL command on it.

OK, I get it. I didn't quite understand what to do. I'm going to bed
now, but I have tomorrow off so I will see what I can do then. Thanks!

On Thu, 11 Nov 2010 07:33:55 -0600, R. C. White wrote:

?Hi, Steve.

Have you tried Dir with the /x switch?
Dir /x

This should produce a normal Directory listing - with an easily-overlooked
extra column before the normal filenames. The extra column shows the SFN
(Short File Name, also called the 8.3 filename) for any file whose LFN (Long
File Name) does not qualify as an SFN. Even a 1-character filename can be
an LFN if that one character is a Space or other "illegal" character. Use
that SFN in your Del command to Delete that file. If it is a folder, use
the RD (Remove Directory) command instead; we Delete files and Remove
folders. (To be sure that you've spelled the SFN correctly, you can use the
Command Prompt's Mark/Copy/Paste functions.)

As usual in a Command Prompt window, use Dir /? to see a list of all the
switches and parameters available with the Dir command. The /a switch shows
All files, including those with Hidden or other Attributes set. And the /s
switch lists files in all subdirectories of the target directory. So use
the command:
Dir C:\ /x /s /a

This should show the SFN for EVERY file anywhere on Drive C:. It starts at
the top (C:\) and lists ALL files and folders in ALL directories on the
disk, no matter their Attributes, and shows the SFN for EVERY file/folder
with a LFN that does not qualify as an SFN. Just be prepared: this list
can be VERY long! It's better to CD (Change Directory) to the parent of
that "phantom" file, or use the pathname in the Dir command. For example:
Dir "C:\User\Steve\Desktop" /x /s /a

RC

Another thing your very useful post reminded me of is this: If the name
that Steve sees in the GUI contains invisible characters, such as the
space you mentioned, he would never see the correct name, and so never
type it correctly. Like if a space or another non-displayed character is
the last character of the name, it would not be noticeable...

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

I don't know where you're looking but if you're seeing dll files you're not
looking at your Desktop.

"Steve" wrote in message
...
It gave me a list of 38 items, 35 of which are .dll files. I am unable to
see anything useful on this list.

On 11/10/2010 11:23 PM, Bob wrote:
Try dir with the ah switch to show hidden files. dir/ah



"Steve" wrote in message
...
Just tried it. The message comes up: Could not find
C:\Users\Steve\desktop....etc...
Note that this thing does not have a file extension associated with it.

On 11/10/2010 7:13 PM, Bob wrote:
Try deleting it from an Admin Command Prompt.

"Steve" wrote in message
...
I downloaded that and installed it.
I right clicked my Phantom file, found "shred it". I clicked that and
tried it. Nothing happened. I tried all 4 options under shred it. No
change at all. It's still there looking at me and I can't do a thing
with it except move it around to different locations on the desktop.

On 11/10/2010 12:54 AM, Bob wrote:
FileMenu Tools Windows 7

http://www.windows7download.com/win7.../ouczzyws.html


"Steve" wrote in message
...
I was tempted to jump right in and try it but, first, I notice
Windows
7 is not listed under operating systems and, second, I can't quite
see
how adding more to the right click menu will help.
I'm willing to try if you really think it will do something. It
might
be nice to have regardless, if it works well with Windows 7.


On 11/7/2010 8:48 PM, Bob wrote:
Use this freeware to shred the icon.

http://download.cnet.com/FileMenu-To...-10810545.html


"Steve" wrote in message
...
Does anyone know how to get rid of a desktop icon that my computer
insists doesn't exist?
A friend sent me some information in a file. I could only open
it by
dragging and dropping it on my Open Office shortcut icon. It
opened
looking like a spreadsheet. Soon after, I noticed what appeared
to a
second copy of the same. Dragging to recycle bin does nothing.
Right
clicking and choosing delete only leads to a message that the file
doesn't exist. I can't move it anywhere else because "it doesn't
exist". Restarting the computer didn't change things. So it sits
there
on the desktop taunting me and I can't make it go away.

Steve