Ghost Folder on Desktop

[Greatsilverwyrm]

My grandmother has a folder icon on her desktop that goes nowhere, has no label, and can't be deleted (access denied).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think it's the result of something I did when I was setting-up the computer. She had a bunch of software disks that She had never been able to use, so I decided to just install them to let her play around with them.

 

 

 

Several of them I uninstalled after she deemed them no use to her.

 

 

 

After uninstalling one of them is when this ghost icon appeared.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I tried reinstalling the program and then uninstalling it again, to see if that would by chance remove the icon, but it didn't.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

System is running WinXP Home SP2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any ideas?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I apologize for how obfuscated that was, my eloquence seems to have taken a coffee break..

[zonda]

Did you try in safe mode? Other then that... I have no clue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It wouldn't be a hidden or system folder on your desktop... and I doubt it would be related to any form of virii or spyware.... any malicious software at that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe it is just that? Some sort of a ghost folder on the desktop... try changing the desktop apearance, align the folders, change the back ground and setup...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hell if I know lol

 

 

 

Good luck :wink:

[EugenyG]

Log in from safe mode using the "real" Administrator's account in WinXP Home (only available from safe mode). Claim ownership of the folder from whoever owns it (probably "SYSTEM" or other non-user account). Then delete it; if nessecary, use the command promt to /rd the folder).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If that doesn't work, something is corrupt. If you are REALLY determined to wipe the folder, you can always reformat, but I don't see anything so worrying about it. There's also a small chance that it's a hardware HDD corruption, in which case nothing is going to fix it short of getting a new drive.

[zonda]

Log in from safe mode using the "real" Administrator's account in WinXP Home (only available from safe mode). Claim ownership of the folder from whoever owns it (probably "SYSTEM" or other non-user account). Then delete it; if nessecary, use the command promt to /rd the folder).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If that doesn't work, something is corrupt. If you are REALLY determined to wipe the folder, you can always reformat, but I don't see anything so worrying about it. There's also a small chance that it's a hardware HDD corruption, in which case nothing is going to fix it short of getting a new drive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uh... since that sounds good, that must have been what I was trying to say... so, uhhh what he said?? :wink: