A strange one... but can anyone help?

[Dougster]

I have, courtesy of I know not what, a new file on my Desktop.

This file is entitled "IRC " (with the spaces).

I can't delete this file as Win2k says "Cannot delete file: Cannot read from source file or disk"

I've run a virus scan and a sector check, just in case, but no problems.

Can anyone tell me how to get rid of this file??

TIA!

 

[DAM]

you should delete that file through dos.



go to start, run, type in "cmd" that will open up a dos prompth, go to that directory where that file is and just type in "delete filename.ext"




dam()

 

[Dougster]

Sorry, I should have mentioned that I already tried that. The file shows up in a DIR listing... but when I del it DOS claims it doesn't exist.

 

[thornc]

Are you the owner of the file?? ( if using NTFS )
Doing you have "write" permissions for that file?? ( if using NTFS )
Are you using the administrator account, and if not have you
tried deleting the file with that account??

 

[bozo1]

Looks like someone is playing games with you. Do you use IRC?

Try deleting it from DOS but instead of hitting the space bar for the spaces, do an ALT-255.

 

[Cenalian]

If that doesn't work, try renaming the file from the desktop, and then deleting it from DOS.

 

[Psychoholic]

<< I can't delete this file as Win2k says &quot;Cannot delete file: Cannot read from source file or disk&quot; >>


Have you tried doing so logged in as the Adminstrator???

 

[Dougster]

I can't rename it, I am using an administrator account and I'm the only one who uses this machine.

What next?!! :Q

 

[Dougster]

Oh yeah, and that Alt-255 idea didn't work either. Also, according to the command prompt DIR listing, this file is 618 bytes, so it is a real file.

 

[Nevo]

See if you can create a new folder and move the file into the new folder.

Then you can delete the file by going to a command prompt and using the &quot;rd /s&quot; command to remove the file's parent folder.

 

[Dougster]

Nope... I just get &quot;Cannot move file: Cannot read from source file or disk&quot;.

 

[BudB]

Are you sure the space after IRC is really a space and not an unprintable character of some kind. People used to do this kind of thing in DOS to keep people from erasing files. Can you copy the file to a floppy by using copy irc*.* to A:\ ? You might be able to fool around with it there.

 

[Dougster]

God this is a strage one... look what happens when I try and do that:

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop>copy *irc*.* c:\
mIRC32.lnk
IRC
The system cannot find the file specified.
1 file(s) copied.

I repeat again, no-one has access to this machine bar me, and I sure as hell didn't put this &quot;ghost&quot; file there! :frown:

 

[thornc]

A process can create a file that even the administrator
can't simply delete...it depends on the permissions
that are set for that file and who owns the file.....

You can try do check the file's permissions and if can't
do that just &quot;take ownership&quot; of the file and try to delete
afer....

 

[MulLa]

I don't have a solution but I don't think it's a permission problem ie NTFS permission. If it was he would get &quot;permission denied&quot; message. Not can't find the file type message.

 

[thelanx]

Maybe it was a file from a disk. That would explain why they can't find the file. But if it is, then the file on the desktop should just be a shortcut that you can delete. Seems like this file is from mIRC, so maybe you should send them an email about the problem.

 

[Dougster]

The properties page of this file is completly blank, apart from the location field.

I haven't used mIRC in weeks, so I very much doubt it's from that.

 

[rbV5]

I use the old &quot;Dosshell&quot;, I have yet to find a file I couldn't delete.

 

[Dougster]

<< I use the old &quot;Dosshell&quot;, I have yet to find a file I couldn't delete. >>

rbV5, could you explain please?

 

[rbV5]

Dosshell is the GUI that shipped with DOS(5.0?) I've always put it on my boot floppy's, and my utility archive for exactly that, deleting cache and other files that won't go away in windows, the GUI makes directory navigation easy and you can get other info that is tough/slow to find in just command line DOS. Just boot with a win98 boot disk if you have a fat32 drive. I can send you the zipped file via email(180k) if you'd like.