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Thread ID: 86635 2008-01-23 07:36:00 How to get rid of a corupted file on the desktop geeves (13252) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
633095 2008-01-23 07:36:00 I have an interesting problem on a windows xp home machine.
About 6 months ago my sister sent me a forwarded email via the old xtra webmail. The forwarded email was sent as an attachment and contained a video clip but had no file extension. I saved this email attachment to the desktop renamed as *.eml and opened in the normal way with that most hated programme "outlook express" and all worked normaly. Then went to delete from the desktop and found 2 files there The renamed file deleted ok but the other still had the unmodified name of " FW_ Last day on the job.... " and a size of 0 bytes. In 6 months this has resisted all attempts to delete copy rename etc. All attempts return the error message "cant read source disk"
I am positive this is not a mallware and fairly certain there was no mallware on the system when it happened. The file is visible in the documentsand settings/desktop folder from windows and also from bootable linux cds. I havnt tried to remove via linux as I believe there are still issues writing from linux to ntfs.
One option that I know will work is a format but this is only an icon on the desktop and apart from takeing up space and making setting up backups a little harder is not worth spending the time needed for a full reinstall etc.
any thoughts please
alan
geeves (13252)
633096 2008-01-23 07:39:00 Have you tried ccleaner from Wainiu's sig? gary67 (56)
633097 2008-01-23 07:41:00 Welcome to PressF1.

You should be able to delete that file using the Linux CD as you are not writing to NTFS with it.

Otherwise, a program called MoveOnBoot (www.snapfiles.com) has been recommend here many times.

Let us know how you get on.
Jen (38)
633098 2008-01-23 07:42:00 ccleaner has already been tryed at the advise of a friend. It dis a marvelous job of speeding up my system with its registry tweaks but nothing for this problem
thanks
geeves (13252)
633099 2008-01-23 07:48:00 hi jen
I havent tryed move on boot but have tryed killbox which sounds virtualy the same. The file isnt locked by an application. I think it is in the ntfs table but not actually on the disk.
re the linux idea. I thought the problems that can occur with linux and ntfs happed when deleting files. A deletion is still writing to the disk isnt it?
thanks
geeves (13252)
633100 2008-01-23 07:54:00 You should be fine still if you are using a recent Linux release. What one do you have? Jen (38)
633101 2008-01-23 08:05:00 I have ubuntu 7.10 from the latest pcworld and pclinuxos which was downloaded about 3 months ago. this featured on the august apc mag
which one would you recomend?
thanks
geeves (13252)
633102 2008-01-23 08:16:00 Either of those two should be fine. It wouldn't hurt to do a backup of essential files before hand *just in case*. I've deleted/move/saved to NTFS under Linux ages ago back when NTFS support was considered more flakey. NTFS support is much more robust and mature nowadays. Jen (38)
633103 2008-01-23 08:24:00 You can try this- may work - start the PC in safe mode, press F8 on startup, select safe mode, when you go to log in use administrator.

Double click " My Computer" double click the HD ( normally C) go to Documents and settings / ( persons User Account Name) / Desktop - locate the offending files, right click delete. This sometimes works. Reboot as normal
wainuitech (129)
633104 2008-01-23 08:25:00 jen
will try this and come back with the answer tomorrow
thanks
wainuitech
thanks for the advise Ive already tryed this though.
geeves (13252)
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