"Dead" icon removal from Desktop

acfalk · Apr 22, 2013

I have several icons on my desktop that cannot be removed with right click, and are not in the list of those shortcuts in my (administrator) profile Desktop folder. How do I get rid of these? RegCleanPro has been run, as has PC Tools Spyware Doctor. All clean.
Thanks,
AC Falk
Stans, Switzerland

AtlBo · May 3, 2013

This has always worked for me:

http://www.majorgeeks.com/EMCO_MoveOnBoot_d6337.html

theefool · May 3, 2013

What version of windows?

Nick T · May 3, 2013

If you are running Windows XP, you have a built-in Clean Desktop Wizard to take care of that problem. Just close all programs, right click on an empty space on your desktop, put your cursor on Arrange Icons By, and go down to the Clean Desktop Wizard, and follow the directions.

cipher · May 3, 2013

The file may be locked by some process. |MG| LockHunter will let you unlock it, and delete it for you if you wish. It can add an entry into your explorer context menu so this tool is always available to you...

pwillener · May 3, 2013

Are these shortcut icons, or native desktop icons (like Internet Explorer, Outlook, etc.)?

Hallo Stans; dort hab' ich mal gewohnt :cool

theefool · May 4, 2013

Just now noticed that you are new here. Greetings and welcome to Majorgeeks!

Hopefully one of these so called geeks can help you with your issue.!

plodr · May 4, 2013

acfalk, I feel your pain. I had a 0 byte file I tried to get rid of about 10 different ways. I could not copy, paste, move, delete or rename it. Windows said it could not find it and yet I could see it and when I searched with VoidTools, it found the 0 byte item.
http://file.walagata.com/w/perk/FL/Pam_error.jpg

I can tell you what I tried and did not work: MoveOnBoot(which deletes files on reboot), Killbox, Ultrashredder portable, Eraser, File Assassin (part of Malwarebytes), Lock Hunter, DPFile Shredder (mbam flagged it as a trojan so I didn't want to unquarantine it and try using it), Process Explorer, booting into safe mode, System Restore and Trinity Rescue Disk.

Here's what did it. I asked for a small easy linux distro. Porteus was suggested it. http://www.porteus.org/
I made a bootable USB stick, only to discover that particular computer would not boot from a USB stick. I tested the stick in my 7" netbook and it boots fine. So I know it is a good bootable USB stick. I then burned the ISO to CD and booted it. My C drive was mounted automatically. I found the file, right clicked it and selected delete. It asked me to confirm. I said Yes, rebooted and the file was gone. It took me more time to download and burn the ISO then it did to remove the offending file.

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"Dead" icon removal from Desktop

acfalk Private E-2

AtlBo Major Geek Extraordinaire

theefool Geekified

Nick T MajorGeek

cipher Major Geek Extraordinaire

pwillener MajorGeek

theefool Geekified

plodr MajorGeek Super Extraordinaire Moderator Staff Member