WindowsXP "desktop.ini" Everywhere?!?

I'm new to XP, and the other day I was trying (unsucessfully) to install some stuff through DOS. All of a sudden there's these 'desktop.ini' files all over the place, 33 in total. They were on the desktop, in the start menu, in My Documents, Windows dirrectory, etc. It's all the same file.

What I need to know is, where does this file actually belong? I don't want to delete the wrong one, but I do want to get rid of all the others.

 

they are normal to be there.

 

Then why did they show up all of a sudden? They didn't used to be on the desktop and in the start menu, I'm sure of that because 10 coppies of the same file in different menu folders would have definately caught my eye.

If it is normal, then which one does Windows use? I know it doesn't need 33 coppies of the same file strewn all over the place.. I'll just delete all of them if that is the case.

 

Did you extract them there?

DOS is very literal

Whereas XP is more post impressionist

 

I don't think so.. I mean, that's not what I was trying to do..


This is what I was trying to do:

Code:

alias uharc = "%_cwd\uharc.exe"
alias unzip = "%_cwd\unzip.exe"
attrib -r -s -h *.* /s
for /R %i in (*.uha) do (
    	uharc e "%@name["%i"].uha"
    	del "%@name["%i"].uha"
    	unzip "%@name["%i"].zip"
	del "%@name["%i"].zip"
)

but for some reason it couldn't find the right dirrectory, so after about three tries I gave up.

 

Adry

Where are you now, when you're needed, only Linux CLI makes sense to me, (oh and Linear B too)

 

Well that's just extracting files and deleting the compressed ones, but like I said, it couldn't find the right dirrectory.... and I think something with the *.* in the third line didn't work right with XP.

 

Ok, I refuse to go through every folder in my system, but here are just three folders, under my profile:


http://www.gci-net.com/~silver256/d1.jpg

http://www.gci-net.com/~silver256/d2.jpg

http://www.gci-net.com/~silver256/d3.jpg


3 folders, 3 desktop.ini files.


As I said, they are normal. Why are they showing up now? Because you are displaying hidden files and folders.

 

I would say this line right here would have made the change so that you now see them:



attrib -r -s -h *.* /s


I don't do DOS, but that would be my guess.

 

attrib -r -s -h *.* /s


I don't do DOS, but that would be my guess.




Makes sense

 

I also believe if you nuke these files, they will rebuild themselves.


So, you won't be rid of the extra ones anyway.

They are files for the icons.

Here is one line from the desktop.ini in my acc. folder listed above:

Windows Explorer.lnk=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-22067

 

they are something to do with the icons associated with folders
and they do rebuild themselves if you delete them.
have you recently unchecked the box to hide system files ?
or customized a folder ?
more info
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...hell_basics/shell_basics_extending/custom.asp

 

Okay okay.. sorry to be a PITA.


BTW, I have now deleted all visable coppies of the file from the desktop and start menu(16 in all) so they won't bug me anymore. I have rebooted, and they do not rebuild themselves.. at least not yet. =\

 

You aren't a PITA. You were concerned and wanted to know


Is that what this forum is all about?

 

the attrib -r removes read-only. the attrib -h removes the hidden property from the selected file, and the attrib -s removes the system properties of the selected file. *.* means everything. /s means silent mode, with no output of what it was doing, etc. I'm pretty sure that's right. I used the attrib command a couple times myself.

 

You are right, except on the /s switch.


I don't do DOS, but I know a little



Displays or changes file attributes.

ATTRIB [+R | -R] [+A | -A ] [+S | -S] [+H | -H] [drive:][path][filename]
[/S [/D]]

+ Sets an attribute.
- Clears an attribute.
R Read-only file attribute.
A Archive file attribute.
S System file attribute.
H Hidden file attribute.
[drive:][path][filename]
Specifies a file or files for attrib to process.
/S Processes matching files in the current folder
and all subfolders.
/D Processes folders as well.

 

well, i admit it, i guessed on the /s switch, but in most other dos programs, it's silent mode. That's what i based my guess on.

 

Ahhh.. no wonder..... hmmm, so do you think it might be a problem that I ended up running those commands on half of the C: drive? (Oops!)

 

Yes

 

lol, okay..... everything seems fine right now. Removing the hidden and read only properties can't be that bad cause I don't plan on going in and overwriting any important files. Now I'm not quite sure what removing the system file properties would actually do? Doesn't seem to have hurt anything yet..... do you think I should do a restore? I would rather not because I am continuously updating and changing stuff around how I like it, and restoring to last week would loose a lot of work that I've done..

 

I would let it be, unless it causes problems.
I don't know for sure, but I *think* the system attribute only hides it under the option "Hide Protected Operating System Files" In Folder Options-View. Other files would be hidden under, "Show Hidden Files and Folders" option, if it is disabled.

I could be wrong.